Health IT Systems Being Used To Track Doctors, Too

Some physicians feel second-guessed by systems that track how they handle their patients. Also, in other coverage about health care delivery, the Fiscal Times examines the growth of minute clinics.

The Wall Street Journal: Hospitals Prescribe Big Data To Track Doctors At Work
Marnie Baker, a pediatrician at California's MemorialCare Health System, has an easy manner and ready smile. Now, though, her job is to be the bearer of a serious and, for some of her colleagues, unwelcome message. She's the voice of a program that digitally tracks their performance, informs them when they don't measure up—and cajoles them to improve. MemorialCare is part of a movement by hospitals around the U.S. to change how doctors practice by monitoring their progress toward goals, such as giving recommended mammograms. It isn't always an easy sell (Wilde Mathews, 7/11).

Fiscal Times: How Minute Clinics Are Revolutionizing Health Care
In a country that's getting fatter, older, and needs more medical care, there's a huge opportunity for companies to really disrupt the American health care system. Rattle the dust off those old bones if you will. The opportunity waits in plain sight at your local pharmacy, and some companies like Walgreens and CVS have taken notice and hope that you will too. Walgreens, the largest pharmacy chain in America, made an aggressive move in April to expand its Take Care retail clinic's services to include diagnosing and treating chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes and high cholesterol (Nisen, 7/11).

Earlier from KHN: Walgreens Becomes 1st Retail Chain To Diagnose, Treat Chronic Conditions