AHRQ says EHR makers need to remember consumers, too: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has set forth a list of suggestions for health IT vendors that include a recommendation to focus more on the needs of consumers when creating EHR systems. More

Healthcare in 2020: Forbes guest columnist Arna Ionescu from IDEO, imagines a US healthcare system where most of the future technologies we write about today become implemented and succeed. Key quote: "New technologies can relieve the enormous administrative burden on our clinicians." More

Meru equips St. Joseph Health System with wireless: Bryan, Texas-based St. Joseph Health System has deployed Meru Networks wireless LAN (WLAN) solutions for implementing a Healthcare Information System (HCIS), including Meditech bedside patient registration, medication administration carts (BMV), voice applications for nurse call systems and asset tracking throughout its network of hospitals and healthcare clinics. Next up: According to Meru, St. Joseph may deploy mobile imaging carts for bedside access to x-ray and CAT scan images at the emergency room. More

Cytta on home health acquisition spree? It's hard to tell from the press release but it seems that San Francisco-based Cytta is currently discussing the acquisition of three home health technology firms: "To further our objectives, the Company is currently negotiating with three different organizations to complete the integration of their very crucial elements into our current technologies and model. Cytta feels that selected technologies have the potential to move health care to a more proactive, consumer-centric model of care, capable of improving the cost, quality, and accessibility of health care services." More