Contest Seeks Online Apps for Health Care Quality Comparisons

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced a contest calling on software developers to create online tools to help consumers find health care quality information, the Newport News Daily Press reports (Salasky, Newport News Daily Press, 10/28).

The contest is part of the foundation's Aligning Forces for Quality initiative (Goedert, Health Data Management, 10/28). The initiative is designed to improve the quality of health care in 16 communities around the U.S. Read more...

Insurers Pressured To Improve Online Data Regarding Medical Costs

Several major health insurance companies, including WellPoint and UnitedHealth Group, are working to upgrade their online services to offer consumers more data about the costs of medical services, the Wall Street Journal reports.

As more U.S. residents choose high-deductible health insurance plans, they are seeking more information on the cost of care. Read the full article...

Clinical Decision Support System Not Linked to Better Patient Outcomes

A clinical decision support application run through an electronic health record system did not contribute to improved vascular outcomes, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, MedPage Today reports. Read the article...

Researchers found no significant differences between the two patient groups for clinical outcomes.
However, the study found that patients in the intervention group reported improvements in their:

• Ability to improve their vascular health; and
• Continuity of care.