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Week of 06 Feb 2012 Turning a stalled EHR system project into new services and cash flow (SearchCIO-Midmarket.com | 07 Feb 2012)
When a major EHR system project stalled, the finger pointing ensued. COMHAR’s CIO put a stop to the blame game and began to get business value out of the EHR project.
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Week of 30 Jan 2012 Creating a HIPAA-compliant backup in the cloud (02 Feb 2012)
For HIPAA covered entities and, increasingly, business associates, cloud services offer a feasible option for meeting backup and disaster recovery compliance requirements.
Fog surrounding health care cloud begins to clear (01 Feb 2012)
Health care's reluctance to embrace cloud computing is waning, in part because it helps meet HIPAA disaster recovery rules, but cost and bandwidth make it a poor fit for some.
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Week of 09 Jan 2012 Network security services could provide value in health care (15 Jan 2012)
Network security is critical in today's health care environment, where sensitive patient data flows among many systems and devices. Security service providers could help.
Web traffic monitoring aids legal EHR, HIPAA compliance, productivity (15 Jan 2012)
A recent Facebook data breach underscores a need for Web traffic monitoring in health care IT's expanding role of enabling HIPAA compliance. Here one provider offers some advice.
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Week of 02 Jan 2012 Don't delay transition to ICD-10, experts warn (06 Jan 2012)
Even if training doctors is hard, coding has been outsourced and the C-suite remains unconvinced, health care organizations should not delay their ICD-10 preparations any longer.
HIPAA 5010 goes online: CIO's troubleshooting list (04 Jan 2012)
Health care CIOs played an integral part in HIPAA 5010 implementation. Now that it's online, they're helping finance monitor transactions and keep revenue streaming in.
Three trends that will stimulate health IT innovation in 2012 (03 Jan 2012)
The federal government is opening up its health data and its purse to stimulate health IT innovation.
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Week of 26 Dec 2011 Five health IT trends not to watch in 2012 (29 Dec 2011)
Not all health IT trends will survive in 2012. Read about the EMR, the RHIO, the HIS and other health information technology doomed for extinction in the new year.
Health care informatics, privacy remain top 2012 issues (28 Dec 2011)
Health IT will stay in the spotlight in 2012. Health care informatics, privacy concerns remain among the industry's top issues, PricewaterhouseCoopers says.
Just the HITs: Top 10 health IT trends of 2011 (27 Dec 2011)
Which is the most important health IT story of 2011? There's no shortage of topics. Find out what our features writer thinks after a year of gumshoe reporting.
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Week of 12 Dec 2011 Health app challenge events offer innovation, exposure (18 Dec 2011)
Crowdsourcing has hit health application development, and it has proven to be popular, with participants thinking outside the box and often receiving recognition for their efforts.
Physician assistants look to expand EHR incentive eligibility (15 Dec 2011)
Despite their insight on clinical workflow, EHR use and implementation, physician assistants are on the outside looking in for the EHR incentive programs. Some want to change that.
Radiologists: Meaningful use payments only part of EHR motivation (13 Dec 2011)
Meaningful use stage 2 requirements for radiologists are unclear, and vendor support is tepid, but RSNA 2011 shows the specialty optimistic about the benefits of EHR and RIS use.
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Week of 05 Dec 2011 At RSNA, radiologists explore role in HIE initiatives (06 Dec 2011)
As information exchange plays a greater role in health care, radiologists are discovering they don't operate in a health IT vacuum. Image sharing can mean more efficient care.
ONC targets patient engagement at mHealth Summit town hall (07 Dec 2011)
The Office of the National Coordinator has lofty goals for getting patients more involved in their own care. However, each goal brings numerous technical and cultural challenges.
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Week of 28 Nov 2011 Distributed computing environment complicates radiology QA (30 Nov 2011)
Demands for patient throughput, remote readings of radiology digital images make quality-assurance thorny. IT leaders can assist radiologists in building better processes.
Expert sees benefits of using Siri for patient education (30 Nov 2011)
A radiology professor and Siri early adopter sees the voice-activated personal assistant as a way to find information fast -- and to give quadriplegic patients peace of mind.
Lax security means health data breaches will only get worse (01 Dec 2011)
As long as data security remains a low priority in the health care industry, breaches will only continue, and get bigger, research from the Ponemon Institute and ID Experts says.
New Photoshop image deblurring feature could change radiology (30 Nov 2011)
More radiologists could become Adobe Photoshop experts if its 'unblur' feature proves practical for medical image editing, one RSNA speaker posits. Rescanning costs should drop.
Radiologists highlight adverse events disclosure at RSNA 2011 (29 Nov 2011)
As RSNA 2011 broadens its focus to see how specialists integrate with fellow health care providers, radiologists take on a greater role in adverse events disclosures.
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Week of 21 Nov 2011 Compliance, health IT adoption hot topics at ONC meeting (23 Nov 2011)
The ONC annual meeting shined a spotlight on cutting-edge health IT implementation strategies. Meanwhile, the OCR head discussed HIPAA compliance regulations and IT risk analyses.
Health care moving toward cloud storage services cautiously (22 Nov 2011)
Providers are kicking the tires on cloud storage, which offers the potential to lighten ever-growing storage loads, while asking key questions about security and performance.
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Week of 14 Nov 2011 AMA opposes implementing ICD-10; industry leaders react (18 Nov 2011)
The American Medical Association opposes ICD-10 and aims to seek an 'appropriate replacement,' but those who have invested millions in the switch say they won't change their plans.
Easing ICD-10 adoption with coding, transcription systems (17 Nov 2011)
Transcription helps physicians improve documentation, while computer-assisted coding helps billing get the right ICD-10 code. That chain reaction could make ICD-10 easier to bear.
Financial impact of ICD-10 transition hard to ignore (17 Nov 2011)
Even with the best laid plans, the ICD-10 transition may be rough for providers. To minimize the financial impact in the months after October 2013, place pressure on payers.
IOM report poised to shape EHR safety regulation (14 Nov 2011)
EHR safety will likely get new scrutiny in the wake of an Institute of Medicine report. It remains to be seen if the FDA, ONC, TJC or some other entity will do the watchdog work.
Preparation for ICD-10 codes varies tremendously among providers (14 Nov 2011)
As the ICD-10 transition deadline approaches, providers face many hurdles. Some are more prepared than others. This five-part series examines what must be done, why and how.
To gauge vendor's ICD-10 readiness, turn to its partners (14 Nov 2011)
When hospitals ask vendors if they are ready for ICD-10, they need to know if the vendors' partners are ready. After all, each software application has its own ICD-10 challenges.
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Week of 07 Nov 2011 WAN optimization improves throughput for medical images (10 Nov 2011)
High-resolution images can tax any network. The problem is multiplied when bandwidth is scarce. That's why a rural Mississippi medical imaging firm turned to WAN optimization.
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Week of 31 Oct 2011 Lessons learned on the way to getting meaningful use payments (02 Nov 2011)
Good governance, project management and workflow analysis will help hospitals meet meaningful use today. Tomorrow, though, the focus will shift to health information exchange.
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Week of 24 Oct 2011 AHIMA members make case for hospital chief knowledge officer position (24 Oct 2011)
With ACO initiatives, more complex EHR systems and stronger patient privacy regulations all looming, it's time to give the knowledge officer a seat at the C-suite table.
