Smart phone applications will enable the mobile health industry to reach out to 500 million of a total 1.4 billion smart phone users worldwide in 2015, according to a report from mobile market research firm research2guidance.

Austin Regional Clinic, a multispecialty healthcare group in Austin, Texas, has implemented Webmedxs suite of clinical documentation technology and services across all 18 of its clinic locations.

The costs of medical services vary among countries, but the U.S. sees the highest expenses, according to a report evaluating the annual medical cost per services throughout 12 countries, released by the International Federation of Health Plans (IFHP).

The California Department of Public Health has assessed six California hospitals and one nursing home administrative penalties and fines totaling $792,500 after a determination that the facilities failed to prevent unauthorized access to confidential patient medical information.

Healthmed Services has launched HealthTrac, a web-based, open-source practice management tool for hospitals and physicians.

Elsevier has developed an iPhone App for First Consult, an online clinical information resource.

It's almost 2011. Do you know where your EHRs are? The EHR news was voluminous this week. It began with the debut of a new EHR safety reporting system. The iHealth Alliance, a nonprofit group of medical society and professional liability carrier executives, collaborating with federal agencies and PDR Network, has launched EHRevent.org, which establishes a nationwide system for healthcare providers to report issues related to the implementation and use of EHRs using a standardized online format.

Covisint, a Compuware company, has accelerated provider payments for physician offices and large health systems from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the 2009 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI).