Nurses often find treatment guidelines online

As many as 65 percent of nurses often go online for the latest treatment guidelines and research in practicing evidence-based care, according to a new survey of 568 nurses. The survey found that 29 percent of respondents said they “occasionally” used the Internet to find guidelines and research. Health Data Management

Intel chairman faults health care system

Intel Corp. Chairman Craig Barrett warned Tuesday that U.S. jobs will continue to move offshore at a rapid pace unless corporate America exerts its power to force the health care industry to adopt systems that will cut costs and improve efficiency.

“Every job that can be moved out of the United States will be moved out . . . because of health care costs,” which averaged more than $6,000 per person in 2004, Barrett said at a conference sponsored by eHealth Initiative, a non-profit coalition of health information technology interest groups. . . .

“The (health care) system is out of control, it’s unstable, it’s basically bankrupt, it gets worse each year, and all we do is tinker around the edges when what we need are major fixes,” Barrett said, adding that health care costs make it increasingly difficult for U.S. companies to compete with rivals abroad. Associated Press

HHS launches health care transparency initiative

The Health and Human Services (HHS) Department is launching an initiative to make health care prices and quality more transparent and ultimately to lower costs. The effort will include hospitals, insurance plans, healthcare providers, employers and consumers. The goal is for the healthcare sector to become a system that uses value-based components of care. Government Computer News

U.S. collecting heart test data for side effect study

The FDA says electrocardiograms from more than 200,000 patients in prescription drug trials will be put into a database so researchers can search for possible dangerous cardiac side effects. Officials say the study also may help tell researchers if some patients are susceptible to having heart problems from drugs already on the market. Reuters

CMS to reward top-performing hospitals and medical providers with bonuses

In a pilot program rewarding hospitals that provide the best care, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to pay out $8.85 million in bonuses this year to the top-performing hospitals and health care providers. USA TODAY

As boomers age, severe shortage in caregivers anticipated

With the number of seniors who rely on home-based caregiving services expected to double by 2050 from the current 15 million, the nation could face a serious shortage of caregivers, according to a new report. About 20 percent of adults, most of them frail seniors, currently aren’t getting the assistance they need, and the situation is expected to worsen as another new report indicates that about half of the nation’s cities have no plan to meet the needs of aging baby boomers. USA TODAY