June 27th, 2008's news roundup features stories about RFID interference in hospitals, hospitalists effect on quality, online health care, and the new AMA president's views on Insurers' doctor ratings.

Kaiser Permanente is delpying self-service kiosks in clinics in Southern California.  The innovation is being promoted as a way to reduce or eliminate long waits while allowing staff to serve patients with pressing or complex needs.

The Markel Foundation released online personal health record privacy guidelines that Google and Microsoft have agreed to follow.

The Joint Commission released its National Patient Safety Goals for 2009.  New regulations targeting the spread of infections have been included.

MedPAC released new recommendations for medicare payments, the safety and liability of mystery shoppers in healthcare is being debated, and online medical records-keeping systems are being discussed.

Twelve communities have been selected to take part in a new national Medicare demonstration project using EHR incentives.  The five-year project is the first of its kind. The community areas that were selected are Alabama, Delaware, Jacksonville, FL (multi-county), Georgia, Maine, Louisiana, Maryland/Washington, DC, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, PA (multi-county), South Dakota (multi-state), Virginia, and Madison, WI (multi-county).