Maine HIE sets national example for patient, provider participation (27 Oct 2011)
As U.S. states struggle to build health information exchange, Maine's got a federal-funding jump start. Its leader shared trials and tribulations at the AHIMA 2011 meeting.
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Week of 03 Oct 2011 Don't miss at AHIMA 2011 conference: Meaningful use, coding, documentation (03 Oct 2011)
Computer-assisted coding and natural language processing, and their promise to enable meaningful use and ACO compliance, will be the hottest technology at this year's AHIMA event.
ICD-10? The future is ICD-11. Keynotes focus on transitions, quality (07 Oct 2011)
While the U.S. transitions to ICD-10, the rest of the world is rapidly moving toward ICD-11, due in 2015. Also: AHRQ perspective on health IT and quality of care.
Meaningful use compliance: How specialists are getting it done (04 Oct 2011)
Is meaningful use compliance more primary-care friendly at the expense of specialties? We peek in on several contrasting practices and ask them.
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Week of 26 Sep 2011 Digital pen technology aids emergency planning; EHR adoption next? (28 Sep 2011)
A mix of digital pens, handwriting recognition and electronic forms has helped a health center and NASCAR track plan emergency operations. Inspiring EHR use may not be far off.
Educating physicians on ICD-10 changes eases transition (30 Sep 2011)
When it comes to using ICD-10, clinical staff will be at the front line. Training staff in a comfortable way and mapping old codes to new will make ICD-10 changes easier to bear.
Medical device safety ratings on tap at new site (27 Sep 2011)
A biomedical engineer is launching a new site where medical device safety data is more accessible and searchable than on government sites. Future plans include a ratings system.
Proper ICD-10 preparation combines technology, testing (29 Sep 2011)
Technology running back-end systems can enable ICD-10 preparation by giving the right space for new, extended documentation. Testing payer and vendor compatibility also matters.
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Week of 19 Sep 2011 Experts mull safety of EHR, medical device interoperability (20 Sep 2011)
A new safety committee is advising the FDA on theoretical scenarios that could eventually regulate biomedical device and EHR interoperability. CIOs should get prepared now.
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Week of 12 Sep 2011 The latest mashup: Health care social media and HIPAA compliance (14 Sep 2011)
Experts encourage health care providers to engage in social media, provided that they establish policies to help physicians avoid ethical traps and HIPAA compliance issues.
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Week of 05 Sep 2011 Public-private coalition announces EHR adverse event reports site (07 Sep 2011)
EHRevents.org offers health care providers a place to file adverse event reports concerning EHR technology. Reports will be forwarded to the FDA, which wants to track EHR safety.
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Week of 29 Aug 2011 Legal implications of EHR use still difficult to define (29 Aug 2011)
Medical liability leaves some providers wary of electronic health records. Clinical decision support adds another level of risk, presenters at AHIMA's Legal EHR Summit note.
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Week of 22 Aug 2011 HIPAA compliance in a virtualized server environment (23 Aug 2011)
Learn how one radiology group fulfills HIPAA mandates for offsite data backups and data availability through its virtualized server environment, which spawned from a PACS upgrade.
How to make telehealth more widely adopted in the NHS (Computer Weekly | 24 Aug 2011)
At a Computer Weekly roundtable debate, in association with Vodafone, healthcare and IT professionals discussed the future of telehealth, the challenges it faces and what must happen to broaden its...
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Week of 15 Aug 2011 How mHealth technology can enable meaningful use compliance (16 Aug 2011)
Physicians are leveraging mobile health technology to tackle e-prescribing, CPOE, patient education and other key meaningful use requirements.
Speech recognition technology making its way into EHR systems (15 Aug 2011)
Meaningful use is bringing EHR adoption to the mass market. Physicians uncomfortable with a computer keyboard are increasingly turning to speech recognition to get data into EHRs.
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Week of 08 Aug 2011 Experts debate merits of virtualized vs native iPad EHR implementation (09 Aug 2011)
While native apps and virtualization both have their tradeoffs for iPad EHR implementation, health IT leaders agree: The tablet is here to stay in hospitals.
Health IT security survey shows equal parts confidence, concern (12 Aug 2011)
Our recent reader survey found health IT pros confident they are meeting federal laws but concerned they aren't doing enough to protect patient data, especially on mobile devices.
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Week of 01 Aug 2011 Vendors, providers mull effect of FDA mobile health regulations (04 Aug 2011)
Looming FDA regulations could turn smartphones into Class II medical devices. Early reaction from stakeholders suggests this could throw a wet blanket on innovation.
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Week of 25 Jul 2011 City, county health officials struggling with health data exchange (27 Jul 2011)
Funding and expertise are scarce as local public health officials prepare to be inundated with immunization, syndromic surveillance and lab patient data, thanks to meaningful use.
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Week of 18 Jul 2011 Behavioral health agency sees benefits to online word processing (20 Jul 2011)
One agency looks to online word processing as a method to port data into the cloud, and security measures are developing to enhance safety and compliance.
Data replication software helps hospital network prepare for the worst (SearchDataManagement.com | 21 Jul 2011)
The UPMC health network faced several data replication software challenges when ramping up its disaster recovery site.
For cloud EHR users, meaningful use, data exchange low priorities (21 Jul 2011)
Health care providers adopting cloud-based EHR systems are doing so not to achieve meaningful use but, they say, because it makes clinical workflow and data management easier.
Health care cloud adoption grows, albeit slowly, thanks to EHR systems (19 Jul 2011)
While many physicians and CIOs remain hesitant to embark on cloud adoption, it's becoming clearer that cloud services offer economic and security advantages for some providers.
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Week of 11 Jul 2011 A CIO's SOA strategy fuels business transformation (SearchCIO-Midmarket.com | 13 Jul 2011)
CIO Neal Kadarabek explains how a SOA strategy and an agile project management approach turned IT from an anchor into a business transformation engine at Hallmark Services Corp.
HealthNow picks Informatica data virtualization over IBM and Composite (SearchDataManagement.com | 14 Jul 2011)
A comprehensive product evaluation led insurance provider HealthNow New York Inc. to choose Informatica data virtualization software over competing products from IBM and Composite.
Meaningful use stage 2 delay would only affect certain providers (14 Jul 2011)
A proposed delay in the onset of meaningful use stage 2 would only affect health care providers who have already implemented stage 1. Even then, the effect will be minimal.
Transition to ICD-10 codes will be disruptive, but CIOs can help (11 Jul 2011)
A survey of experienced hospital coders suggests that learning ICD-10 codes will be like learning a whole new language. Here's how CIOs can help keep them in the fold.
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Week of 04 Jul 2011 For state HIE, patient opt-out a thorny technical issue (06 Jul 2011)
Building a state HIE is complicated. Creating an IT back-end to support individual patient consent -- mandated by law in some states -- is even more complex.
State HIE leaders face uphill journey to health data interoperability (05 Jul 2011)
States can build national health information exchange, but interoperability must come first. State leaders discuss the current technical, legislative and economic issues they face.
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Week of 27 Jun 2011 Regional extension centers progressing, survey finds (30 Jun 2011)
A recent eHealth Initiative survey suggests that the nation's RECs are now supporting providers as they purchase and implement EHR systems. Many have their eyes to the future, too.
