The Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee introduced bipartisan legislation requiring standardized data collection and assessment from post-acute healthcare providers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a clinical app for healthcare providers dealing with terrorist bombings and other mass casualty explosive events.

The majority of consumers — 80 percent — would like the option of interacting with healthcare providers via smartphones, according to a survey by FICO, a predictive analytics and decision management software company.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded ASM Research a three-year, $162 million contract to upgrade the system's electronic health record system, according to a news release.

Health IT is a burgeoning industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates health IT employment will increase 21 percent through 2020. At the same time, troops are starting to return to American soil and transition back to civilian life.

Alpharetta, Ga.-based MedAssets has revealed its latest Decision Support Costing and Contracting system.

Agfa HealthCare and Hyland have collaborated to integrate Agfa's enterprise imaging platform with Hyland's OnBase content management technologies.

It's no secret hospitals and health systems are increasingly investing in health IT tools and resources.

Maywood, Ill.-based Loyola University Health System has appointed Christopher Wood, MD, CMIO, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

UPMC Altoona (Pa.) Hospital plans to offer telemedicine services this fall in the emergency room and maternity unit, according to a WTAJ report.