News

News

• July 21, 2016 21 Jul'16

  Under HIPAA audit program, 167 healthcare organizations to be audited

  OCR has emailed notices to 167 healthcare organizations that they will be scrutinized under the HIPAA program for compliance with the law's privacy and security rules.

• July 13, 2016 13 Jul'16

  Epic EHR installation a challenge for Massachusetts hospitals

  Challenges of Massachusetts hospitals' adoption of an EHR from Epic Systems Corp. and a federal health privacy official's Fitbit experience discussed in HIT Squad podcast.

• July 06, 2016 06 Jul'16

  OCR gets tough with business associates

  With its levy of a $650,000 fine on a service provider of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has entered into what appears ...

• July 01, 2016 01 Jul'16

  ONC sets MACRA interoperability measures

  Responding to Congress' call last year to define health IT interoperability measures that Medicare providers must meet to receive reimbursement under new value-based models, ONC has published the ...

• July 01, 2016 01 Jul'16

  Sale of McKesson healthcare IT assets sparks wary reaction

  McKesson Corp.'s spinoff of much of its health IT portfolio has raised concern among some users about the future of its medical imaging and EHR systems.

• June 30, 2016 30 Jun'16

  Vendors selling into health IT market talk tech to HIT Squad

  A recent health IT conference was a forum for health IT and cybersecurity vendors to reach healthcare organizations and potential customers; the HIT Squad talks with the vendors.

• June 30, 2016 30 Jun'16

  EHR interoperability, regulations top patient record concerns

  From meeting new government standards to navigating EHR interoperability woes, providers have a lot on their minds. Find out how they are accommodating EHR regulations without sacrificing security.

• June 24, 2016 24 Jun'16

  Security and value-based care hot topics at HIT Summit

  The first day of the two-day Health IT Summit in Boston was filled with speakers and panels addressing value-based care and cybersecurity. Most of the audience at the summit, about half, were ...

• June 23, 2016 23 Jun'16

  Certified health IT disclosure rules to be enforced, ONC official says

  ONC senior policy adviser explains in this HIT Squad podcast the rationale for and benefits of new certified EHR transparency requirements and how they will be enforced.

• June 15, 2016 15 Jun'16

  ONC moves on health IT safety

  Health IT is so often seen as central to creating efficiencies, maximizing reimbursement and helping spur advances in medical care, that its effect on patient safety is sometimes overlooked. But ...

• June 08, 2016 08 Jun'16

  Medical Informatics group chief pleads for more EHR interoperability

  Doug Fridsma, M.D., is a passionate guy. A former chief science officer for ONC, Frisdma joined the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) in 2014 as president and CEO, telling ...

• June 08, 2016 08 Jun'16

  Five new telemedicine devices and systems shown at ATA 2016

  At ATA 2016, vendors showed five new telemedicine devices and systems ranging from non-contact connected thermometers to real-time video conferencing for virtual doctor's visits.

• June 02, 2016 02 Jun'16

  At health IT conferences, information blocking, telemedicine star

  Information blocking and new telemedicine systems are hot health IT conference topics, with government officials pushing interoperability and telehealth finding more adoption.

• June 01, 2016 01 Jun'16

  ONC pushes vendors to disclose information

  Moves by federal health regulators to pressure EHR vendors to reveal more information about pricing and functionality of their software are meeting a mixed response. ONC, at its annual meeting this ...

• June 01, 2016 01 Jun'16

  Mayo Clinic to get funding for work with precision medicine group

  Add the Mayo Clinic to the list of organizations that will have a major role in the Precision Medicine Initiative. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is slated to receive $130 million in 2016 ...

• May 31, 2016 31 May'16

  Healthcare CIO Harun Rashid's career journey

  CIO Harun Rashid always knew he wanted a career in technology. But a career in healthcare IT came as a rewarding surprise. Now he's working to provide quality care around the world.

• May 31, 2016 31 May'16

  Healthcare IoT applications expand patient care possibilities

  In this issue of Pulse, SearchHealthIT writers examine healthcare IoT applications and share how IoT technology influences patient care, from perspectives of patients and providers.

  First, Scott Wallask draws the line between healthcare ...

