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U.S. diversified manufacturer 3M Co said on Thursday it was exploring a sale or spinoff of its healthcare data and software business. The decision comes as Chief Executive Officer Inge Thulin reviews 3M's broad business portfolio, which includes Post-it notes as well as adhesives, abrasives and other products for a variety of industries. At the same time, the company has struck acquisition deals to expand in other areas. (9/10)

3M said Thursday that it may sell or spin off its health care software business as it seeks to reduce the products and services it offers. The company’s health information systems business provides software to doctors, government agencies and others to collect data and help cut health care costs. 3M Co., based in St. Paul, Minnesota, also makes Post-it notes, industrial coatings and ceramics. (9/10)

Virtually all other industries, such as banking and travel, make online tools available that help consumers more easily manage their information. Not so in the healthcare business, where individual hospitals and doctors might have electronic health records but generally don't make it easy for patients to access them. "Healthcare currently has a very fragmented delivery system, and there's no question that that fragmentation leads to patient frustration," says Darren Dworkin, chief information officer at Cedars-Sinai Health System. A growing number of mobile apps seek to help patients gather and organize medical information into a unified digital health record. (Zamosky, 9/11)