Bracing for Obamacare:  Nurse Practitioners fill doc shortage gapNurse practitioners across the country are bracing for the onset of reforms going into effect this fall as part of Obama’s Affordable Care Act provisions created in 2010. The ACA offers approximately 32 million Americans access to health insurance but the problem is that there is no guarantee of access to care. With the shortage of docs growing, nurse practitioners are stepping in …Read the article here.Health, fitness apps pose HIPAA risks for doctors Doctors advising patients to use mobile health apps may be comprising patient privacy, according to HIPAA compliance experts. Apparently, many of the free mobile health and fitness apps on the market send unencrypted patient data to advertisers and third parties and only about half of free and paid apps have links to a privacy policy for patients …Read the article here.Doctors get higher scores from patients more involved in care According to a study by Health Affairs, patients who are more engaged and knowledgeable about their own health care report more positive experiences with their doctors than those who are not as involved. Should doctors use these findings to change the way they approach patient care?Read the article here.Alert: Injectables and hormone replacement products recalled for sterility concerns Beacon Hill Medical Pharmacy (dba Rxtra Solutions) has voluntarily recalled hundreds of injectables and hormone replacement therapy products due to the FDA’s concerns about sterility. Although there is no evidence of contamination of the recalled products, the company is recalling products that were distributed nationwide to hospitals, clinics and patients …Read the article here.Bills to expand role of nurse practitioners advance in CaliforniaSenate bill 491 is setting off a turf war between doctors and nurse practitioners in California, where the debate over what kind of medical care non-physicians may administer is heating up …Read the article here.