News

News

• 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 23, 2015 23 Nov'15

  Medication adherence app shown at Connected Health

  Medisafe, an mHealth medication adherence app, was showcased at Connected Health Symposium. The startup, which has two million-plus users, is now looking for bigger partners.

• 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 06, 2015 06 Nov'15

  Healthcare interoperability is 'non-negotiable,' military says

  Cerner's president discusses what the company is doing to make healthcare interoperability a reality -- and the Department of Defense takes a firm stand.

• 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 22, 2015 22 Oct'15

  Cerner's Zane Burke, military IT expert discuss DoD EHR contract

  Representatives of Cerner and the DoD sat down with SearchHealthIT at the CHIME15 Fall CIO Forum to discuss the details of the DoD EHR contract.

• 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 16, 2015 16 Oct'15

  AHIMA CEO talks ICD-10 transition, information governance

  AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon talked about the ICD-10 transition and said information governance is needed to control the "tsunami" of information created by EHRs.

• October 16, 2015 16 Oct'15

  CIO talks health IT security at CHIME CIO Forum

  SearchHealthIT caught up with Ochsner CIO Patrick Anderson to talk about health IT security. Anderson touched on topics such as IoT security, third-party apps and more.

• 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 ...

• October 01, 2015 01 Oct'15

  ICD-10 conquers AHIMA

  Don’t take this the wrong way.The 2015 AHIMA Convention & Exhibition, held earlier this week in sultry New Orleans, was a productive conference. A few thousand health information management ...

• October 01, 2015 01 Oct'15

  Survey: Clinical analytics jumps in importance

  Clinical analytics is making inroads in revenue cycle management, but its use is still driven mainly by population health and government compliance.

• October 01, 2015 01 Oct'15

  Nuance and MModal jockey at 2015 AHIMA convention

  As the ICD-10 transition captures attendees' attention at the AHIMA convention, Nuance and MModal, two medical speech recognition rivals, do battle.

• September 30, 2015 30 Sep'15

  Survey: Technology in healthcare not yet meeting patients' expectations

  A recent survey by Surescripts -- a health information network provider -- found that 29% of Americans, close to 70 million individuals, still fax or physically transport their test results, X-rays ...

• September 30, 2015 30 Sep'15

  Twitter reaction to the ICD-9 to ICD-10 implementation date

  This page will be updated throughout the day on Oct. 1 -- the ICD-10 implementation date -- to include tweets on how the coding update is going.

• September 30, 2015 30 Sep'15

  AHIMA report: Ecosystem around ICD-9 to ICD-10 transition

  At an AHIMA conference dominated by the ICD-9 to ICD-10 transition, the ecosystem of third-party vendors assisting providers with the changeover thrives.

• September 29, 2015 29 Sep'15

  Blue Cross and Blue Shield to make cost and quality info available in huge new database

  Consumers eager to review cost and healthcare quality data before making a care decision are in luck. If they are covered under the Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) umbrella, that is. All 36 BCBS ...

• September 28, 2015 28 Sep'15

  With population health models, data curbs the risk

  As population health models force healthcare organizations to take on more financial risk, the industry will lean on data analysis to mitigate the perils.

• September 24, 2015 24 Sep'15

  AHIMA conference attendees stand at brink of ICD-10 transition

  It seems almost uncanny how the health IT conference most associated with ICD-10 and all things medical coding is being held this year literally on the eve of the historic transition from ICD-9 to ...

• September 24, 2015 24 Sep'15

  A last-minute guide to the ICD-9 to ICD-10 transition

  The ICD-9 to ICD-10 transition has been a long time coming in the U.S. This guide examines the increase in codes and what providers did to prepare.

• September 23, 2015 23 Sep'15

  Health IT figures into NIH's plan for national precision medicine research group

  The National Institutes of Health's Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) recently detailed a framework in a report for building a national research group of one million or more Americans to ...

• September 22, 2015 22 Sep'15

  A fraction of mobile health apps control download market

  New mobile health apps face a challenge in gaining recognition and adoption in the mHealth app market, where a miniscule fraction of the apps have nearly 50% of the market. There are more than ...

• September 21, 2015 21 Sep'15

  Wearable health technology in medical and consumer arenas

  The future of wearable health technology in the medical space may depend on if providers can make a business case for the use mobile devices.

• September 18, 2015 18 Sep'15

  Healthcare kiosk showcased by Dell, Bay State Hospital

  A HealthSpot and Dell automated healthcare kiosk that's on display at Baystate Health's IT incubator enables self-service telecheckups.

• September 17, 2015 17 Sep'15

  $750,000 settlement points to the need for strong HIPAA policies

  Many have talked about how HIPAA audits have yet to materialize. But for some providers, HIPAA-related investigations are very much a reality. Take the story of Cancer Care Group, Inc., located in ...

• September 17, 2015 17 Sep'15

  CHIME announces changes at corporate and board levels

  The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), the leading organization for health IT CIOs, has been going through changes. First some background. Jeff Smith, former vice ...