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Week of 20 Jun 2011 Success of ACO model hinges on clinical data analytics (20 Jun 2011)
Getting physicians and hospitals to sign up for ACO adoption will require some heavy IT lifting. Clinical data analytics will support these potential payment game-changers.
Tech Watch: Healthy prognosis for EHR solutions (SearchITChannel.com | 22 Jun 2011)
Hype aside, there’s a ton of opportunity for health care VARs with Epic and Cerner expertise.
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Week of 13 Jun 2011 For Kaweah Delta, using the iPad a natural extension of Citrix network (14 Jun 2011)
A central California health district has been using the iPad since the day it came out. Read this case study to see how the devices have been deployed, managed and secured.
The ACO model and shared savings: Can IT get you there? (15 Jun 2011)
The success of accountable care organizations seems possible. Association leaders aren't quite convinced. Either way, IT departments should prepare for a new reimbursement model.
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Week of 30 May 2011 Telestroke services connect specialists, patients more quickly than ever (02 Jun 2011)
Telestroke services put neurologists at patients' bedsides fast enough to make a difference with cutting-edge tPA treatments. This puts telemedicine in the spotlight.
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Week of 23 May 2011 Personal health records not dead yet, experts say (24 May 2011)
Are patients not using personal health records because they don't need them, or because they don't trust vendors with their privacy? Physician encouragement may be the key.
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Week of 16 May 2011 Blumenthal: Building national health network could take decades (17 May 2011)
Despite many barriers, the national health network envisioned by former ONC head Dr. David Blumenthal will be built, he says -- but maybe not by the HITECH Act's goal of 2015.
Differing laws, data standards complicate state HIE initiatives (18 May 2011)
State health IT leaders discuss how privacy laws and EHR interoperability issues make interstate health information exchange anything but straightforward.
Meaningful use attestation requires organization, focus (19 May 2011)
Like Boy Scouts, providers conducting meaningful use attestation all say the same thing: be prepared. Here, two practices discuss what it takes to complete the process.
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Week of 09 May 2011 CIO's approach to innovation is on the frontlines of business (SearchCIO.com | 12 May 2011)
For CIO William Wray, operational excellence trumps technology in his approach to innovation. The goal: faster, better, cheaper processes that will make employees happier.
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Week of 02 May 2011 As one doctor quits over EHR use, experts lament opportunities missed (03 May 2011)
A Massachusetts doctor has closed up shop over frustration with EHR use. A safety net of RECs, combined with training and simple technology, can help prevent cases like his.
At ATA show, telemedicine reimbursement takes center stage (05 May 2011)
While telemedicine technology quickly marches forward, telemedicine reimbursement lags behind. Leaders do see opportunities in ACOs, Beacon communities and EHR connectivity.
Eye clinic achieves high-availability systems, virtualization sans SAN (SearchSMBStorage.com | 06 May 2011)
Central Plains Eye MDs needed high-availability systems. This SMB uses VM6 Software to turn its Dell PowerVault DAS and Hyper-V environment into a high-availability configuration.
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Week of 25 Apr 2011 Telemedicine technology news from ATA conference 2011 (29 Apr 2011)
Read the latest telemedicine technology news from the American Telemedicine Association's 2011 ATA conference in Tampa, Florida.
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Week of 18 Apr 2011 Can HIE technology be extended to the ACO model? (19 Apr 2011)
One health information exchange is raising a fascinating idea: since it's already collecting patient data, why not create its own accountable care organization?
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Week of 04 Apr 2011 API aims to hit clinical software with disruptive innovation (07 Apr 2011)
Funded by an ONC grant, the SMART initiative is building an API to connect EHR systems to all types of clinical software. A developers' contest is raising awareness.
How virtual desktop implementation addresses health care regulations (05 Apr 2011)
Deploying EHR systems and locking down patient data are two pillars of HIPAA compliance and meaningful use. Virtual desktop implementations can help health care providers get both.
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Week of 28 Mar 2011 Data exchange pilot targets public health surveillance in real time (30 Mar 2011)
Chicago-area doctors are testing whether data standards and clinical decision support tools can produce real-time alerts that improve patient care during an outbreak of illness.
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Week of 21 Mar 2011 Avaya Aura architecture, SIP trunking help healthcare system scale UC (SearchUnifiedCommunications.com | 23 Mar 2011)
With the Avaya Aura architecture and SIP trunking, a healthcare system centralizes and distributes UC services that were too expensive for some clinics to deploy on their own.
CIOs looking for ways to say yes to the iPad in the enterprise (SearchCIO.com | 22 Mar 2011)
CIOs are looking for ways to say yes to the iPad in the enterprise, despite the technological and cultural challenges associated with new mobile devices.
IOM report to influence future of EHR safety (23 Mar 2011)
An Institute of Medicine report on health IT due in early fall could rewrite the book on EHR safety and trip off FDA rulemaking. A new, free newsletter keeps tabs on the issue.
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Week of 14 Mar 2011 New IT risk management standard helps enable MDDS compliance (18 Mar 2011)
HIPAA compliance and Medical Data Device Systems compliance start with health IT risk management. The IEC 80001 risk management standard offers some guidance.
Retooling HIPAA business associate agreements for updated rules (14 Mar 2011)
What should hospitals be adding to HIPAA business associate agreements in the light of the HITECH Act mandates about to go into effect? A recent AHIMA event offered much advice.
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Week of 07 Mar 2011 Community health center changes data protection strategy with Syncsort (SearchDataBackup.com | 08 Mar 2011)
A community health center switches its data management and data protection strategy, moving from an EMC SAN and reliance on tape to NetApp and NetApp Syncsort Integrated Backup (NSB).
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Week of 28 Feb 2011 Concord Hospital's 10 steps for EHR implementation (03 Mar 2011)
In a presentation at HIMSS 2011, a New Hampshire hospital explained how its 10-step plan for EHR implementation is preparing it to meet federal meaningful use criteria.
Gaining perspective on health information exchange at HIMSS 2011 (02 Mar 2011)
Interviews and sessions at HIMSS 2011 reveal that the term health information exchange means different things to different people. No matter the model, the goals are the same.
Healthcare network's DR plan enables data center move without downtime (SearchDisasterRecovery.com | 03 Mar 2011)
Virtua’s plan for migrating data between data centers without downtime included a storage array upgrade and accelerated virtual machine implementation.
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Week of 21 Feb 2011 Monitoring, analytics next wave of patient data security (24 Feb 2011)
Patient data security isn't just an EHR feature; an expert at HIMSS 2011 says analytics and monitoring systems will protect against data breaches without impacting care workflow.
Sebelius, Blumenthal offer health IT adoption update at HIMSS 2011 (24 Feb 2011)
Health IT adoption is on the rise, but there is work to do, the heads of HHS and the ONC said in a HIMSS 2011 keynote. Critically, tech cannot widen the gap between rich and poor.
Technology usability must improve for health care to embrace IT (21 Feb 2011)
Information technology might be a driving factor of change in health care, but IT needs to work with users to create improvements. Follow these ideas when implementing systems.
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Week of 14 Feb 2011 HIMSS attendees consider a world without the HITECH Act (14 Feb 2011)
The HITECH Act has helped shape providers' motives for adopting EHR technology. Repeal would harm those efforts, the industry says. HIMSS 2011 should give providers some insight.
Why ICD-10 implementation is falling behind (15 Feb 2011)
ICD-10 implementation is catching U.S. providers (who have many other federal health IT mandates to meet) off-guard. Fortunately, HIMSS 2011 will give them a chance to catch up.
