January 2010

During the past year of financial turmoil, we have seen a clear refocusing of attention on strategies to minimize financial and liability risks. The question that many are asking is "How do we protect our remaining savings and retirement nest egg from the risk of these liabilities?"

Media exposure is a huge part of daily life today, with many families struggling with how to set reasonable boundaries. Studies have confirmed that too much exposure to media for kids of all ages impacts behavior, health and lifestyle decisions, and buying choices, and it contributes to issues such as obesity, early sexuality, drug and alcohol use, and bullying.

If one tunes out the background noise and focuses on two simple concepts--affordability and usability--selecting an EHR becomes a lot less confusing.

Although HIPAA nominally guarantees an individual's right to access his or her protected health information, several groups and organizations, claiming that HIPAA is inadequate, have put forth declarations of patients' rights to protect and control their own health data. But, says the author of this article, even these measures are too vague. Instead, he proposes a system that would facilitate true and complete control over personal health data, to the point that patients could license access to researchers and others.

The boom of social networking should make it easier for physicians and patients to communicate with one another. But reimbursement, liability, and privacy concerns are getting in the way. How can these obstacles be overcome? Read on.

If your patient needed rehabilitation for an injury or simply wanted to sharpen his or her cognitive skills, do you think they'd rather be asked to perform mundane movement drills and fill out test sheets or play a fun video game?

Daniel Palestrant, MD, CEO and founder of Sermo (www.sermo.com), explains why Sermo cut ties with the AMA last year, reviews the current state of the largest online community for physicians, and reveals where he sees the site and healthcare social media headed in the near future.

Check out these suggestions on how to maximize battery life and up-time and other tips and tricks to help you get maximum performance from your iPhone.