News

News

• 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 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 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 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 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.

• December 01, 2015 01 Dec'15

  Hospital fined $850,000 for ePHI breach

  A stolen laptop can be worth more than $800,000. At least that was the case with a laptop taken from Lahey Clinic Hospital, Inc. in 2011. The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently ruled that ...

• November 30, 2015 30 Nov'15

  Rasu Shrestha on radiology innovations, interoperability obstacles

  RSNA 2015 spotlights radiology innovation in cloud, analytics and 3D printing, said Rasu Shrestha, M.D., chair of the RSNA Scientific Program Radiology Informatics Subcommittee.

• November 30, 2015 30 Nov'15

  PatientKeeper software aims to simplify physician workflow

  PatientKeeper, an EHR overlay software platform owned by hospital chain giant HCA, aims to simplify physician workflow and boost EHR usability for doctors.

• November 30, 2015 30 Nov'15

  Transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 going smoothly so far

  Many were fearful of the switch from ICD-9 to ICD-10, however, it seems there have been few problems. Two industry sources explain what they're hearing on the issue.

• November 24, 2015 24 Nov'15

  Epic's response to critical Mother Jones article

  Mother Jones recently published a highly critical article on Epic Systems, claiming that the EHR vendor's product lacked interoperability and therefore was hurting patients. Well, Epic has ...

• November 24, 2015 24 Nov'15

  Department of Agriculture to distribute $23.4 million in telemedicine grants

  Observers of last week's National Rural Health Day had something extra to celebrate this year, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) promised telemedicine grants to 31 states. The USDA ...

• November 20, 2015 20 Nov'15

  The five most innovative technologies at Connected Health Symposium 2015

  From wearables, to robots, to data analytics, the 2015 Connected Health Symposium in Boston showcased it all. SearchHealthIT identified the five most innovative technologies at the conference.

• November 19, 2015 19 Nov'15

  Epic gets flak again on interoperability, this time in Mother Jones article

  Epic Systems has been criticized for its lack of interoperability before, and now, in a recent Mother Jones article entitled "Epic Fail", the EHR vendor is being put on the spot again. For the ...

• November 19, 2015 19 Nov'15

  Healthcare big data not in the clinical setting yet

  A panel of experts seemed to agree: Healthcare big data is not quite there yet. But when it becomes a reality -- especially in the clinical setting -- it will bring value.

• November 18, 2015 18 Nov'15

  Wearable health technology crossing health IT boundaries

  Wearable health technology turns up in various guises in this HIT Squad podcast, including devices to treat pain and diabetes. The HIT Squad also looks at RSNA and radiology IT.

• November 18, 2015 18 Nov'15

  Study shows lower hospitalization rate for patients treated with precision medicine

  The precision medicine approach to healthcare is thought to be a more personalized model that will improve individual and population health outcomes. That assertion now has more evidence in its ...

• November 17, 2015 17 Nov'15

  Startup with ties to athenahealth aims to shake up radiology IT

  Candescent Health, a radiology IT startup with ties to athenahealth, aims to shake up radiology with cloud-based analytics software complemented by a human-based service desk.

• November 16, 2015 16 Nov'15

  Lawyer suggests strategies to avoid texting risks with PHI

  Healthcare providers and their business associates are fast getting hip to the reality that it’s not OK to text protected health information (PHI). Not only does unsecure texting of PHI run afoul ...

• November 12, 2015 12 Nov'15

  ICD-10's appearance at my doctor's visit

  As a health IT journalist, it's always interesting when you experience what you write about in real life. In my case, this happened when I went to the doctor yesterday. I was sitting in the ...

• November 10, 2015 10 Nov'15

  IBM Watson Health teams with Medtronic to fight diabetes

  Medtronic has partnered up with IBM Watson Health, because medical devices alone are not enough to deliver quality care to patients -- specifically diabetes sufferers.

• November 10, 2015 10 Nov'15

  Loss of interest, hidden costs drive away users of mHealth apps

  Getting Americans with smartphones to use mobile applications to monitor their health isn't a difficult accomplishment, as a majority of them have already downloaded one. Getting them to stick with ...

• November 05, 2015 05 Nov'15

  For those who need it most, wearables may be out of reach

  It seems fitting that the rise in popularity of wearables comes at a time when Americans are facing such chronic diseases like diabetes, which the International Diabetes Federation estimates will ...

• November 04, 2015 04 Nov'15

  Connected Health draws dreamers and big players

  Joseph Kvedar, M.D., is one of health IT’s best-known evangelists for mobile health technologies and is probably the originator of the decade-or-so-old term “connected health,” which Kvedar, a ...

