Medical Economics Weekly - Is the new Xbox a healthcare tool?

In this episode of Medical Economics Weekly, the Xbox might be as important as the smartphone in healthcare IT, half of all eligible providers received EHR incentives, there's a huge healthcare IT worker shortage, a study says that the independent practice ISN'T dead, and more.

Below are links to the articles and social media activity mentioned in this episode. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more episodes of our podcast. And make sure to connect with Kevin Stout and Brandon Glenn on Twitter (@kevinbstout and @BGlennWrites) or email us with suggestions at [email protected] and [email protected].

Healthcare IT Worker Shortage Bigger Than Expected

A report by PwC Health Research Institute made clear that the shortage of healthcare IT workers is much larger than expected. 80% of healthcare CEOs plan to invest in healthcare IT in 2013.

Half of all eligible providers have received EHR incentives: HHS

A recent announcement claimed that more than half of all eligible providers have received incentive payments through the federal government’s EHR program.

Xbox One, Kinect 2.0 and the future of health technology

Former development manager at Microsoft, Marcelo Calbucci is making a bold statement about the future of health technology. He believes that Microsoft's new gaming console, the Xbox One, will do more for the evolution of health technology than any device other than the smartphone.

Who says the independent practice is dead? 58% of physicians don't want to sell

The independent practice isn’t dead yet. A new survey of about 2,100 physician practice owners shows that 58% say they are not looking to sell.

UCLA surgeons using Vine, Instagram to video tweet brain surgery

Live social media coverage of surgeries is becoming more and more popular among hospitals. The most recent occurrence of this type of broadcast was from UCLA. The @UCLAHealth Twitter account used Vine and Instagram to chronicle the implant of a brain pacemakers, a device that contracts Parkinson's disease.

The costs of becoming patient-centered

A recent article in Medical Economics examines the cost of transitioning a practice into a patient-centered medical home – monetary and otherwise. 

10 simple rules for doctors on social media

Dr. John Mandrola posted on popular physician blog, Kevin MD, with 10 simple rules that all doctors should follow on social media. The 10 rules are meant to be an easier to follow version of the 14 page manual the American College of Physicians and the Federation of State Medical Boards came out with on how doctors should behave on the internet.

Tweet of the Week

In reply to a comment on drug lobbying and prescription drugs costs by user @ImagesMD, user @IMWHorvitz replied,

"prescription plans run by third parties take most of the blame IMHO."