Wearable technology is the latest trend in healthcare industry. This technology helps doctors, by assisting them in the operating room and providing real time access to electronic health records. By collecting information through this technology, healthcare providers now have more complete and essential real-time data to treat patients. David Peterson - CMO Emdeon Inc., believes that the adoption of wearable healthcare-related devices could indeed be a significant step in patient engagement and improving population health. Not only doctors, now patients can also monitor their own health continuously. Read more about this technology at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vala-afshar/wearable-technology-the-c_b_5263547.html

Recent news said that Twitter is coming up with a new platform called Twitter Commerce. These branded tweets, which look just like normal tweets, can be expanded to reveal a Buy button that allows consumers to make a purchase from within the Twitter app. Though twitter commerce has not been launched yet, social media providers are on a path to convert the social media platform into e-commerce platform. Few years ago presence of a brand in social media used to provide a significant advantage to the brand identity. But currently brands use the social platform as a communication channel with their consumer. With new and upcoming social commerce technologies, the biggest change for social media marketers will be a shift in focus from branding to lead generation. For more details please visit: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6318-future-of-social-commerce.html

The universal healthcare system should be divided into private and public spheres according to the commission of audit. The audit suggested a complete reform in health system in order to be sustainable. As per the report, more deregulated and competitive markets with appropriate safeguards have the greatest potential to improve the sector's competitiveness and productivity. In the current community rating system, risks are shared and therefore insurers can't charge a sick person higher premium than a healthy person. They also recommended that high income group should take out private health insurance. For more details please visit the following link: http://www.afr.com/p/national/end_universal_healthcare_audit_says_zrc6GH6VmXQx2YBwlB7gSJ

For emerging markets, exploring data to predict trends is not an easy option, mostly because of less availability of data in new fields. However, organizations in the emerging markets have the option of gradual progress. They have to start with analysing small data and then there will be scope to move into big data in near future. Problems for companies trying to do business in these areas are limited access to information and appropriate analytic modelling techniques. Gartner reports that companies are predicting 40 to 60% of their growth in revenues will come from emerging markets over the next decade, and McKinsey & Company predicts that in 12 years, 57% of the nearly one billion households with earnings greater than $20,000 a year will live in the developing world. "Companies need analytics to cope with these new markets," said Richard Howells, vice president of Go to Market for SAP. To know about this aspect, please visit the following link: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/start-with-small-data-in-emerging-markets-to-get-to-big-data-analytics/#. 

In a recent study it was found that more than 50% of revenue for small businesses comes from repeat customers. It is important for small businesses to retain their customers rather than acquiring new ones. Customer loyalty program is a good tool for small organizations to retain customers. Successful customer loyalty program requires authentic customer information. A digitally run and managed program will efficiently explore the data available and will in turn provide deeper insight about customers. For more details please visit the following link: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6310-big-data-customer-loyalty.html

The goal of Accountable Care Act is to lower costs and improve outcomes through the creation of Medicare Accountable Care Organization but deep fragmentation in the health system is preventing to reach these goals. To know about this research, please follow this link: http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2014/4/23/study-fragmented-health-care-system-could-hamper-medicare-acos

A recent study suggests that more than two-third of US population is being served by the ACOs. According to Department of Health and Human Services' the latest approval of ACOs in January brings the total number of Medicare ACOs to 368, up from 259 last year. Currently there are total 522 ACOs serving both Medicare and non-Medicare patients. According to CMS, 10% of Medicare beneficiaries will receive their healthcare from ACOs. The research also found that Medicare ACOs are serving near about 33 million non-Medicare patients. Though there is a significant growth in ACO participation, Mr. Niyum Gandhi, a partner in Oliver Wyman's Health & Life Sciences practice and one of the firm's experts on ACOs, criticized the fact by saying "The process of shifting American healthcare to a new, sustainable model is nowhere near the finish line. On the other hand, these numbers mean we have a critical mass lined up at the starting gate." To know more, follow the article written by Oliver Wyman (leader in management consulting) at: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/accountable-care-organizations-now-serve-up-to-17-of-americans-2014-04-23?reflink=MW_news_stmp

The toughest job for small business owners is to develop a cost effective marketing plan. Unlike large organizations, small business owners have limited resources in their hands. Hence they need to be more careful while developing a marketing plan. Communicating with consumers should be their primary focus while creating a marketing strategy. For more details about marketing strategy tips please visit Chad Brooks (senior writer of BusinessNewsDaily)'s article link: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6289-making-the-most-of-your-marketing-plan.html

CMS has announced that surveyors will scrutinize dementia care and Minimum Data Set coding in an upcoming pilot program. The programs are expected to start from mid 2014. The survey will be concentrated on the processes of antipsychotic prescribing. The special Minimum Data Set surveys will evaluate coding practices and examine how well facilities link care plans to MDS assessments. For more details please visit:http://www.mcknights.com/special-surveys-on-dementia-care-minimum-data-set-coding-will-launch-by-mid-year-cms-announces/article/343573/