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Week of 07 Feb 2011 HIPAA business associate agreement key to company’s cloud migration (SearchCloudSecurity.com | 08 Feb 2011)
Wound therapy provider moves IT infrastructure to cloud provider.
How accountable care organizations can succeed: One provider's lesson (10 Feb 2011)
Dean Health System essentially has been an accountable care organization for years. Several factors, including EHR interoperability, data analytics and charm school, drive savings.
How clinical decision support can improve medication management (08 Feb 2011)
Clinical decision support can prevent errors, particularly in dispensing medication. At a recent conference, three early adopters shared what works now, and looked to future uses.
What's on tap for health information exchange at HIMSS 2011 (11 Feb 2011)
Health information exchange is at a crossroads -- public versus private, federated versus centralized. The HIMSS 2011 conference will help light the road ahead.
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Week of 31 Jan 2011 Bringing radiology imaging from PACS to PHR services (02 Feb 2011)
Microsoft HealthVault has been picked for a federally funded platform to port radiology imaging data to personal health records. Google Health, meanwhile, isn't ready for imaging.
Hospitals building health information exchange, brick by brick (04 Feb 2011)
Hospitals are building a de facto national health information exchange infrastructure as they try to connect ambulatory practices and other hospitals in their regions.
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Week of 24 Jan 2011 Three states take lead in EHR Incentive Program (27 Jan 2011)
Medicaid programs in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Kentucky have issued the first EHR Incentive Program checks. Each state has important lessons to teach about boosting EHR adoption.
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Week of 17 Jan 2011 IDC, AHIMA predict health IT trends, purchasing priorities (19 Jan 2011)
What health IT trends will drive purchasing decisions in the coming months and the next few years? Two leaders in the field gaze into their crystal balls and predict what's next.
Providers question timeline for meeting meaningful use criteria (18 Jan 2011)
Meeting meaningful use criteria is a persisting concern for providers adopting electronic health records. Some remain unaware of the time and money that this investment requires.
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Week of 10 Jan 2011 System interoperability key to health IT innovation, payment reform (11 Jan 2011)
Without system interoperability, health care groups won't achieve information exchange or meaningful use, while payment reform will remain a pipe dream, some industry leaders say.
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Week of 27 Dec 2010 IT, EHR safety top ECRI list of hospital tech hazards (27 Dec 2010)
A recent ECRI Institute report pegs IT safety -- for EHR systems, mobile devices, networks and so on -- as a top patient safety concern for 2011. Alarm fatigue ranks high as well.
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Week of 20 Dec 2010 A health care community cloud takes shape (SearchCIO.com | 21 Dec 2010)
A community cloud is taking shape among vertical-industry companies keen on sharing computing resources and gaining low-cost access to industry-specific applications.
As health IT policy evolves, federal agencies take on new roles (20 Dec 2010)
As federal health IT policy continues to take shape, many agencies gain new oversight. Here we review the new players that emerged in 2010 -- and that will be on the scene in 2011.
HITECH Act regulations, backbone of health reform, are here to stay (21 Dec 2010)
Despite lingering questions about plans for wider health care reform, HITECH Act regulations and meaningful use don't face political uncertainty, providers, federal leaders say.
Top health care tech trends of 2010: IPad, mHealth, EHRs (20 Dec 2010)
The year 2010 was pretty busy for health care tech, as CIOs witnessed the iPad revolution, shored up wireless networks and wondered where mobile health will take them in 2011.
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Week of 13 Dec 2010 Cloud computing services coming to health care, eventually (14 Dec 2010)
Providers and payers will stop worrying and use cloud computing services, just as the financial industry did. But security concerns must be overcome, and that could take years.
Counting the costs of EHR implementation -- and minimizing them (13 Dec 2010)
The results of a CDW survey of 200 ambulatory care groups are a real-world snapshot of EHR implementation costs, and offer some insights for reducing them.
EHR needs better health information exchange, federal council says (13 Dec 2010)
White House advisers want greater health information exchange among providers. To accomplish this, they suggest a universal language for electronic health record systems.
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Week of 06 Dec 2010 Computer security awareness training could prevent some data loss, experts say (SearchSecurity.com | 08 Dec 2010)
An audit of a prominent Boston-based health care firm found serious lapses in employee security awareness.
How meaningful use could drive clinical data analytics adoption (07 Dec 2010)
Clinical data analytics tends to be confined to large, deep-pocketed health care providers. However, with EHRs set to standardize on ICD-10 and SNOMED, it could reach many others.
Mobile health market on verge of 'explosive' growth, report says (08 Dec 2010)
New research points to the mobile health market expanding by a factor of 17 in the next three years, as doctors and nurses exploit new mobile health apps in their daily work.
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Week of 29 Nov 2010 Getting PACS administrators, IT and radiologists to work together (01 Dec 2010)
If there's a disconnect between PACS administrators and radiologists, mend the relationship -- and don't even think about outsourcing, speakers at the RSNA annual meeting said.
Radiology on cutting edge of clinical decision support (02 Dec 2010)
Sessions at the RSNA conference are showcasing cutting-edge applications of clinical decision support -- a key meaningful use requirement -- for medical imaging studies.
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Week of 22 Nov 2010 UMHS uses tiered data archiving system to manage medical records (SearchDataBackup.com | 23 Nov 2010)
University of Michigan Health System uses a tiered archiving system of disk and tape instead of backup to protect and access critical large-image patient medical files stored on picture archiving and...
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Week of 15 Nov 2010 FDA still mulling EHR software regulation (15 Nov 2010)
Outside D.C., talk of the FDA regulating EHR software might have died down, but the agency still is determining how it will move forward and complement the work of the ONC.
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Week of 08 Nov 2010 EHR incentive details need work, but meaningful use is here to stay (10 Nov 2010)
Expect some delays in the meaningful use program's incentive payments, but don't expect EHR requirements to go anywhere after the five-year program is over, officials say.
Gates envisions next generation of health care technology (10 Nov 2010)
Former Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates spoke at the 2010 mHealth Summit about technology's role in improving global health. Find out what he said here.
NIH spotlights mobile research at mHealth Summit (09 Nov 2010)
International gathering of mobile health technology researchers, vendors and foundations showcases the next generation of mHealth apps.
Summit co-founder: Tablets could fly as health care uber-smartphones (10 Nov 2010)
Will tablets like the iPad and HP Slate -- now tweener devices between a laptop and smartphone -- end up being more like one or the other? An mHealth Summit co-founder weighs in.
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Week of 01 Nov 2010 CDC gets into health care social media policy (01 Nov 2010)
The CDC has published a report offering guidance on creating a health care social media policy that will help organizations build business and manage employees' personal use.
States slow to bring Medicaid meaningful use plans online (02 Nov 2010)
Will your state be ready to dole out Medicaid meaningful use money right away? Probably not: Most states are still drafting plans and waiting for the National Level Repository.
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Week of 25 Oct 2010 N.H. won't be ready for Medicaid meaningful use until 2012 (28 Oct 2010)
New Hampshire probably won't be the only state unable to process meaningful use reporting data from Medicaid providers immediately. But it's the first state to say so publicly.
Report offers guidance for creating health care social media policy (27 Oct 2010)
A lot goes into a health care social media policy, from HIPAA regulations to staff Internet use. An Ohio State Medical Association report offers providers much-needed guidance.
