Open Health News (OHN) Weekly Summary - 12/28/2013

 

December 28, 2013 - The following is a brief listing of some of the hot news items, selected news clips, feature stories, and blogs posted on Open Health News (OHNews) over the past week that we believe will be of interest to our readers across the U.S. and around the world. We've also included links to some upcoming open source and health IT events and conferences.

Some of the key themes dominating the news this week involved:

  • Check out the compilation of end of year articles on 2013 accomplishments and predictions for 2014 related to open source, health IT, open data, open access, ...
  • Human augmentation technology and use of exoskeleton systems in healthcare will become much bigger news over the next decade(s).
  • Ongoing news about a range of innovative 'Open Health' activity and solutions from across the U.S. and around the world.
Roger Maduro
Publisher & Managing Editor, Open Health News


Headlines

OHN News, Features & Blog Posts

Selected News Clips

 

Brief Abstracts of Selected News Stories

 

Open Health News (OHNews) – Most Popular News Stories in 2013

Open Health News (OHNews) opened for business back in January 2011. Over the past three years, the OHNews web site has grown exponentially. We have now have had over 140,000 unique readers visit OHNews and have had over 7 million hits on our site – and the numbers continue to grow. As we head towards the end of the year, the global 'Open Health' movement continues to grow and strengthen.  The following is a quick review of the most popular articles, feature stories, blogs, and news clips posted on the OHN web site based on the number of readers viewing them. Read More »

Ekso GT Robotic 'Exoskeleton' System enters the Marketplace

Last week, Ekso Bionics announced the first delivery of Ekso GT, their latest robotic exoskeleton which enables individuals with lower extremity paralysis or weakness to stand and walk. The first Ekso GT was delivered to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. News about exoskeletons and the development of other human augmentation technologies continues to proliferate. Witness this recent story in the New York Post entitled "Paralyzed Veterans competing in race in exoskeleton suit".

Human Augmentation, Exoskeleton Technology & 'Open' Health

Human augmentation is generally used to refer to technologies that enhance human productivity or capability. It spans a wide gamut of technologies, ranging from implants, prosthetic limbs, enhanced sensory devices, powered exoskeletons, and more. Military organizations are now experimenting with a wide range of 1st generation human augmentation technologies, including exoskeletons that allow personnel to carry increased loads and perform at a higher level. These devices also have the potential to be adapted for use in healthcare and many other industries. Read More »

Linux is Everywhere. We show you exactly where

Rahul Bali | Linux Federation | December 23, 2013

” Linux is Everywhere. From Space Stations to Microwave Ovens, Linux powers everything.” You might have heard that a lot and have always wondered ” Is that just a phrase or is it actually true? “Be assured, it is true." Read More »

HHS appoints DeSalvo to head ONC

Diana Manos | Government Health IT | December 19, 2013

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday morning that Karen DeSalvo, MD, City of New Orleans Health Commissioner, will take over the helm of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Read More »

Year-in-Review: Health and science are hot topics

Luis Ibanez | OpenSource.com | December 27, 2013

The year 2013 brought great progress for the adoption of open source in the health and science industries. We covered some excellent open source stories, here the highlights from 2013. Read More »

Open access 2013: A year of gaining momentum

Hilda Bastian | Scientific American | December 26, 2013

Was this the year open access for science reached critical mass? Read More »

5 top Linux and open source stories in 2013

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols | ZD Net | December 24, 2013

Linux has long ruled some areas of computing such as supercomputing. But in 2013, Linux and the open source method of developing software started to quietly dominate all aspects of computing, from cars to the cloud, and end-user computing, thanks in part to Android and Chrome OS. Read More »

Big Data In 2014: 6 Bold Predictions

Jeff Bertolucci | InformationWeek | December 23, 2013

How will big data evolve in 2014? The future is anyone's guess, of course, but we thought we'd compile a tasty holiday assortment of prognostications from executives working in the big data trenches. Read More »

CMS and OIG release final rules extending Stark Law exception for donations of EHR systems

Carlton Fields & Jon Gatto | Lexology | December 26, 2013

CMS and OIG release final rules extending Stark Law exception and Anti-Kickback Statute safe harbor for donations of electronic health records [EHR] technology. Read More »

Study: Hospitals in for rough ride in 2014

Richard Craver | Winston-Salem Journal | December 20, 2013

Not-for-profit hospitals are in for another rough economic ride in 2014, reflecting the cumulative impact of changing economic trends over the past six years and new financial and technology challenges. Read More »

Take Long View On Health Reform

Terry Schlemeier | Columbia Daily Tribune | December 15, 2013

Americans, especially the press, seem to be obsessive regarding the Affordable Care Act — or the sobriquet "Obamacare," as it has been dubbed. At first I was slightly disheartened by this, but, given further thought, it is only natural. For far too many years, we had no cohesive "system" for our health care, and now everyone, so it seems, is looking at a real system. Read More »

12 Days of Open Data to Get You Through the New Year

Matthew Rumsey & Peter Olsen-Phillips | Sunlight Foundation | December 20, 2013

In the weeks since Nov. 30, when federal agencies were supposed to comply with President Barack Obama’s open data executive order by providing a list of all the data they are holding, it has already become clear that the executive order is unearthing treasure troves of information that previously haven't been available or accessible. Read More »

What The Open Access Button Means For the Future Of Research And Publishing

Barbie E. Keiser | Information Today | December 17, 2013

The Open Access Button is designed to help researchers easily report when they hit a publisher paywall and are unable to access scholarly publications (because they lack a paid subscription to a particular journal or database or have not otherwise paid an access fee for the document). Read More »

White House Names Former Microsoft Exec To Run Healthcare.gov

Dan Mangan | CNBC | December 17, 2013

Former Microsoft executive Kurt DelBene will take over the volunteer job of overseeing ongoing fixes to the federal Obamacare marketplace HealthCare.gov starting Wednesday, officials said.  Read More »

MaineHealth increasing spending on software system that was involved with billing glitches

Joe Lawlor | Portland Press Herald | December 24, 2013

MaineHealth will spend an extra $55 million, mostly for training staff, on a system that has led to costly errors.  Read More »

 

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