EHR systems and other electronic tools are likely to curb the demand for physicians in the future, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and The Commonwealth Fund.

Outsourcing is an emerging phenomenon in the healthcare information technology market. It is a screening process wherein an organization selects the most efficient third-party service provider to effectively operate its management and administrative unit. Outsourcing of IT solutions in the healthcare industry has emerged as an efficient solution to mitigate rising healthcare costs and to meet the growing demand for quality care. Over the years, the trend of healthcare IT outsourcing  solutions has grown significantly among large organizations and has also attracted mid-sized organizations. In some cases, the entire information management system is outsourced, while in others, only key application services such as implementation of EMR, CRM, and billing systems are outsourced.

Google has announced that it is testing contact lenses that monitor individuals' blood sugar levels, potentially eliminating daily finger-prick tests for patients with diabetes.

When it comes to health IT and patient safety, “we need more and better research to know what to work on first,” said Kathy Kenyon, JD, senior policy analyst at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, and moderator of a Jan. 10 webcast on the subject.

Seven projects that harness the power of data and information for the health of communities will receive more than $2 million as winners of the Knight News Challenge: Health, according to an announcement made at the Clinton Health Matters conference in La Quinta, Calif.

Furthering its Health IT Safety Plan, the Department of Health & Human Services has released a new set of guides and interactive tools to help healthcare providers more safely use electronic health IT products.

Venture capital funding in the health IT sector almost doubled in 2013, totaling $2.2 billion in 571 deals compared to $1.2 billion in 163 deals in 2012.

More software vendors have had specific EHR products certified for meeting some or all requirements of the 2014 edition of the Meaningful Use program.