• May 24, 2016 24 May'16

  At ATA 2016, American Well telemedicine draws attention

  American Well is getting attention for its new telemedicine exchange while The New York Times also picked up on the development as the telehealth industry poises for growth.

• May 18, 2016 18 May'16

  Telemedicine lawyer at ATA 2016 says acceptance growing

  Telemedicine has come a long way in terms of acceptance, but reimbursement and cross-state licensing issues are still impeding growth, a legal expert says at ATA 2016.

• May 13, 2016 13 May'16

  Healthcare data breaches widespread, Ponemon survey shows

  As ransomware and other cyberattacks mount, 89% of healthcare organizations and their business associates have been hit by data breaches, and 50% of them were by cybercriminals.

• May 12, 2016 12 May'16

  ONC healthcare contest to give patients more say over data movement

  Most people can be reached instantly by others through mobile technology. A new healthcare contest devised by ONC may make it so that patients are able to approve the electronic transmission of ...

• May 09, 2016 09 May'16

  US Vice President Joe Biden shares his information blocking experience at Health Datapalooza

  Even the vice president of the United States isn't exempt from experiencing information blocking. At the Health Datapalooza conference in Washington, D.C., Vice President Joe Biden told the crowd ...

• May 04, 2016 04 May'16

  HIT Squad hits Health Datapalooza, telemedicine shows

  Top federal officials are soon expected to promote a new Medicare reimbursement system. The HIT Squad eyes Health Datapalooza and American Telemedicine Association coverage.

• May 04, 2016 04 May'16

  Joint Commission gets hip to text messaging

  The Joint Commission, the independent nonprofit that functions as a sort of unofficial arm of government healthcare regulatory agencies, has essentially reversed its 2011 opinion on clinician text ...

• May 04, 2016 04 May'16

  Medicare reimbursement changes add information-blocking ban

  Under the proposed new Medicare reimbursement rules to modify meaningful use, physicians and healthcare systems must prove they're not blocking information flow, among other requirements.

• May 03, 2016 03 May'16

  Epic VP: Healthcare interoperability standards face challenges

  When it comes to interoperability standards in healthcare, there are many barriers. One of Epic System Corp.'s vice presidents weighs in.

• April 28, 2016 28 Apr'16

  Infographic: Healthcare purchasing strategy focuses on security tech

  TechTarget's health IT spending intentions survey shows security is a top healthcare purchasing strategy. This infographic details top investment areas.

• April 27, 2016 27 Apr'16

  SAP jumps into precision medicine

  Precision medicine has a powerful advocate in the person of President Obama. Now a powerful multinational tech giant is also throwing its considerable financial and intellectual resources behind ...

• April 26, 2016 26 Apr'16

  Machine learning tools best human accuracy in diagnosing cancer

  Machines are just as capable as humans, if not more so, on almost every level when it comes to diagnosing patients. Open source machine learning tools and algorithms are able to identify cancer ...

• April 26, 2016 26 Apr'16

  Healthcare information security tops purchasing survey

  In a TechTarget survey, health IT buyers said they are looking at security compliance ahead of analytics and EHR systems. Meanwhile, mobility is up as well.

• April 25, 2016 25 Apr'16

  HIPAA audit protocol signals audit process underway

  As it prepares to launch audits of healthcare organizations and their business associates, OCR issues audit protocol as a guide to compliance with HIPAA security and privacy rules.

• April 13, 2016 13 Apr'16

  More cybersecurity woes in health IT

  The seemingly constant volley of cyberattacks on healthcare data networks is being accompanied by a flurry of new surveys and studies confirming that the threat to health data is real and ...

• April 12, 2016 12 Apr'16

  CPOE systems not stopping all hazardous medication orders

  Computerized physician order entry systems might help cut down on medical transcription mistakes, but when it comes to flagging drugs that could be potentially harmful to the patient, the systems ...

• April 11, 2016 11 Apr'16

  Data security in healthcare tops health IT buying intentions

  Healthcare data security and HIPAA compliance emerged as the top areas in a TechTarget survey of 2016 health IT buying intentions. Meanwhile, cloud and mobility are growing quickly.

