Propelled by mass wariness of malpractice lawsuits, defensive medicine has crossed the Atlantic on a suprising scale.

If harmonizing the work of two or more doctors treating the same patient is a key reason for computerizing healthcare, then health information technology is singing somewhat off key.

The Information Systems team at Atlanta Medical Center is not only keeping pace with the rate at which technology is evolving in healthcare, they’re taking the lead.

There are two schools of thought on physician self-referral. On one side are supporters who see the practice as a harmless means of streamlining care for patients. On the other are detractors who consider it a cynical form of capitalism run amok in healthcare.

A breach at an Alabama hospital that resulted in a two-year jail term for a hospital employee suggests that insider threats to patient data security may be greater challenge than many providers understand.

Already a week into the new year, the healthcare industry is buzzing with energy and focused on the road ahead. 

Often lost amid the hurrahs over the promise and potential of big data to transform healthcare is how unwieldy it can be to apply in real-world settings—and how wary clinical decision-makers can be when they’re presented with it. 

“The repeal of the medical device tax is our number one priority for 2015. We are really hoping this is the year we see it repealed.”