The following were the 10 most-read health IT stories in December.
1. Cerner's ultimatum to employees: Give up right to sue, or give up raises
The week before Thanksgiving, Kansas City, Mo.-based Cerner gave its employees a choice: They could give up their right to sue the company over labor matters or give up their right for merit-based pay raises. Read more
2. Are Epic and Cerner healthcare's Apple and Android? 7 core thoughts
Epic and Cerner, like Apple's iOS and Google's Android, hold the largest market shares in their industry. The Apple iOS and Google Android and their products, branding and ease of use have become so successful that they have few, if any, viable competitors among smartphone manufacturers. Other organizations largely believe they can't compete in the phone operating system business. Epic and Cerner are attempting to put themselves in a similar position for large health system EHRs. Read more
3. 40 healthcare apps for clinicians and consumers to know
It seems like every week in 2015 — if not most days — brought news of a new healthcare startup company whose app garnered millions in early funding. Not all of these apps will take off, and many are still vying to snag the dominant spot in their respective categories. Read more
4. 6 EHR vendor switches in 2015
There are any number of reasons for hospitals to switch EHR systems. Providers may seek different functions and capabilities or mergers and acquisitions may require an EHR change to keep all hospitals on the same platform. Read more
5. 10 startups to know for 2016
Bright minds from a variety of backgrounds are teaming up across sectors to grow startup businesses. In healthcare, the stakes for these young companies are often higher and the challenges are more robust. Read more
6. 58 EHR contracts, go-lives in 2015
These 58 EHR vendor contracts and go-lives occurred in the past year. Read more
7. 7 celebrity data breaches: When employees snoop on high-profile patients
While large-scale data breaches are often the result of cyberattacks from outsiders, insider threats present a significant danger to healthcare organizations. Since hospital employees have access to EHRs, there is the risk they may access records outside of their traditional job duties — especially if hospital patients are high-profile individuals or celebrities. Read more
8. Epic has youngest physician user base: What does this mean for the future of EHR vendors? 10 takeaways
Looking at the demographics of a vendor's client base can provide insight into the EHR market share, potentially even hinting at which vendors are positioned for continued growth. Read more
9. Tracing the roots of major health IT players: The meaning behind 5 company names
Health IT is an industry with many big names, but where do these names come from? From the Greek gods to a love affair with language, here is the history and inspiration behind five household names in health IT. Read more
10. 5 biggest healthcare data breaches of 2015
The three biggest healthcare data breaches of all time were reported in 2015; two of them were in the year's first quarter. Read more
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9 hospitals, health systems seeking Cerner, Epic talent