• September 16, 2015 16 Sep'15

  For Salesforce, new Health Cloud system faces hurdles

  CRM vendor Salesforce introduces its first health IT product, Health Cloud, which aims to integrate electronic health records and other patient data.

• September 15, 2015 15 Sep'15

  Providers can pass problems with health IT products, information blocking to ONC

  If customer satisfaction and retention weren't reasons enough, health IT vendors now have more motivation to quickly and thoroughly respond to complaints about their health IT products. Healthcare ...

• September 14, 2015 14 Sep'15

  Larger providers ready for ICD-10 implementation date

  As the Oct. 1 ICD-10 implementation date nears, larger provider organizations appear to be ready, with testing, training and double coding complete.

• September 11, 2015 11 Sep'15

  HIMSS asks Congress to push HIE standards, cybersecurity and telemedicine

  Count the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) among the groups that say federal healthcare agencies can do more to promote the use of health IT. Specifically, HIMSS is asking ...

• September 10, 2015 10 Sep'15

  Boston Globe: When treating cancer, precision medicine is not always so precise

  The idea of precision medicine is a simple one: Customized treatments for individual patients based on historical data. In some cases, advances in delivering precision medicine to patients have ...

• September 09, 2015 09 Sep'15

  HIPAA audits yet to materialize, though new guidance may be coming

  The HIPAA audits are coming. We’ve heard that refrain before. But now it appears the of real (as opposed to pilot) HIPAA audits by the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil ...

• September 09, 2015 09 Sep'15

  On ICD-10 release date, CMS says four states exempt

  On Oct. 1, the ICD-10 release date, four states' Medicaid programs will not be converting to ICD-10 codes, according to CMS. Everyone else, however, will.

• September 09, 2015 09 Sep'15

  Pioneer ACOs continue steady and modest improvements

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services tracks the yearly progress of Pioneer ACOs, and had good news to report from 2014.

• September 03, 2015 03 Sep'15

  #ChatHIT: Wearable technology in healthcare held back by cost

  In this #ChatHIT recap, participants discuss definitions of wearable technology in healthcare and what affects its adoption in clinical settings.

• September 03, 2015 03 Sep'15

  Wearable devices in healthcare: Success dependent upon patient engagement

  As wearables enable patients to become more proactive with their health, the use of such devices in healthcare becomes more relevant, according to #ChatHIT.

• September 03, 2015 03 Sep'15

  Telehealth and home health technologies expected to quadruple by 2020

  The telehealth and home health technologies market, valued last year at $3.4 billion, is expected to quadruple in size to more than $13.7 billion by 2020, a recent report by Tractica, a market ...

• September 03, 2015 03 Sep'15

  E-prescribing now legal nationwide

  Vermont recently became the 50th state to allow electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS). Amid a national furor over abuse of prescription opioid-based drugs, the Green Mountain ...

• September 01, 2015 01 Sep'15

  Critics, fans debate implementing ICD-10 coding system

  In this HIT Squad podcast, SearchHealthIT reporters discussed the benefits and problems of ICD-10 coding as seen by experts.

• September 01, 2015 01 Sep'15

  Providers' investments don't relieve healthcare cybersecurity doubts

  More than 85% of healthcare providers invested in information security in the previous year, but only about half are prepared to handle a cyberattack, according to the responses of 223 healthcare ...

• August 28, 2015 28 Aug'15

  Five innovative examples of mHealth and telehealth technologies

  The recent mHealth + Telehealth World 2015 conference in Boston provided a great setting to sample innovative devices and software. Here are five interesting mHealth and telehealth technologies in use today in healthcare.

• August 27, 2015 27 Aug'15

  Survey results show concern among consumers about privacy with wearables and mobile apps

  In 2014, there were an estimated 21 million wearable tech devices sold worldwide, according to a survey by Healthline, a health IT publishing and marketing company. In 2019, that number could grow ...

• August 26, 2015 26 Aug'15

  President’s precision medicine initiative looking for fresh tech ideas

  While opinions differ, to say the least, on President Obama’s healthcare policy, his precision medicine initiative (PMI) has drawn praise. But up to now there have not yet been many concrete ...

• August 25, 2015 25 Aug'15

  Finances, not codes, worry Texas physicians as they jump from ICD-9 to ICD-10

  The increase in the amount codes is an often-discussed topic when healthcare professionals weigh in on the move from ICD-9 to ICD-10, but a new survey found that 30% of Texas physicians said they ...

• August 21, 2015 21 Aug'15

  Sample high-value claims before ICD-10 implementation date

  With the heat on physician practices to prepare for the impending ICD-10 implementation date, two analysts discuss how best to avoid negative outcomes.

• August 20, 2015 20 Aug'15

  Survey: Data integration challenges costing healthcare agencies billions

  Due to system and integration challenges, many IT executives and program managers working with healthcare and other social service benefits -- 44% to be exact -- are unable to use all available ...

