Android's Google Reader App Gets More Muscle

Author: Mehdi Rais, M.D.

Last week, Android’s Google Reader app received some dynamic updates that bring the app closer inline with the online experience, and in some ways now exceeds the web version.  I lean on this app to keep up with over 225 news feeds a day ranging from Health IT to technology to emerging clinical best practices to a myriad of other topics.  Among the updates to the Android version of Google Reader include:

• Unread Count Widget: any feed can be chosen within your Google Reader (labels, person, specific feeds, or all items.)  You’ll have a pulse on developments in your reader inbox as they happen.  Clicking on such feeds will send you to the respective feed.

• News Ticker Widget: any feed within Google reader can cycle through those headlines and stream on the homescreen. Much like the previous widget, clicking on a given article will take you to the article.

• Mark previous as read: this feature isn't available in the online version; currently you can only mark a time period (last day, week, etc.) as read, not everything prior.  In your reading list view, you can simply press “Mark previous as read” to mark feed listings above the screen as read.

These developments are right in line with the spirit of Google Reader's aim to streamline your online browsing experience.  Have you made the leap yet to Google Reader?

About the author:

Mehdi Rais is a physician, medical lecturer, medical writer, and self-proclaimed “tech nerd.” When Dr. Rais isn’t honing in on his trades, he spends his time scouring publications and the web for the latest trends in technology in the medical field, new applications in Health Information Technology, and emerging legislative & regulatory changes in medicine. 

Dr. Rais' interests are greatly focused in the realm of mobile computing and the use of cell phone technologies in the clinical setting.  He received his Medical Doctorate from St. Christopher’s College of Medicine after spending his undergraduate years at the University of Texas at Dallas.  

Dr. Rais can be reached on LinkedIn or followed at his blog here. Look for him on Twitter @DrMedBlog.

EMR = MSQ (A Massive Security Quagmire)

With the emergence of electronic medical records, the amount of intimate data being stored on any given patient is enormous.  This begins with identifying information such as age, race, sex, social security information, billing information, etc.  Such data is invaluable to identity thieves and marketers alike. Last week it was reported that a group of hackers broke into the Emory Health Care System and stole the records of at least 77 patients at an orthopedic clinic.  

Alarmingly, the hospital IT department did not detect nor identify any security problems.  The security breach was picked up by an ongoing case being pursued by the FBI.  In a statement by a hospital spokesperson for the Emory Health Care System, the intentions of the thieves were revealed, ”According to the IRS this information appears to have been subsequently used for the filing of fraudulent federal tax returns with the intent of collecting associated tax returns."

Despite the perception of being a secure network, I find it amazing that such security breaches could occur without any clue of its occurrence by the IT department. This event speaks volumes as to the distance we have to go to prevent the compromise of highly sensitive patient data.  

As I continue through my HITECH program, I learn every day about a new creative way hackers have accessed such sensitive data.  Creating a secure system truly is a monumental task requiring both education of health care workers, increased hardware and software resources, and a better trained more prepared IT team. Along with creating a unified language as being one of our nation's largest hurdles for system-wide EMR implementation and adoption,  top-rated health IT security will prove to have an equally immense resource cost.