When Choosing the “Best” Plan in a Health Insurance Exchange: Actuarial Value Tells Only Part of the Story
The Commonwealth Fund – August 23, 2012
An analysis of health insurance exchanges which illustrates the out-of-pocket costs that might result from plans with various plan designs and actuarial values.

Testing What We Think We Know
NYT – August 19, 2012
An op-ed in the New York Times argues that more research needs to be done on evaluating medical procedures that doctors currently provide.

When the Cost Curve Bent — Pre-Recession Moderation in Health Care Spending
NEJM – August 16, 2012
Recently there i a moderation in the rate of growth of U.S. health care spending — a bend in the cost curve. A critical question is whether the low growth rate is likely to continue — an issue with enormous implications for the country’s fiscal future. If the slowdown resulted from the recession, the rate is likely to increase as we return to full employment; if not, it may provide a respite from the problems created by spending inflation.

Using an App as Prescribed
NYT – August 20, 2012
Apps that can assess data like blood glucose levels, diet and drug regimen — and can be reimbursed by insurance — will soon be prescribed by doctors to help treat patients.

91% of Physicians Want Mobile-Enabled EHRs
Fierce – August 20, 2012
Most doctors are interested in using their mobile devices to access their electronic health records, even though they’re not currently doing so.

Walgreens Deploying EHR in all Pharmacies
HealthData Management – August 22, 2012
Walgreens will implement a customized electronic health record system from Greenway Medical Technologies in its nearly 8,000 pharmacies to better track all health services provided in the facilities.

Study Faults Design Changes in St. Jude Defibrillators
The Wall Street Journal – August 21, 2012
Design changes in the latest versions of a St. Jude Medical Inc. STJ -0.80% heart device failed to stem potentially life-threatening problems that plagued earlier, recalled versions of the product, according to a study published online Tuesday in the medical journal Europace.

Nearly Half of U.S. Physicians Battle Burnout
Becker’s Hospital Review – August 21, 2012
Roughly 46 percent of physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout, and physicians at the frontlines of care access — such as emergency medicine, family medicine and general internal medicine — face the highest risk.