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Week of 18 Oct 2010 USF Health overcomes big data warehousing challenges (SearchDataManagement.com | 21 Oct 2010)
An onslaught of complex data warehousing challenges taught the University of South Florida’s IT team some valuable lessons about working with business users.
Virtualised apps to protect hospital data: Best of VMworld Europe DR winner (SearchVirtualDataCentre.co.UK | 22 Oct 2010)
The University Hospital of Leipzig needed a better disaster recovery strategy to protect critical patient data for the long term, so it turned to virtualisation. This Best of VMworld Europe 2010 User...
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Week of 11 Oct 2010 A COO pushes IT innovation by making it about business value (SearchCIO.com | 13 Oct 2010)
At the Forrester CIO Forum, a health care COO tells CIOs how he is using IT innovation to transform the business. The keys? BIACs, COEs and focusing on the bottom line.
Health data standards could drive swift information exchange adoption (14 Oct 2010)
Using health data standards can jumpstart health information exchange and in the process, prepare providers for meaningful use. New York Medicaid's e-prescribing is proof.
Physicians offer reality check on EHR implementation strategies (12 Oct 2010)
Physicians doing their own EHR implementations might wonder how big the gulf is between vendor promises and reality. Here, three Massachusetts doctors offer their perspective.
Verizon medical data cloud on track to serve 350,000 doctors (SearchCloudComputing.com | 14 Oct 2010)
Verizon's new cloud-based medical data service broadens the company's place in the health informatics world, and its repository is signing up users at a record pace.
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Week of 04 Oct 2010 Finding order in provider directory for health information exchange (05 Oct 2010)
Directed exchange is one meaningful use mandate. Policymakers are exploring how the provider directory could be used to facilitate seamless health information exchange.
Nimble governance for health information exchanges, experts say (05 Oct 2010)
Health information exchanges should have local control and a great deal of flexibility when it comes to making rules and ensuring trust among stakeholders, IT professionals say.
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Week of 27 Sep 2010 New iPad EHR system goes native, eliminates need for desktops, servers (28 Sep 2010)
ClearPractice debuts Nimble: a native iPad EHR system offering meaningful use compliance as a SaaS, that will help the iPad establish itself as the leading tablet for health care.
The Surgeon General's prescription for a smooth EHR implementation (30 Sep 2010)
Dr. Regina Benjamin talks about what makes an EHR implementation successful. She's found it pays to focus on disaster recovery, interoperability and reluctant physicians.
Workgroup begins work on Stage 2 of meaningful use rules (27 Sep 2010)
Policymakers are exploring the next stages of the meaningful use rules designed to encourage IT adoption among health care providers. CPOE and quality reporting will be key.
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Week of 20 Sep 2010 Appliance eases compliance with medical image storage rules (21 Sep 2010)
Storage appliances help one hospital comply with federal and state medical-image storage requirements. Repeat studies and denied reimbursements have gone down, too.
Despite barriers, telemedicine services poised to change care delivery (20 Sep 2010)
Telemedicine services, from video conferences to monitoring devices, can keep patients out of the emergency room, provided regulatory and technological hurdles are cleared.
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Week of 13 Sep 2010 Centricity Advance SaaS EHR gives doctor mobility, with strong backing (14 Sep 2010)
See how one cardiologist uses mobile SaaS EHR to access patient data from multiple locations. Another plus: Tech support has not changed since GE acquired the vendor, he says.
PQRI program, meaningful use have headaches in common (16 Sep 2010)
Providers participating in the PQRI program now know what to expect when it comes to reporting for meaningful use. Some wonder how palatable the new program really will be.
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Week of 06 Sep 2010 Mobile EHR for the iPad slowly coming to market (09 Sep 2010)
As iPad adoption among doctors continues to climb, vendors focus their efforts on mobile EHR systems. November’s iOS update, which supports multitasking, should speed things up.
ONC, stakeholders want central health IT standards repository (07 Sep 2010)
Providers now have to be more attentive to health IT standards and value sets, so the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT hopes to launch a one-stop information shop.
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Week of 30 Aug 2010 Bluetooth 4.0 standard could advance use of wireless medical devices (31 Aug 2010)
Expected to make its way into devices next year, the Bluetooth 4.0 standard and its low-power features could enable more hospital diagnostics and home monitoring devices.
Large vendors lining up ambulatory EHR systems (31 Aug 2010)
Thanks to the HITECH Act, vendors such as GE and Allscripts are expanding into the ambulatory EHR market. Here's what small practices should know about their options.
NHS smart card devices enable secure access to health care apps (SearchSecurityUK.com | 01 Sep 2010)
Thanks to the NHS smart card programme and some creative middleware, four health trusts in North London have found an inexpensive way to offer secure access to health care applications.
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Week of 23 Aug 2010 EHR best practices for multi-physician ambulatory care facilities (26 Aug 2010)
The head of an award-winning electronic health record installation offers advice to her peers on managing the transition from paper medical records to ambulatory EHR.
HIE survey spotlights evolving health information exchange landscape (23 Aug 2010)
New HIEs are cropping up in the wake of meaningful use requirements, and hospitals look to lead the way for interoperability.
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Week of 16 Aug 2010 EHR safety focus of investigative probe that raises questions (16 Aug 2010)
Lack of EHR safety coordination between the ONC and the FDA leaves the job to private entities. Here's what hospitals can do to protect themselves now.
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Week of 09 Aug 2010 After EHR system implementation, maintenance, service questions remain (12 Aug 2010)
Once an EHR system is installed, attention turns to maintenance, service and support. Using an IT service provider for such tasks may be the best bet for small practices.
Health information exchange initiatives growing, but more are needed (09 Aug 2010)
Increasing numbers of health information exchange initiatives are sharing data, but few are breaking even. That must change if HIEs are to help providers reach meaningful use.
Meaningful use can drive deeper change for physicians, MGMA says (11 Aug 2010)
Addressing meaningful use right away will show that the mandate is about quality, not technology, consultants with the Medical Group Management Association suggest.
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Week of 02 Aug 2010 Reporting of hospital quality measures required for meaningful use (03 Aug 2010)
Under meaningful use, physicians must report that they use certain quality measures, reflecting influential standards of patient care, to be eligible for financial incentives.
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Week of 26 Jul 2010 In selecting new health care technology and vendors, challenges abound (29 Jul 2010)
Choosing new health care technology and good technology partners can be daunting. Learn how hospitals can assess EHR systems, and why they're considering automation and the cloud.
Meaningful use incentives, compliance raise concerns for hospital execs (26 Jul 2010)
Hospitals remain unconvinced they can meet even the relaxed criteria for meaningful use. Smaller incentives, which reward only a whole campus, not each facility, fail to help.
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Week of 19 Jul 2010 For doctors, meaningful use final rule mostly positive (22 Jul 2010)
Doctors stand a better chance of achieving meaningful use under the final rule spelled out by CMS and ONC, but some tweaking of EHR systems will still be necessary to comply.
The military's battle plan for using SOA in health care (19 Jul 2010)
The U.S. Military Health System is migrating its EHR system to a service-oriented architecture model. In the process, the system's CIO said, private providers can see how to make SOA in health care a...
