40% of hospital execs unhappy or ‘meh’ with their digital health systems

40% of hospital execs unhappy or ‘meh’ with their digital health systems - A surprising number of hospital CTOs, COOs and CEOs are unhappy with the electronic health record (EHR) software used by their institution. So says healthcare research firm Premiere in its 2014 Economic Outlook. Hospitals must have an EHR system in place by 2015 that satisfies a number of technical and clinical guidelines set forth in the Obama Administration’s HITECH Act. They’re rewarded what Medicare reimbursement benefits if they succeed, but will begin being penalized if they fail. “While hospitals and health systems are increasingly investing in EHRs, many are not happy about the results,” the report states. Thirty-nine percent of executives said they were dissatisfied with their EHR, while another 11 percent said they were “indifferent.” Spending on health information systems is the fastest growing major line item for hospitals. In 2013, 17 percent said they’d be making major health IT purchases in the next year. That number was up to 27 percent in this year’s survey. The U.S. EHR market is projected to grow to $9.3 billion by 2015, according to a recent analysis by Accenture. The largest hospital EHR software companies include Epic Systems, Meditech, and Cerner.

10 reasons why players do not spend money

10 reasons why players do not spend money - How can I change my game so that it makes more money? That’s the million-dollar question in the free-to-play game industry, and one that I’ve been asked nearly as often. And while no single formula for success exists, games that monetize best are where the publisher or developer has adopted a player-centric approach focused on engagement. Bottom line: If a player isn’t engaged, they won’t spend. At the core of every commercially successful game, you must have an outstanding creative idea, with great game design and expert development. If you’ve got those things in place, you’re 90 percent there. The final 10 percent is about how well you have balanced the in-game economy, how you’ve structured rewards and at what point the monetization triggers kick in. Get any of these things wrong and your game won’t reach its full potential. Good monetization in F2P games is not about forcing your players to spend — quite the opposite. It’s about giving them the opportunity to add value to their playing experience. Harsh monetization is still commonplace in F2P game design as the industry learns on its feet, but it doesn’t have to be this way. DeltaDNA has studied the games design and monetization mechanics of over 100 F2P games to understand the top 10 reasons why players do not spend in-game. 1. Trying to monetize too early With retention rates typically low in F2P, the classic mistake that publishers and developers make is hitting players up for cash before they’ve had a chance to become engaged. If fact, 62 percent of the games we analyzed had this problem. Putting players in a situation where their only option is to pay money will only have one outcome. You need to design games so that players can reach the end without spending a single dollar; this will foster better engagement and ultimately increase spending in the long term. 2. No gambling or ‘magic box’ mechanics The random chance to win is an easy way for players to potentially get a very expensive item for free or for a much smaller amount of in-game currency. Players who don’t want to spend will be happy with the free chance. For those that do spend, this will encourage them to return or purchase additional magic boxes in order to win the rare items. It’s a vastly underutilized mechanic, one which 93 percent of games fail to offer. 3. Lack of signposting From the games we studied, poor signposting was evident in the large majority (63 percent). While it may seem obvious, if players can’t easily find the in-game store, they won’t buy anything from it. 4. Poor store layout Just as in the mall, if your store isn’t laid out well, players will get frustrated when trying to find a particular item. Stores need to feature simple categories, ideally with a separate one for real-money purchases. 5. Poor inventory range Having just a handful items available may result in a few players making purchases, but the novelty will soon wear off with players, sending revenues south. Well over two-thirds of games lack a good ranger of inventory. More is more! 6. Lack of expensive items If players are enjoying a game, they’ll want to spend money to augment their experience, especially if it sets them apart from other players. Premium items for highly engaged players need to be really special and worth the investment; something that will make the player stand out from the crowd. We’re not talking about a $50 worth of gems here. 7. Poor whale management It follows that a game’s most engaged players are going to be its biggest fans and spenders. So reward them, or they’ll leave and take their money elsewhere. 8. Lengthy purchase process Nobody likes waiting in line to make a purchase, and if the process takes too long, it can result in an abandoned cart. This is a really easy one to address, yet we found in 48 percent of games analyzed the process was poor. 9. No bundle offers Offering players bundle deals presents real value to players. For example, promotions such as a free character when buying a pack of resources or offering a weapon and vehicle together for a discounted price keeps players happy, and happy players are loyal players — and maybe your next whales. 10. Lack of customization options Status is everything. Paid cosmetic items are a great way to drive both engagement and monetization, something 52 percent of games now feature. Give players as many different ways to customize their gameplay — it adds immediate value and loyalty.  Sponsored posts are content that has been produced by a company that is either paying for the post or has a business relationship with VentureBeat, and they’re always clearly marked. The content of news stories produced by our editorial team is never influenced by advertisers or sponsors in any way. For more information, contact sales@venturebeat.com.