Market research is the most powerful tool to analyze whether a product or service can fulfil the consumer needs or not. Market research helps to find the target audience, buying behaviour of consumers, market trends, demographics, economic shifts etc. This information is essential to the success of small and medium enterprises. Markets are dynamic and therefore it is important for SME players to remain updated about the market trends in order to remain in competition. Market research can help SMEs to remain updated and help them to understand the key issues in their business. For more details please visit: http://allafrica.com/stories/201404230455.html

US Community hospitals are facing issues like declining volume, shrinking patient care and other financial problems. In this situation most of the community hospitals are merging with large entities to survive. In Virginia, Community Memorial Healthcare of Virginia will join Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, the biggest health safety-net provider in the state, to help improve its bottom line and maintain quality care access throughout the region. Community Memorial expects $2.7 million in Medicare cuts next year and $2.9 million in 2016. For more details please visit Katie Sullivan's article link: http://www.fiercehealthfinance.com/story/mergers-key-community-hospital-survival/2014-04-22

Orange health solutions had acquired MZI healthcare. Great point partners, a private equity firm based in Greenwich, has helped in this merger. Orange health mainly serves hospitals and healthcare organizations to establish ACOs and value based care models, whereas MZI supports the healthcare providers with data analytics, predictive modelling, medical care management and health benefit management technologies. This merger will provide an integrated, one-stop solution that allows providers to solve their technology and service needs. For more please visit: http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/accountable-care-organizations/private-equity-firm-invests-in-aco-company-s-data-analytics-merger.html

Feedback surveys can be used to maximize business effectiveness. Employees, customers and events are valuable and necessary sources of feedback.  Feedback helps in taking strategic business decisions. Feedback surveys can be used to improve internal management, external environment and event management. To read more about how feedback helps an organization, please visit the article written by Sabina Stoiciu, writer of 123ContractForm in this link: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/24928/three-ways-to-use-feedback-surveys-to-maximize-business-effectiveness

Email Marketing is the buzz word in today's business. So what is email marketing? Email marketing is the online version of direct mail. Instead of sending fliers and coupons to a customer's home, you can send those same items digitally to a customer's inbox and also helps the sender to see who is actually using and reading the mail. A study suggests that small and midsize businesses are now concentrating more on email marketing. Email marketing is cost effective and easy to create. It has a wider reach.  There are many forms of email marketing like newsletters, promotional campaigns, invitation email etc. To read more details about email marketing, please visit Chad Brook’s (BusinessNewsDaily contributor) article in this link: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4488-email-marketing-guide.html

The health care industry in India is growing at 1.5 times the GDP growth rate, but still use of information technology in healthcare is insufficient. Currently, Government of India is encouraging private participation due to constraint in public funding capability. Government has launched Health Management Information System (HMIS) in order to take better decision on public health delivery. HMIS portal will convert local health data into real time information, management indicators and trends. A research suggests that the growth rate of India’s health care market is 25%. Also the research suggests that India has the fastest growing healthcare IT market in Asia. Currently seeing the growth rate, many multinational companies are entering in to India’s healthcare industry with innovative and customized products. For more details please visit: http://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2014/24904/intelligence-by-variety-where-to-find-and-access-big-data-infographic

Big data can improve sales and services by analyzing. Hence it is important for an organization to find big data and analyze the data properly. Big data can be collected through archives, documents, media, business apps, social media, public web, data storage, machine log data, and sensor data. In an article Verónica Maria Jarski discussed how Kapow software) helps an organization to find various sources of Big Data. Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2014/24904/intelligence-by-variety-where-to-find-and-access-big-data-infographic

It is important for every business to allocate resource and budget appropriately in each department of the organization. But things get difficult for small or start-up businesses because initially small business runs out of both money and resources. It often happens that management allocate maximum budget for marketing. In an article by David Holland (CEO of branding and marketing firm Data Source), offers three marketing strategies to help small businesses save money. For more details please visit Nicole Fallon’s article link: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6236-money-saving-marketing-tips.html

Genesys (a provider of customer experience and contact center solutions), announced that the company has recently entered into a partnership agreement with NTT Communications Corporation, a provider of telecommunication services for personal and corporate users.  Genesys Platform and NTT Communications have together formed Arcstar Contact Center. This contact center is based on NTT Communications' Enterprise Cloud.

Read more at: http://www.sys-con.com/node/3088305

With the growth of social media, people are taking and sharing photos through their mobile devices regularly. Gabriel Shaoolian, CEO of web design agency, Blue Fountain Media, said "Technology has turned us into a very visual culture...for a brand that is trying to communicate a marketing message, image-based content is becoming one of the strongest tools [to do so].” To read how photo sharing can boost social marketing, go through Nicole Fallon's, link http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6244-visual-content-marketing.html

The term big data refers to large amount of customer information gathered from social media, which helps companies to improve sales and services by analyzing those data. But unfortunately small businesses have limitations while analyzing big data. Also the huge volume of data may be confusing for small organization and some time they don't know where to begin. Social platform gathers information which can be important for organisations. Hence tools provided by Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, are a good start as they offer low start-up investment as per Evan Greenberg, CEO of marketing and communications firm Allscope Media. To read more about how big data can help businesses to think outside the box, follow Nicole Fallon's article in this link: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6190-smb-big-data-tips.html