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Week of 12 Jul 2010 ONC begins monitoring programs for relaxed meaningful use final rule (15 Jul 2010)
Industry stakeholders welcome the flexibility in the meaningful use final rule. Meanwhile, the ONC forges ahead with monitoring programs to help providers adopt the technology.
SOA provides path to cloud computing services for health care (13 Jul 2010)
Health care CIOs may not trust cloud computing services for everything. When cloud computing is used in conjunction with a service-oriented architecture, however, it works for some processes.
Verizon debuts nationwide health information exchange (SearchCloudComputing.com | 15 Jul 2010)
Verizon has introduced a nationwide network of services that it says can transform healthcare informatics by putting it all in the cloud.
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Week of 05 Jul 2010 Final rule on meaningful use criteria days away (07 Jul 2010)
HHS has sent the final rule for federal meaningful use criteria to the Office of Management and Budget for review. The rule should be published in the next few days.
HHS releases long-awaited proposed HIPAA enforcement rule (08 Jul 2010)
The new proposed rule for HIPAA enforcement details compliance initiatives for health care providers and payers to secure patient data in the electronic era. The comment period begins July 14.
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Week of 28 Jun 2010 Cloud computing offerings face barriers to health IT adoption (29 Jun 2010)
The development of cloud computing offerings for health care is well under way, but it could take years for cloud services to catch on. Security concerns stand in the way.
Office for Civil Rights offers HIPAA enforcement update (30 Jun 2010)
HIPAA enforcement has changed since the HITECH Act passed. An Office for Civil Rights official recently explained the new HIPAA rules and outlined how providers can avoid costly data breaches.
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Week of 21 Jun 2010 Consumers slow to adopt PHR software -- for now (21 Jun 2010)
For PHR software to take off, providers need to sell the concept of personal health records and demonstrate their value. Neither is being done, one health care quality advocate says, but there may be...
Workflow design integral to EHR development, use (21 Jun 2010)
Doctors must turn away from the computer screen and toward workflow design to ensure that EHR systems are worth using and able to meet meaningful use requirements.
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Week of 07 Jun 2010 Health care open source app store slated to open in two years (09 Jun 2010)
If a government-funded platform for an open source app store for health care takes off, the 99-cent EHR system could be coming. Simpler applications are also expected.
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Week of 31 May 2010 Beacon communities discuss grants, collaboration with HIEs and RECs (04 Jun 2010)
Agencies preparing to launch federal Beacon communities, health information exchanges and regional extension centers talk about the need for speed, outreach and planning.
Fighting rising workloads: How EHR use can complicate patient visits (04 Jun 2010)
EHR use is convenient but complex, and often uncompensated. And such federal grant programs as the Beacon communities don't directly affect physicians in the field.
Market for personal health records, Google Health, at a crossroads (03 Jun 2010)
Google is denying rumors that it’s retreating from its PHR service and says the market is alive and well. But consumer demand for personal health records is still lacking.
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Week of 24 May 2010 For a state HIE, HITECH Act stimulus funds go only so far (26 May 2010)
The state of Texas, recognizing that HITECH Act stimulus funds won't cover the cost of its health information exchange infrastructure, is turning to a public-private alliance to get the HIE built.
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Week of 17 May 2010 For e-prescribing to reduce medical errors, alerts cannot be ignored (18 May 2010)
E-prescribing can reduce medical errors and improve quality of care, but doctors and clinicians must stop ignoring alerts from clinical decision support software, studies show.
HITECH Act incentives still confuse some providers (19 May 2010)
New legislation aims to clarify who is eligible for HITECH Act incentives, but doctors say the law still doesn't go far enough to fund and promote EHR implementation.
Winds of change adjust health IT policy priority, focus (21 May 2010)
Information sharing initiatives such as NHIN Direct have shifted the focus of health IT policy. Federal committees and workgroups are redirecting their efforts accordingly.
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Week of 10 May 2010 Meaningful use compliance for Atrius merely involves fine-tuning (13 May 2010)
For Atrius, a large group of ambulatory providers already wired for electronic medical records, meaningful use compliance involves merely keeping abreast of changes in the proposed rule.
Medical records privacy: It's not just HIPAA rules anymore (12 May 2010)
Federal Trade Commission and HIPAA rules, as well as individual states' laws, now govern medical records privacy. Providers must cover all bases, including personal health record (PHR) services.
State health laws complicate HITECH compliance (10 May 2010)
State health laws and executive orders add deadline pressure for health care providers facing strict timelines for meaningful use, standards and HITECH compliance.
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Week of 03 May 2010 Delays in EHR adoption could threaten eligibility for license renewal (04 May 2010)
A who’s who of health IT vendors, governors and regulators met in Massachusetts to address EHR adoption, health information exchanges and meaningful use compliance.
Hospital manages electronic medical records with tiered storage and virtualization (SearchStorage.com | 06 May 2010)
To accommodate its growing electronic medical records, Mississippi Baptist Hospital designed a virtualized tiered storage system using IBM and Symantec products.
Surgeon general: EHR systems at rural health clinics are vulnerable (06 May 2010)
The Massachusetts governor’s HIT conference focused on the highest of high tech. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin reminded attendees that EHR systems must serve low-tech areas, too.
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Week of 26 Apr 2010 HIT grants will expand health data exchange, but are they enough? (29 Apr 2010)
Washington has awarded millions in HIT grants to start health information exchanges. State officials think much more money is needed -- and they wonder where it will come from.
Patient engagement in IT use leads to richer health experiences (26 Apr 2010)
Policymakers and IT developers should consider ways to ensure that patient engagement is at the forefront of technology adoption, advocates tell a federal advisory committee.
Using an identity management system enables HITECH, HIPAA compliance (28 Apr 2010)
Hospital identity management systems can improve data security, reduce vulnerable access points and close security loopholes. That improves workflow and addresses new HIPAA rules.
When picking a vendor for an EHR implementation, consider market forces (26 Apr 2010)
Of all the EHR software vendors out there -- including a cadre of new ones catering to solo docs and small group practices, how do you pick one that will be around for the long haul?
When picking an EHR vendor, consider market forces (26 Apr 2010)
Of all the EHR vendors out there -- especially a cadre of new ones catering to solo docs and small group practices -- how do you pick one that will be around for the long haul?
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Week of 19 Apr 2010 Doctors, patients drive smartphone use for electronic health records (20 Apr 2010)
Physicians love the iPhone. Management loves the BlackBerry. Patients want medical information on their phones. In short, smartphones are changing the health care industry.
Health IT regulations: FDA is weighing deeper involvement (23 Apr 2010)
Health IT regulations could be affected by a 2-year-old Food and Drug Administration proposed rule that's back in the spotlight. Some fear the rule may slow technology adoption.
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Week of 12 Apr 2010 PHR services present new frontier for providers (13 Apr 2010)
As health providers scrutinize IT to ensure compliance with meaningful use, they are considering personal health record services as a way to supplement patient health information.
Regional extension centers face challenges in boosting EHR adoption rates (13 Apr 2010)
Federal regional extension centers help providers adopt electronic health record systems and reach meaningful use requirements. But physician reluctance and uncertainty about meaningful use stand in...
Timing for EHR certification, adoption remains a sticky issue (16 Apr 2010)
The time crunch on developing and adopting certified electronic health record systems concerns health IT professionals, who have tight meaningful use deadlines to meet.