12 games that teach kids to code — and are even fun, too

12 games that teach kids to code — and are even fun, too  - Coding is a big deal right now. Worldwide, 36 million kids have taken part in “Hour of code” activities, helping them become active, rather than passive users of technology and starting learning that might one day help secure a job in our increasingly tech-driven world. Even if your kids don’t go on to code for living, a basic understanding of programming concepts improves problem-solving and thinking skills which are both transferable and empowering. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates says that: “Learning to write programs stretches your mind and helps you think better, creates a way of thinking about things that I think is helpful in all domains.“ Platforms like Scratch and Alice let children (and adults) create their own games and animations using simplified coding methods. But not all kids can or want to jump straight into these sort of environments. For them, there are plenty of games around that will teach the basics of programming in a fun and accessible way. We’ve sorted through some of the ever-widening options available, including a few still in development, so you don’t have to. They cut across multiple platforms — iOS, Android, PC, Mac, even board games — and many are free to pick up and play straight away.  Lightbot and Lightbot Jr. Who it’s for: Ages 4-8 (Lightbot Jr.), 9+ (Lightbot)
 Platforms: Web browsers, iOS, Android
 Pricing: Free (browser), $3 (iOS/Android)
 Find out more: Browser game, iTunes, Google Play
 The expert view: “Although it seems simple, Lightbot foreshadows some interesting aspects of more sophisticated computer programming” – Fritz Ruehr, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Willamette University, Ore. Above: Many schools use Lightbot to help teach programming basics, and it even has a place in some university curricula.Image Credit: Dan Crawley Lightbot is a programming puzzle game from Danny Yaroslavski, a Canadian university student. The goal is to make your robot light up all of the blue tiles on a 3D grid. The twist is that you have to do this in one run by programming your robot with a series of instructions. Yaroslavski says that Lightbot teaches concepts like planning, testing, debugging, procedures, and loops. Your kids will just enjoy getting the endearing robot to light up everything in one turn. You can play a free version, suitable for an hour of gameplay, on your mobile device or through your browser. Two full versions of Lightbot, for different age groups, are on sale on iTunes and Google Play.  Code Monkey Island Who it’s for: Ages 8+
 Platforms: Board game
 Pricing: $40+
 Find out more: Code Monkey Island website, Kickstarter
 The expert view: “Code Monkey Island is a crazy-fun board game that introduces kids to programming.” — Educator and technology-access activist Phil Shapiro Above: Code Monkey Island won’t magically make your kids into programmers, but it will ground them in basic concepts.Image Credit: Kickstarter Brooklyn resident Raj Sidhu wanted to introduce programming basics to kids in a fun way. He chose a low-tech solution for a high-tech problem and embedded concepts like Boolean logic and conditional statements in a family-friendly board game. Code Monkey Island is straightforward to play and takes about 45 minutes. Players use cards with statements such as, “For each monkey NOT on a rock, move 3 spaces,” to move their troop of monkeys around the island. Sidhu chose a board game because these bring families together. “I wanted to create an experience that kids, parents, and grandparents could share and in the process allow children to exercise their immense learning capabilities through play,” he said on his Kickstarter page. Code Monkey Island ran a successful Kickstarter, and copies should ship in August. You can secure one by backing the project for $40 or more.  Kodable Who it’s for: Ages 5-8
 Platforms: iOS
 Pricing: Free ($7 for the Pro version)
 Find out more: Kodable website, iTunes
 The expert view: “Kodable scaffolds programming skills so that young children can learn how to code. They don’t even have to know how to read. ” — Terri Eichholz, teacher of K-5 gifted students, South Central Texas Above: KIds are young as 2 use Kodable, according to cofounder Grechen Huebner.Image Credit: Carli Spina Kodable’s 105 maze-like levels help teach young kids programming concepts like conditions, loops, functions, and debugging. It avoids using text entirely, making it a great entry point for younger children. Its alien protagonists are fuzzy and colorful and seem to have that kid appeal nailed down. “Adults are so terrified of programming; it’s this scary thing,” Kodable co-founder Grechen Huebner told TechRepublic. “It’s funny how much adults underestimate kids, and giving them an opportunity to be challenged at such an early age proves how smart they are.” The free version of Kodable includes the first 45 levels. In-app purchases can unlock more levels and concepts. The $7 Pro version also adds vocabulary lessons and learning guides.  Robozzle Who it’s for: Ages 6+ (and adults)
 Platforms: Web browsers, iOS, Android, Windows phone
 Pricing: Free (browser), free to $2 (mobile)
 Find out more: Browser game, iTunes, Google Play, Windows store
 The expert view: “Robozzle bills itself as a social puzzle game, but to me it’s a fun and interesting way to introduce programming concepts. And perhaps it is a game to get young people interested in programming.” — High school computer-science teacher Alfred Thompson Above: Robozzle looks simple at first but soon reveals its complexities.Image Credit: Dan Crawley If you’re looking for challenge for older kids (or yourself), try Robozzle. It’s a puzzle game that Microsoft programmer Igor Ostrovsky created in his free time. Robozzle tasks you with guiding a robot through a series of mazes using limited commands. The levels range from those suitable for younger children right up to puzzles that will make seasoned coders scratch their heads. It’s free to play through browsers (using Silverlight), and community support enables players to create, vote, and comment on new levels. Versions of Robozzle exist for iOS, Windows Phone 7, and Android. Prices vary. View All 1 2 3