• November 03, 2015 03 Nov'15

  ICD-10 conversion goes quietly in its first month

  The number of codes increased, but not much else has changed in the world of U.S. medical coding since the Oct. 1 ICD-10 conversion date. At least that's the message conveyed by CMS' recent update ...

• November 02, 2015 02 Nov'15

  Cerner Corporation's Zane Burke: ready for DoD EHR contract

  Cerner Corporation president Zane Burke, said the vendor is ready for the $4.3 billion DoD EHR contract. SearchHealthIT's HIT Squad discussed Burke's proclamation in this podcast.

• October 30, 2015 30 Oct'15

  Connected Health showcases precision medicine and wearables

  Precision medicine practitioners need to match medications to patient's needs by talking with them, not just using microscopes to examine genes, a Connected Health speaker said.

• October 28, 2015 28 Oct'15

  'Personal health IT' devices among top IoT uses

  When the Harvard Business Review (HBR) checks in on a business or social phenomenon, it’s usually instructive to take notice. In this instance, the HBR’s online edition looks at the Internet of ...

• October 28, 2015 28 Oct'15

  New study indicates online health tools may contribute to health disparities

  E-health interventions may be widening health disparities rather than shrinking them. That's what a study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found. The study ...

• October 27, 2015 27 Oct'15

  Providers doubt other providers' willingness to share clinical information

  As the healthcare industry labors to achieve better interoperability, some providers are pointing fingers at their peers. Nearly every healthcare provider says it's willing to share clinical ...

• October 23, 2015 23 Oct'15

  Health data startup gets unusual attention

  It seems like health IT is in a perpetual, super-charged cycle of announcements, unveilings and acquisitions ranging from the recent Salesforce foray into healthcare, for example, to IBM Watson ...

• October 22, 2015 22 Oct'15

  The possible downside of data sharing in healthcare

  Many in healthcare agree that big data, data analytics and data sharing in healthcare are important. In fact, many are greatly investing in these areas. For example, Marc Probst, CIO at ...

• October 20, 2015 20 Oct'15

  Group's letter challenges ONC's timeline for nationwide interoperability

  Healthcare professionals and groups noticed the signs that the the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) is shifting its focus from the meaningful use program to health data ...

• October 16, 2015 16 Oct'15

  Health data analytics growing, despite interoperability woes

  Health data analytics is increasingly popular, particularly in precision medicine and revenue cycle management, despite health data interoperability challenges.

• October 15, 2015 15 Oct'15

  CMS and ONC adjust meaningful use reporting rules

  Some meaningful use reporting requirements were modified by CMS and ONC. Notably, the stage 3 attestation period will be optional in 2017 and last for 90 days that year.

• October 14, 2015 14 Oct'15

  ICD-10 transition not quite Y2K yet

  Disaster has not yet ensued since the transition to ICD-10 on Oct. 1. While there have been pockets of discontent, reports from the medical coding front have been largely positive about the ...

• October 13, 2015 13 Oct'15

  Remote care for veterans across states the objective of new telemedicine bill

  Two U.S. senators introduced a bill into Congress that could simplify and expand the practice of telemedicine for the benefit of American veterans. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Mazie Hirono (D- Hawaii) and ...

• October 12, 2015 12 Oct'15

  ONC chief speaks, may depart soon

  When Karen DeSalvo, M.D., national coordinator for health IT, elaborated last week about the final stage 3 meaningful use rules that ONC and CMS had just released, one had to wonder if these would ...

• October 08, 2015 08 Oct'15

  Healthcare groups applaud meaningful use stage 3 reporting changes

  Health IT groups reacted positively to moves by CMS and ONC to relax reporting and EHR certification requirements and to delay meaningful use stage 3.

• October 08, 2015 08 Oct'15

  Public health leader: Sacrifice efficiency to improve measurements of population health

  In order to not only truly achieve population health but also accurately measure its success, it may mean sacrificing some efficiency. At least, that's what Sandro Galea, M.D., dean of the Boston ...

• October 07, 2015 07 Oct'15

  Mass. hospitals sign on to new value-based care payment model

  Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts announced that four physician and hospital organizations signed a contract to implement the insurance company's new value-based care model.

• October 06, 2015 06 Oct'15

  Senate Health Committee chairman directs ONC to halt stage 3 of meaningful use program

  Stage 2 of the meaningful use program is too complicated. Because of its sophistication, most physicians and hospitals haven't successfully attested to stage 2 and ONC shouldn't rush into stage 3 ...