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Week of 05 Apr 2010 Effective EHR implementations need real-world input, NCPA report says (07 Apr 2010)
Missing from the current EHR implementation debate is a practical discussion about which systems work and which don't, a National Center for Policy Analysis report says.
Federal health IT strategic plan seeks to shape future policy (09 Apr 2010)
Major themes of the federal health IT strategic plan, which should be finished this fall, include meaningful use, data security, and patient education and engagement.
New England HIMSS president talks health care reform initiatives (05 Apr 2010)
Daniel Feinberg, director of Northeastern University's Health Informatics Graduate Program, offers his perspective on health care reform, HITECH legislation and other topics.
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Week of 29 Mar 2010 Electronic patient record initiative key to coverage for veterans (30 Mar 2010)
A strong flow of patient information will become even more important as the VA and the DoD build EHR systems connected to the Nationwide Health Information Network.
Medical home model project to blend health IT, care coordination (01 Apr 2010)
The medical home model combines health IT and better care management, but some caution against overemphasizing technology at the expense of the doctor-patient relationship.
NHIN Direct aims to speed adoption of electronic health data exchange (01 Apr 2010)
The National Health Information Network Direct's standards for health data exchange are simpler than the broader NHIN standards. That should entice smaller practices, officials say.
Politicians debate reforming health care, involving IT at HIMSS event (03 Apr 2010)
At a New England HIMSS forum, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse proposed meaningful use relief, while Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker touted tort reform.
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Week of 22 Mar 2010 CCHIT certification programs for electronic health records to reopen (22 Mar 2010)
CCHIT remains confident it will become an official certifying body for vendors, ensuring their electronic health record products are compliant with federal meaningful use criteria.
EHR systems in development could bring relief for solo physicians (26 Mar 2010)
A leading expert tells doctors in solo and small practices not to give up, because EHR systems are coming that will be tailored to their needs -- and ready to meet meaningful use rules.
New medical image storage technology may ease burden on hospital CIOs (22 Mar 2010)
While hospital IT leaders confront data centers bursting at the seams with medical images, the answer could be compression schemes and smart algorithms that cut overload.
Official: State HIE grants will help offset health care reform costs (25 Mar 2010)
Reforming health care adds millions to Medicaid. States must maintain the new electronic records that will support patients’ care. Health information exchange grant money should help.
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Week of 15 Mar 2010 Advocacy groups register comments on definition of meaningful use (17 Mar 2010)
In their comments on the definition of meaningful use and on the electronic health-record incentives set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, advocacy groups affirm their support but...
As medical images increase, cloud storage services become more viable (16 Mar 2010)
As medical images proliferate, facilities turn to cloud storage services, such as those from Iron Mountain, to relieve data centers that are bursting at the seams.
Health information exchanges key to connecting hospitals, providers (15 Mar 2010)
Using health information exchanges helps bring hospitals, providers, patients and even rival institutions together, three CIOs suggest in a panel discussion at HIMSS10.
Meaningful use rules prompt more than 2,000 comments to the CMS (19 Mar 2010)
Federal officials will draft final meaningful use rules after analyzing the questions and suggestions submitted by providers and industry stakeholders over the last two months.
Slow, steady EHR implementation plan better for doctors’ offices (16 Mar 2010)
A step-by-step approach is best for electronic health record implementation in doctors’ offices, a solo physician in family practice tells a federal work group.
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Week of 08 Mar 2010 Best practices for multi-physician ambulatory EHR implementation (11 Mar 2010)
The head of an award-winning electronic health records installation offers advice to her peers about managing the transition from paper medical records to ambulatory EHR.
Debate continues over health IT standards, meaningful use definitions (08 Mar 2010)
Mandates in the interim final rule for standards and certification went into effect even as policymakers and industry representatives continued to discuss their recommendations.
Epocrates plans mobile SaaS EHR system for solo physicians (09 Mar 2010)
Epocrates, which made its mark with a free drug-interaction database for Palm, joins the electronic health records fray with a smartphone-tuned, Software as a Service EHR system for solo physicians.
HIMSS outlines meaningful use recommendations in town hall meeting (08 Mar 2010)
Giving providers partial credit for reaching meaningful use ranks among the Health Information and Management Systems Society’s recommended changes to federal meaningful use rules.
Hospitals look beyond EHR implementation at HIMSS10 annual conference (08 Mar 2010)
While meaningful use took center stage at HIMSS10, two hospitals demonstrated that electronic health record implementation is about more than federal mandates.
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Week of 01 Mar 2010 CCHIT presses forward with certification programs (02 Mar 2010)
The Certification Commission for Healthcare IT may soon lose its status as the sole health IT certifying body, but at HIMSS10 it nonetheless revealed new certification programs.
Future of systems interoperability for health IT seen in HIMSS demo (03 Mar 2010)
The systems interoperability demo at HIMSS shows what early adopters can do. Here’s the rub -- physicians will need more than the HITECH Act’s incentives to join the party.
National health IT policy coordinator ready to implement rules (04 Mar 2010)
David Blumenthal, the national coordinator for health IT policy, said at HIMSS10 that his work is starting to shift from drafting regulations to implementing and supporting them.
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Week of 22 Feb 2010 Grassley takes hold harmless clause between vendors, hospitals to task (24 Feb 2010)
The Iowa senator takes aim at the notion that health IT vendors may not be liable for mistakes made by health care providers using their products. Experts say such an idea is bunk.
HIMSS annual conference to explore meaningful use, HITECH Act (23 Feb 2010)
Attendance at this year’s HIMSS conference, up more than 6% from last year, is being driven largely by a desire to know more about meaningful use.
Health care IT infrastructure burdened by new technology (22 Feb 2010)
Replacing legacy networks, servers and printers -- not to mention integrating messaging and mobile technology -- hits health care IT infrastructure hard. But spending is on the rise.
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Week of 15 Feb 2010 CHIME recruiting more candidates for CHCIO credential (19 Feb 2010)
Thirty-five CIOs constitute the inaugural class of Certified Healthcare CIOs. Such certification recognizes the unique mission of the health care CIO, recipients say.
Early adopters share EHR meaningful use best practices (15 Feb 2010)
Achieving meaningful use for electronic health records requires a solid plan, one that two early adopters of EHR technology helped outline at the recent Healthcare Stimulus Exchange in Boston.
HITECH Act security provisions catching health care providers unaware (18 Feb 2010)
The HITECH Act’s new data security and privacy mandates, which go into effect this month, are leaving many health care providers and vendors in danger of being noncompliant with HIPAA.
Money for regional extension centers announced, but will it be enough? (17 Feb 2010)
One health IT expert breaks down why federal regional extension centers may be getting less than half the funding they need to help physicians bring electronic health record systems online.
Officials recommend adding flexibility to meaningful use compliance (18 Feb 2010)
A federal policy panel suggests that flexibility will help providers adopt health IT and follow meaningful use criteria to qualify for federal incentives.
Personal health records, consumers may ultimately drive EHR adoption (18 Feb 2010)
While federal electronic health record incentives will drive some providers to adopt EHRs, experts say consumer demand for personal health records may be the real catalyst.
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Week of 08 Feb 2010 Coalition pushes for unique device identifiers in health care reform (08 Feb 2010)
A group is pushing to keep the unique device identifier database in the federal health care reform bill. This database will expedite and broaden product recalls, improving patient safety.