• April 05, 2016 05 Apr'16

  Incentives don't push patients to digital health tools, self-motivation does

  Most people can't be incentivized to use digital health tools by an outside force. The ultimate motivator is a person's concern for their own wellbeing and understanding how digital health tools ...

• April 04, 2016 04 Apr'16

  More cybersecurity urged as attacks on healthcare networks continue

  While the ransomware attacks that recently crippled Washington, D.C.-based MedStar Health system and the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles captured nationwide headlines, those ...

• March 31, 2016 31 Mar'16

  Cloud EHR vendor CEO Jonathan Bush hits health IT hot topics

  Jonathan Bush, CEO of cloud EHR vendor athenahealth Inc. talks about his plans to enter the midsize hospital market, cloud health IT technology and consumerization of health.

• March 30, 2016 30 Mar'16

  Telemedicine gaining acceptance

  Telemedicine is moving steadily from the margins of healthcare to the mainstream, according to a new industry survey. Nearly two-thirds of the 390 clinicians and healthcare executives who ...

• March 29, 2016 29 Mar'16

  Group submits proposal for changing weight of meaningful use objectives

  Though the criteria and focus of the meaningful use program have changed on multiple occasions since the program's inception, one of the most significant features of the program -- the percentage ...

• March 28, 2016 28 Mar'16

  Health app development contests devised by HHS, ONC

  A pair of government healthcare agencies announced three contests that will award six-figure sums to developers that make apps that are assets to patients and providers.

• March 25, 2016 25 Mar'16

  HIPAA audits and their discontents

  Now that it appears the long-awaited HIPAA audits of healthcare organizations and their business associates are actually starting, it's worth noting that not everyone is thrilled about the ...

• March 25, 2016 25 Mar'16

  After many delays, OCR HIPAA audits will start in 2016

  After a nearly two-year delay, OCR HIPAA audits of healthcare organizations are starting this year, though it is unclear exactly when audits will begin.

• March 17, 2016 17 Mar'16

  HIT Squad drops in on Epic Systems Corp. booth at HIMSS 2016

  The HIT Squad's unannounced visit to the Epic Systems Corp. booth at HIMSS 2016 produced a quotation, but also a polite evasion, as the HIT Squad roamed the exhibition floor.

• March 16, 2016 16 Mar'16

  Healthcare groups call for 90-day meaningful use reporting period

  In a familiar refrain, a coalition of 34 healthcare organizations -- including the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) -- has called on CMS to "act quickly" and adopt a ...

• March 14, 2016 14 Mar'16

  ONC steps up campaign against information blocking

  With their new vendor pledge against information blocking, HHS and ONC have stepped up their campaign against the alleged practice by some EHR vendors and healthcare providers.

• March 09, 2016 09 Mar'16

  HIPAA compliance audits coming, cybersecurity expert says at HIMSS 2016

  In a podcast from HIMSS, cybersecurity expert Mac McMillan discusses a new health data security simulation system, long-delayed HIPAA audits and the safety of cloud technology.

• March 09, 2016 09 Mar'16

  Anxiety about cyberattacks on health data prompts OCR-NIST crosswalk

  With worry about cyberattacks on health data networks at an all-time high, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is drawing on the National Institute of ...

• March 08, 2016 08 Mar'16

  Boston Heart is a pacemaker in mobile app UI design

  Cardiovascular healthcare services provider Boston Heart Diagnostics turns to UX design and UI development on a Microsoft stack to make its cloud apps addictive to patients.

• March 07, 2016 07 Mar'16

  CMS makes plans for the end of meaningful use

  Andy Slavitt, the acting administrator of CMS, was very direct in stating that meaningful use is winding down and will be replaced by an improved program.

• March 04, 2016 04 Mar'16

  The benign chaos of HIMSS 2016

  At times, it was hard to distinguish between the blinking slot machines on the dazzling casino floor of the Sands Expo and Convention Center and the tech-stocked booths of the country's biggest ...

• March 04, 2016 04 Mar'16

  HIT Squad visits Epic, IBM Watson Health booths at HIMSS 2016

  The HIT Squad took to the HIMSS 2016 exhibition floor, mic in hand. Among the booths they visited were Epic and IBM Watson Health.

