Morning Headlines 10/1/15

Electronic Health Records: Nonfederal Efforts to Help Achieve Health Information Interoperability

A GAO report on EHR interoperability concludes that the five major barriers to improved interoperability are cost, inadequate data standards, variation in state privacy rules, poor patient record matching technology, and a lack of trust between sharing entities.

2015 Industry Drill-Down Report – Healthcare

A Raytheon-Websense security report finds that cyberattacks on healthcare entities surged 600 percent in 2014 and the industry now experiences 340 percent more security attacks than the average industry. Researchers explain, “Criminals often move to the easiest targets, and with retail and banking becoming more secure, healthcare networks became a prime target.”

MedAssets to cut 5% of workforce in cost-cutting move

MedAssets, an Alpharetta, GA-based healthcare performance improvement company, will lay off 180 full time employees, or five percent of its total workforce, by the end of 2015.

HealthTap Launches Compass, A Revolutionary New Personal Healthcare Application That Will Give Employees of Flex the Ability to ‘Tap In’ to Intelligent, Efficient World-Class Healthcare 24/7

Online consumer health startup HealthTap announces plans to move into the employer wellness market with an app that offers telehealth consults, treatment planning, and patient reminders.