Federal data breach laws still on hold as compliance deadline looms (11 Feb 2010)
Data breach laws on patient notification, as well as HIPAA security and privacy provisions, have not been finished, even though compliance is set to begin this month.
GS1 standard for medical device tracking gathers steam (08 Feb 2010)
A standard for medical device tracking and infrastructure deadlines for 2010 and 2012 have emerged through a joint effort among hospitals, manufacturers and distributors.
Mobile convergence gives doctors instant access to clinical data (10 Feb 2010)
Thanks to mobile convergence and devices like the iPhone, doctors benefit from quick access to key patient information. But data entry remains problematic.
NIST standards to be incorporated into health IT certification process (12 Feb 2010)
NIST standards, already used by many federal agencies, will soon be worked into health IT certification programs being developed by the Office of the National Coordinator.
SaaS-based clinical data analytics seen as next wave of automation (09 Feb 2010)
Clinical data analysis based on Software as a Service can help providers see which patients need attention most, provided that Web security issues are addressed.
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Week of 01 Feb 2010 Breach notifications up in wake of new HIPAA security, privacy rules (04 Feb 2010)
More than 700,000 breach notifications have been sent in the wake of changes to health data privacy and security laws, according to the federal Office for Civil Rights.
Providers, vendors await EHR certification guidelines (02 Feb 2010)
Without overdue federal electronic health record certification guidelines, the health IT community can’t move forward with work to achieve meaningful use for its EHR systems.
Summit to address upcoming changes to HIPAA privacy, security rules (02 Feb 2010)
Changes to HIPAA privacy and security rules are among the topics of discussion as health IT stakeholders gather for 18th National HIPAA Summit. Other laws loom as well.
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Week of 25 Jan 2010 Consumer health informatics affect delivery of patient care: AHRQ (27 Jan 2010)
Consumer health informatics helps deliver better patient care, but barriers to use persist, according to research by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Help earning EHR incentives coming via Regional Extension Centers (28 Jan 2010)
Health care organizations seeking EHR incentives will soon be able to turn to Regional Extension Centers for education and outreach on federal meaningful use mandates.
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Week of 18 Jan 2010 Providers consider how to overcome EHR meaningful use obstacles (22 Jan 2010)
Incorporating the proposed meaningful use criteria into EHRs means challenges, but the struggle is worth the reward, doctors say.
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Week of 11 Jan 2010 AdvancedMD adds PracticeOne EHR to medical practice management SaaS (11 Jan 2010)
With PracticeOne acquisition, AdvancedMD supplements its medical practice management Software as a Service with PracticeOne’s electronic health record capabilities.
Hospitals face hurdles meeting proposed meaningful use EHR criteria (13 Jan 2010)
The proposed rulemaking for EHR meaningful use has providers wondering how to meet the aggressive deployment schedule and strict deadlines for incentive payments.
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Week of 04 Jan 2010 Long-awaited meaningful use rules a concern, health IT community says (07 Jan 2010)
The meaningful use and electronic health records requirements recently proposed by the federal government are too restrictive, say doctors, hospitals and IT professionals.
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Week of 21 Dec 2009 Meaningful use, HITECH Act define the year in health IT (21 Dec 2009)
In 2009, meaningful use began to dominate discussions about health IT. This article looks back at the HITECH Act and other events that affected the health care industry in 2009.
Personal health records not measuring up in privacy, say advocates (21 Dec 2009)
The government calls for greater use of personal health records as part of electronic health record systems, but PHRs fall short in data control, privacy and security.
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Week of 14 Dec 2009 Dossia bets on employers to spread use of personal health records (15 Dec 2009)
Learn how companies are using personal health records to reduce health care costs and give more control to employees.
HIT Policy Committee proposes new electronic health record standards (17 Dec 2009)
The Health IT Policy Committee has recommended new standards for sharing lab data through electronic health records, including vocabulary, messaging and transaction.
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Week of 07 Dec 2009 How to form alliances with health care IT providers (07 Dec 2009)
Forming partnerships with health care IT providers can be a great benefit to small and medium-sized organizations. Learn best practices for outsourcing health IT.
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Week of 23 Nov 2009 Web-based human services software helps state serve growing needs (24 Nov 2009)
The state of Arizona is seeing benefits from the use of web-based software that allows patients to apply for and enroll in government health programs online.
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Week of 16 Nov 2009 Preliminary study shows electronic health record benefits hard to find (18 Nov 2009)
Interim results from a Harvard School of Public Health conference show that the presence of electronic health records has not significantly lowered costs or improved care.
Health information exchanges are making progress toward meaningful use (22 Nov 2009)
An eHealth Initiative study says health information exchanges are making progress in facilitating meaningful use for electronic health records.
Patient transfer software helps hospital convert referrals (20 Nov 2009)
Learn how one Virginia hospital implemented patient transfer software in its call center to increase patient referrals.
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Week of 26 Oct 2009 Hospital IT departments facing challenges aplenty (29 Oct 2009)
Hospital IT departments are struggling to improve patient care while reducing costs. Find out what the biggest challenges are and how some hospitals are overcoming them.
How the stimulus package affects health care IT (30 Oct 2009)
The stimulus package has designated billions of dollars to be spent on health care IT. Find out how the HITECH Act will impact health IT project plans and budgets.
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Week of 24 Aug 2009 Market for wireless medical devices expected to explode (26 Aug 2009)
Why are wireless medical devices becoming so popular? Learn why the market is exploding and how to prepare for the influx of wireless devices to your hospital network.
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Week of 17 Aug 2009 Virtualized IT helps hospital heal its centralized system (18 Aug 2009)
Implementing virtualized IT helped Emory Healthcare's IT department focus less on maintenance and hardware replacement and more on adopting new technology.
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Week of 10 Aug 2009 Partnering with Jitterbit cures workers' comp prescription ills (14 Aug 2009)
Thinking of going virtual? See how one company moved its workers' compensation data into a cloud computing environment and realized significant cost savings.
Virtual desktops improve patients' hospital experience (12 Aug 2009)
Some hospitals are using virtual desktops to give patients access to email and the Internet during their stay. Read this case study to hear more about the benefits of virtualization.
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Week of 27 Jul 2009 Automated prescription system helps hospital disperse drugs (28 Jul 2009)
The Carolinas Hospital System implemented an automated prescription system to disperse medications. See how this system helped the hospital save money and improve patient safety.
SaaS solution helps medical supplier manage contacts (31 Jul 2009)
Is using a SaaS solution better than building in-house? This case study follows a medical supply distributor's venture into the world of Software as a Service.
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Week of 20 Jul 2009 Nurse scheduling software cuts agency costs, boosts satisfaction (23 Jul 2009)
Learn how a Michigan hospital used nurse scheduling software to reduce agency costs and give nurses more flexibility in scheduling their hours.
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Week of 13 Jul 2009 EHR system helps pediatric offices boost payment time, patient care (13 Jul 2009)
Two years after researching and implementing an EHR system, Cape Fear Pediatrics has seen improvements in both operations and patient care.
Electronic medical record software helps doctors access patient data (15 Jul 2009)
Doctors at the Clara Maass Medical Center are enjoying increased mobility after the adoption of electronic medical records software. Learn more in this case study.
Meditab, speech recognition software help hospital cut paper trail (16 Jul 2009)
Learn how speech recognition software combined with medical software helped the South Nassau Communities Hospital dramatically reduce its reliance on paper.