• March 03, 2016 03 Mar'16

  Improving patient experience on HIMSS 2016 agenda

  CRM systems, such as Salesforce's, are examples of vendors at the HIMSS conference trying to improve the patient experience, says health IT consultant Murtuza Mukadam.

• March 02, 2016 02 Mar'16

  I survived HIMSS 2016

  Ten interviews, a podcast, a session with ONC and CMS, and two days later, I can officially say I survived HIMSS 2016. There was a momentary scare there as I wandered the exhibition floor after an ...

• March 01, 2016 01 Mar'16

  At HIMSS 2016, HHS chief Burwell blasts information blocking

  On the eve of HIMSS 2016, HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell blasts information blocking, saying interoperability is needed to reform the nation's healthcare delivery system.

• February 29, 2016 29 Feb'16

  Healthcare cybersecurity means more than data breach prevention

  Healthcare facilities have a lot to worry about when it comes to securing every device and all the data that's kept in and passed through their systems. This issue of Pulse takes a closer look at how healthcare providers manage patient ...

• February 29, 2016 29 Feb'16

  Wearable technology in healthcare is out of reach for many

  People from low income populations suffering from chronic diseases could benefit from the use of wearable healthcare technology. However, there are several barriers in the way, experts said.

• February 29, 2016 29 Feb'16

  Healthcare information security at a crossroads with endpoints

  With an ever-increasing array of mobile devices available, healthcare IT pros must ensure healthcare information security at endpoints.

• February 25, 2016 25 Feb'16

  HIMSS first-timer: Preparing for the conference

  I have never been to HIMSS—the largest conference in the health IT industry—before, but from what I've heard it's a chaotic, health IT wonderland. At least, that's what my colleague Shaun Sutner, ...

• February 25, 2016 25 Feb'16

  HIMSS 2016 features keynote by HHS chief, new health IT

  In addition to hot technologies such as cloud, predictive analytics and IoT, HIMSS 2016 will feature a big presence by government health IT regulators.

• February 24, 2016 24 Feb'16

  ONC on the interoperability march again

  With HIMSS 2016 looming next week, ONC has rolled out yet another project in the federal health IT agency's campaign to promote what has probably been up to now health IT's most elusive goal: ...

• February 23, 2016 23 Feb'16

  ONC survey: Growth of confidence in EHR privacy and security

  Patients' trust in providers' abilities to protect EHR privacy and security is steadily increasing to the point where more than three-quarters of patients support the idea of providers ...

• February 17, 2016 17 Feb'16

  Healthcare held hostage in Hollywood hospital hack

  Carl Wright, general manager and executive vice president of worldwide sales at cybersecurity firm TrapX Security, Inc., has seen and worked to foil a lot of hacks in previous stints as a U.S. ...

• February 17, 2016 17 Feb'16

  CommonWell Health Alliance adds HIMSS, others as new members

  A group created to expand the interoperable exchange of patient data between providers with different EHR systems can now count a few more healthcare organizations as members. Less than two weeks ...

• February 15, 2016 15 Feb'16

  New at HIMSS: Cybersecurity, 3D printing in healthcare and more

  With HIMSS just weeks away, SearchHealthIT wanted to know what new features conference attendees have to look forward to. Among them, 3D printing in healthcare and cybersecurity.

• February 10, 2016 10 Feb'16

  New ICD-10 code for Zika

  The American Health Information Management Association now has an ICD-10 code for the birth defect-causing Zika virus: A92.8. On Feb. 5, as 11 states had reported travel-associated cases of the ...

• February 04, 2016 04 Feb'16

  MACRA doesn't replace meaningful use, it just changes it

  Although a top CMS official has declared meaningful use dead, health IT observers say it is still quite alive but that it will change under the new MACRA healthcare law.

• February 04, 2016 04 Feb'16

  Technology may not be helpful with tracking Zika virus

  The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the Zika virus a global health emergency and now hospitals are on alert and prepping for any incoming cases, and the public is being ...

