World Congress - The Leader in Health Care, Pharmaceutical and Marketing Conferences

The need for better electronic patient records has gotten a lot of attention lately. But compiling all that data is just part of the battle. Doctors and patients still have to know what to do with those records.

So ActiveHealth Management, a unit of Aetna, (AET) aims to go that extra step. It not only compiles data, it also analyzes all that information and often comes up with a diagnosis. more»

In step toward personalized online medical information, Aetna plans to announce Wednesday a new service that draws upon a patient’s own medical history to help answer questions about symptoms and treatments. more»

HARTFORD, Conn. & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aetna (NYSE:AET - News) and Healthline Networks, a leading provider of intelligent health information, today introduced Aetna SmartSourceSM, the first-ever personalized search engine that mines information from Aetna’s vast data resources to deliver meaningful, personalized health and health benefits information to Aetna members. Powered by Healthline Networks’ Medically Guided SearchTM technology, Aetna SmartSource is an intelligent online search tool that connects members to health information and Aetna programs and resources specific to their needs. more»

CHICAGO, IL and HONOLULU, HI – March 12, 2008 – Allscripts, the leading provider of clinical software, connectivity and information solutions that physicians use to improve healthcare, today announced that TeamPraxis, a physician management services organization that provides technology and support services to more than 1,000 physicians in Hawaii, has purchased a statewide license for the Allscripts Electronic Health Record (EHR). The agreement enables TeamPraxis to provide the Allscripts solution to physicians across Hawaii. more»

You already bank online and use computer software to do your taxes. So why don't you trust technology to help you manage your health? Microsoft, Google and more than 100 Web sites offering personal health records know the answer, but they're betting they can quell your fears about posting your most private information online and get you to sign on soon. more»

Programs help employees make informed health care decisions, avoid unnecessary treatments Medical consulting companies that advise employees are gaining popularity among benefit managers for their ability to empower employees to take control over health care decisions while avoiding costly, unnecessary or inadequate treatment. more»

Employers that actively inform employees about medical consulting benefits have the highest rates of utilization, vendors and benefit managers say. Medical consulting companies offer decision support services that give employers a way to help employees facing difficult medical choices, particularly those suffering from chronic conditions. more»

One issue on which all three of the remaining presidential candidates agree is the need for electronic medical records and health information technology. Big names, among them Google (GOOG) and Microsoft, (MSFT) see huge opportunities ahead. Last year Microsoft launched HealthVault, which it calls the "hub of a network of Web sites, personal health devices and other services that you can use to help manage your health." Google is working on a similar concept, called Google Health. more»

Atlanta, GA, March 5, 2008 – MDdatacor, Inc., a premier healthcare information technology company that provides quality management solutions, has entered into a strategic partnership with TeleVox Software, Inc., a leading provider of communication solutions, to provide the SmartReach 360 patient outcome solution. more»

Cigarette smoking is the top preventable cause of death in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. Tobacco use leads directly to the No. 1 killers: heart disease, cancer (lung and throat from smoking; mouth, throat and stomach from smokeless tobacco), stroke, and chronic respiratory disease. more»

GOLDEN, Colo. (February 28, 2008) – Health Grades, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGRD), the leading independent healthcare ratings company, announced today that it is partnering with Google to help individuals find the best healthcare providers. HealthGrades will make independent information on doctors and hospitals, based on quality and cost, accessible via Google Health – a new product that is currently being tested in a pilot with the Cleveland Clinic. more»

ORLANDO, FL – February 28, 2008 – Direct from the 2008 HIMSS Exhibition and Conference, Allscripts, the leading provider of clinical software, connectivity and information solutions that physicians use to improve healthcare, announced a collaboration between the National ePrescribing Patient Safety Initiative™ (NEPSI™) and Google Health to provide physicians a new means of sharing health information over the Internet with their patients. more»

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – AeroScout, Inc., the leading provider of Unified Asset Visibility solutions, today announced the launch of a wireless Temperature Monitoring application for the healthcare industry. Part of AeroScout's industry leading Healthcare Visibility Suite, the Temperature Monitoring application is a complete solution for logging and alerting staff of temperature fluctuations for critical healthcare items and products, over any standard Wi-Fi network. more»

CHICAGO, IL – February 13, 2008 – Allscripts, the leading provider of clinical software, connectivity and information solutions that physicians use to improve healthcare, today announced results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2007. Total revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2007 was $73.4 million, compared to $63.6 million for the same period last year. Revenue from software and related services for the three months ended December 31, 2007 was $57.8 million, compared to $48.9 million for the same period last year, increasing by 18.1%. Gross margin percentage was 48.9% for the fourth quarter of 2007, compared to 53.5% during the fourth quarter of 2006. more»

WASHINGTON, D.C. [Feb. 14, 2008] - Today Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease Executive Director Ken Thorpe, Ph.D., testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies about the social and economic consequences of underinvestment in public health. Specifically, he discussed the effect that chronic disease -- the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. and the primary driver of rising health care costs -- has had on the American people and the U.S. economy. more»

New York, NY (February 13, 2008) – At a keynote presentation at the 3rd annual Employer Health and Human Capital Congress, WebMD Health Corp. (Nasdaq: WBMD) was joined by IBM and the former U.S. Surgeon General to discuss the importance of the personal health record (PHR) in educating consumers. more»

Sperian Protection, an equipment manufacturer, lowered its health care costs over the past years with some innovative tinkering with consumer-driven health care options and through a catchy communications program. more»

More employers are telling workers who fail to take a health risk questionnaire that they will pay more for health coverage, compared to employees who complete the assessment. more»