The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have set-up a new 'cluster' on pharmacovigilance (medicine safety) topics. Clusters are regular collaborative meetings between the EMA and regulators outside of the European Union, which focus on specific topic areas that have been identified as requiring an intensified exchange of information and collaboration. Building on the experience of previous regular videoconferences between the FDA and the EMA in this area and on the recent creation of the EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee, this cluster will provide a forum for a more systematic and focused exchange of information on the safety of medicines.

Partners HealthCare At Home has selected Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) to support its growing telemonitoring services, providing improved clinical oversight for newly discharged patients and those with chronic conditions, such as congestive heart failure. With this enhanced care, Partners HealthCare At Home nursing staff can remotely monitor a patient's health by tracking vital signs and intervening earlier with medical attention, successfully reducing the rate of costly hospital readmissions.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that hackers conducted “very thorough” attacks in 2013 on computer systems at three prominent cardiovascular device manufacturers: Medtronic, Boston Scientific and St. Jude Medical.  An executive at Boston Scientific called the report inaccurate.

To better address the needs of physicians who treat patients with valvular heart disease, Esaote North America is establishing a new sales force to bring industry-leading 3mensio Structural HeartTM software directly to leading Cardiologists and Radiologists for state-of-the art cardiovascular planning solutions.

Merge Healthcare Incorporated (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare, today announced that Merge Cardio(TM) has been named Best in KLAS for the cardiology software category within the "2013 Best in KLAS: Software & Services" report. In addition, Merge Hemo(TM) has been named the Category Leader in Cardiology Hemodynamics for the third successive year.

A series of High Value Care case studies are available online for free from the American College of Physicians (ACP) to help clinicians understand the benefits, harms, and costs of tests and treatment options for common clinical issues so they can pursue care that improves health and eliminates wasteful practices.

Researchers at the University of Louisville told Wired.co.uk that within a 10 years they will build a human heart using bioprinting techniques.

Demystifying meditation with science, researchers at the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) have teamed with The Chopra Foundation and The Chopra Center for Wellbeing in a novel study of the ancient practice that uses wireless health sensors to collect physiological data from meditators.