• February 03, 2016 03 Feb'16

  American Heart Association goes with health IT

  The American Heart Association is giving some powerful health IT tools to employers to use in the workplace to improve the heart health of Americans, more than 85 million of whom have ...

• February 03, 2016 03 Feb'16

  HIMSS 2016 conference coverage and analysis

  SearchHealthIT staff will be among the 40,000 people expected at HIMSS 2016, covering the biggest news that breaks at the event and gathering reactions from health IT experts.

• February 02, 2016 02 Feb'16

  HIMSS conference 2016: Range of health IT experience present

  Coming up soon, the HIMSS conference 2016 and show in Las Vegas is a unique opportunity for sectors of health IT -- vendors, users, regulators and others -- to come together.

• January 28, 2016 28 Jan'16

  Virtual reality: The next frontier for healthcare

  Virtual reality is a computer-simulated environment created with software that can recreate sensory experiences and is presented to the user so the user suspends belief and accepts it as a real ...

• January 27, 2016 27 Jan'16

  Health data exchange is alive, maybe even getting well, slowly  

  Health IT market research reports from KLAS Enterprises LLC are super influential. Using hard evidence gathered by KLAS researchers, they show clearly where segments of the market are headed. The ...

• January 26, 2016 26 Jan'16

  Rural physicians keep pace with urban professionals in EHRs, meaningful use

  Though they are often thought to possess fewer resources than their colleagues that practice in different geographic locations, physicians who are based in rural areas have kept up with their urban ...

• January 21, 2016 21 Jan'16

  Artificial intelligence systems in healthcare in sight

  Artificial intelligence in healthcare may be closer to becoming a reality than you think. AI market earned revenues in healthcare are estimated to reach $6,662.2 billion in 2021, according to an ...

• January 20, 2016 20 Jan'16

  FDA gets tougher on IoT medical device cybersecurity

  Manufacturers and users of connected medical devices should take steps to ensure the cybersecurity of such devices, the FDA said in a new guidance document. The draft guidance on is significant ...

• January 19, 2016 19 Jan'16

  More than 100 healthcare organizations commit to ACO model

  American patients eager for proof that healthcare providers are invested in treating their conditions as thoroughly and accurately as possible should be encouraged by a recent announcement from the ...

• January 14, 2016 14 Jan'16

  Fitbit account hack case a cautionary tale for wearables enthusiasts

  Your Fitbit, or other wearable device, could be tracking more than just your health and wellness metrics. Cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs and Buzzfeed reported that some Fitbit accounts were ...

• January 14, 2016 14 Jan'16

  Digital health initiative launched in Massachusetts to create digital health hub

  Massachusetts is trying to get in on an approximately $32 billion market opportunity, according to Goldman Sachs. And that opportunity is the digital healthcare industry. Last week, Massachusetts ...

• January 12, 2016 12 Jan'16

  OCR issues reminder about patient health information access under HIPAA

  The U.S Department of Health and Human Services is trying to change the perception of what HIPAA does for patients. HIPAA is commonly thought of as a rule that requires health organizations to ...

• January 08, 2016 08 Jan'16

  CMS wants to boost CQM reporting in EHR certification

  CMS is giving health IT organizations until Feb. 1 to comment on requiring EHR vendors to annually recertify CQM reporting modules and increase the number of CQM measures.

• January 06, 2016 06 Jan'16

  HIMSS salary survey reveals impressive numbers

  The bucks aren't bad in health IT. That's the overall thrust of the recently released Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Compensation Survey for 2015. But how you do ...

• January 06, 2016 06 Jan'16

  Healthcare 3D printing and CRM are what's hot in health IT

  As HIMSS16 approaches, new and established technologies such as 3D printing and CRM are making strong headway in health IT, SearchHealthIT reporters say in this HIT Squad podcast.

• January 05, 2016 05 Jan'16

  Massachusetts behavioral health facilities incentivized to use health IT

  Nearly 180 behavioral health facilities in Massachusetts are sharing more than $1 million in grant funds to support them in their use of health IT, such as implementing EHRs and health information ...

• January 04, 2016 04 Jan'16

  Appropriations act to spawn healthcare cybersecurity group

  The Department of Health and Human Services is in charge of assembling a healthcare cybersecurity group, which will evaluate other industries and apply their lessons to healthcare.

