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Information technology

Medical startup aims to put your primary care doctor in the cloud | STAT

A digital medicine startup that replaces doctor visits with text messages and emails is counting on the annoyances of traditional medicine – plus those pesky co-pays – to drive more people to alternatives.

Rumors, expectations surround Apple expansion into healthcare | Politico

Apple appears to be preparing a major move into the healthcare industry, expanding from its platform of fitness and clinical trial enrollment apps into an area that could include FDA-regulated sensors, advanced clinical decision support and even electronic health records.

Medical devices and equipment

J&J warns insulin pump vulnerable to hacking | The Wall Street Journal

Johnson & Johnson has warned diabetes patients and doctors that one of its insulin pumps is vulnerable to cyber hacking. A hacker in close proximity to the OneTouch Ping insulin pump system could use sophisticated equipment to find the unencrypted radio signal used by the device and program the pump to supply insulin, J&J officials said.

Pharmaceuticals

FDA warns on hepatitis C drugs | The Wall Street Journal

The Food and Drug Administration is warning about the risk of reactivation of hepatitis B among patients who have had that disease and who are taking some prominent and expensive newer medicines for hepatitis C.

Safety, quality and clinical practice

Feds say more people should try dialysis at home | NPR.org

About half a million Americans need dialysis, which cleans toxins from the body when the kidneys can't anymore. It can cost more than $50,000 a year, and takes hours each week at a dialysis center. Medicare is now taking steps to make it easier for people to do their own dialysis at home.

University of Maryland medical school research finds health disparities hurt early childhood development | The Baltimore Sun

Nearly 43% of children living in low to middle income communities around the world will not reach their potential because of conditions that affect their development such as poverty, exposure to violence and lack of access to nutritional food, according to new research by the University of Maryland School of Medicine.