• December 30, 2015 30 Dec'15

  Kvedar brand enters book channel

  Joseph Kvedar, M.D., vice president of connected health at Boston-based Partners HealthCare, has taken his “Internet of Healthy Things” theme from Partners’ 12th annual Connected Health Symposium ...

• December 29, 2015 29 Dec'15

  National Science Foundation-funded project intends to solidify mHealth security

  Security uncertainties surrounding mobile devices and applications are a primary reason preventing mobile health (mHealth) from becoming a larger part of patient monitoring. A project funded by the ...

• December 23, 2015 23 Dec'15

  Amid holiday cheer, OCR issues warnings in form of resolution agreements

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ HIPAA-enforcing arm, OCR (Office for Civil Rights), has bestowed a few early Christmas presents on healthcare providers and their business ...

• December 23, 2015 23 Dec'15

  Providers leery of cloud, but not vendor neutral archives

  While providers are tying imaging to EHR-based workflows via vendor neutral archives and PACS, many are still leery of the cloud, imaging expert Michael Gray said in this video.

• December 22, 2015 22 Dec'15

  Text messaging in healthcare study delivers decisive results

  Text messaging in healthcare can be more than an administrative function and serve a greater purpose than being a new way to deliver appointment reminders to patients. Texting can nudge people to ...

• December 17, 2015 17 Dec'15

  Bitglass report: Cloud adoption on the rise in healthcare

  The healthcare world has been wary of the cloud for a while now, citing possible HIPAA violation as the main concern and reason for not adopting the cloud. But according to a recent report by ...

• December 16, 2015 16 Dec'15

  HIE on the rise, new government study shows

  Health information exchange (HIE) has accelerated, particularly in hospitals, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and ...

• December 15, 2015 15 Dec'15

  Data breaches and shaky future of meaningful use on DirectTrust's 2016 prediction list

  Many of this year's most-discussed health IT topics will figure prominently in next year's healthcare technology landscape, though some of those conversations will take on a new tone. The third ...

• December 14, 2015 14 Dec'15

  Vendor neutral archives will coexist with PACS 3.0

  Vendor neutral archives, PACS 3.0 let healthcare providers use medical images from diverse sources, independent consultant Michael Gray said in this video from RSNA 2015.

• December 10, 2015 10 Dec'15

  3D printing becoming prevalent in healthcare

  If you're a health IT professional and you're not looking into 3D printers, you might want to start now. Some hospitals have already got a jump on this not-so-new technology that is helping some ...

• December 10, 2015 10 Dec'15

  Health plans moving quickly to value-based payments

  For its fifth annual “State of the Payor” survey, HealthEdge polled 100 senior executives at payer organizations and found that 80% of health plans following Medicare are shifting to value-based ...

• December 09, 2015 09 Dec'15

  RSNA 2015 drew international crowds, new imaging tech

  RSNA 2015, the biggest North American healthcare tech conference, featured an international crowd and medical imaging innovation. Meanwhile, the ICD-10 transition has been smooth.

• December 08, 2015 08 Dec'15

  RSNA 2015 features fun, cosmopolitan radiology technology

  RSNA 2015, the biggest North American healthcare tech conference, featured the latest radiology IT and hardware tools -- as well as fun, benign chaos and an international flavor.

• December 08, 2015 08 Dec'15

  HIMSS Value Score to quantify worth of health IT

  It's difficult to predict how adopting health IT will change an organization's productivity or quantify how well a technology measured up to its expectations. The Healthcare Information and ...

• December 03, 2015 03 Dec'15

  KPMG survey results support idea that ICD-10 was a Y2K event

  After all the anticipation – and after some experts predicted that ICD-10 would be a disaster with little value -- it seems ICD-10 has turned out to be a Y2K-type of event so far, in which expected ...

• December 01, 2015 01 Dec'15

  New medical imaging technologies shown at busy RSNA 2015

  Medical imaging vendors showcased new IT systems, as prospective users roamed the bustling show floor at the RSNA 2015 conference and attended educational sessions.