• August 19, 2015 19 Aug'15

  Survey: 57% of docs are open to patient consults via telehealth

  Doctors are getting hip to telehealth. Well, at least that’s what a recent survey by American Well, the big telehealth vendor, found by gauging doctors’ willingness to use video to see patients. ...

• August 18, 2015 18 Aug'15

  Providers see employees as causes of healthcare data breaches

  Healthcare providers fear unseen enemies will compromise the safety of patients' protected health information, but their biggest worry is something they can't operate without: their employees. More ...

• August 18, 2015 18 Aug'15

  CIO John Halamka's farm, health IoT on HIT Squad agenda

  In this podcast, SearchHealthIT's HIT Squad talked healthcare IoT, CIO John Halamka's farm, ICD-10 opinion and Allscripts news from its user conference.

• August 18, 2015 18 Aug'15

  Cerner DoD EHR contract, mHealth ROI HIT Squad topics

  In this podcast, SearchHealthIT's HIT Squad discussed Cerner's DoD EHR contract and whether mHealth delivers ROI and health IT security.

• August 14, 2015 14 Aug'15

  Providers angle for coding relief before ICD-10 deadline

  Though it has been delayed twice already, some providers and physician organizations fear the industry isn't prepared for the coming ICD-10 deadline.

• August 14, 2015 14 Aug'15

  Medical advocate Regina Holliday addresses Allscripts

  Medical advocate Regina Holliday captivated the crowd at Allscripts' user conference in Boston with her personal medical story.

• August 13, 2015 13 Aug'15

  Join SearchHealthIT's Twitter chat on healthcare wearables

  Use the hashtag #chatHIT to follow SearchHealthIT's Twitter chat on healthcare wearables, happening on Thursday, August 27 at 12 p.m. EST.

• August 13, 2015 13 Aug'15

  Healthcare analytics market expected to more than double in five years

  The expansion of the healthcare analytics market reflects the variety of available technologies that can meet organizations' needs. Healthcare organizations are beginning to realize the value ...

• August 13, 2015 13 Aug'15

  Triple Aim framework intends to improve patient experience

  The Institute for Healthcare Improvement crafted its Triple Aim framework to improve care quality and lessen the cost of healthcare.

• August 13, 2015 13 Aug'15

  Experts predict bleak results after ICD-10 implementation date

  As the Oct. 1 ICD-10 implementation date looms on the horizon, three experts question whether ICD-10 will provide value to physicians or patients.

• August 12, 2015 12 Aug'15

  Live hacking an infusion pump

  As the Internet of Things (IoT) penetrates healthcare at a fast clip, concern is mounting across the health IT world about the security vulnerabilities of connected devices such as hospital ...

• August 11, 2015 11 Aug'15

  'Next generation of health IT policy' for medical informatics

  Jeff Smith, public policy VP of the American Medical Informatics Association said informatics pros and health IT CIOs have some common interests.

• August 11, 2015 11 Aug'15

  Flex-IT 2: Another crack at changing meaningful use reporting requirements

  U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) influenced some change in her previous attempt to make things simpler for providers trying to keep up with meaningful use reporting requirements. So she's trying ...

• August 11, 2015 11 Aug'15

  Hospital updates families with mHealth application

  In this video, learn how Miami Children's Health System transmits patient data and updates families using HealthGrid's mHealth app system.

• August 10, 2015 10 Aug'15

  Allscripts CEO lays out genomics strategy to users

  Allscripts, maybe the only EHR vendor with a chance to survive and prosper against Epic and Cerner, detailed its strategy at its user conference.

• August 06, 2015 06 Aug'15

  You can find every ICD-10 code on Twitter

  Twitter is good for many things. If you're like me, it's good for getting your content out there and for connecting with experts in health IT. If you're like @EveryICD10, it's good for publishing ...

• August 05, 2015 05 Aug'15

  Cerner chief: DoD contract was historic win

  Cerner Corp. scoring the DoD contract last week means the company's product passed the most comprehensive technology evaluation ever, the president of Cerner said.

• August 05, 2015 05 Aug'15

  GreatCall CEO sees consumerization of healthcare

  As retail health clinics and other consumer healthcare options sprout, hospitals have competition, the CEO of GreatCall said in this video interview.

• August 04, 2015 04 Aug'15

  WEDI foresees unsteady ICD-10 transition, urges actions from HHS

  The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI), disconcerted by the responses of physicians to its eleventh ICD-10 readiness survey, used those results to make recommendations to HHS. The ...

• August 04, 2015 04 Aug'15

  Most doctors not ready for ICD-10, SERMO poll says

  A new poll by physician social network SERMO shows that most doctors say they are not ready for ICD-10, which goes into effect on Oct. 1, 2015.

• August 03, 2015 03 Aug'15

  HIT Squad: Wearable health technology, HIPAA, Epic-Cerner

  In this podcast, SearchHealthIT's HIT Squad talks about the FDA oversight of wearable health technology and the Epic-Cerner battle.

• July 30, 2015 30 Jul'15

  Analysts: Cerner Corp. a better fit than Epic for big DoD contract

  In something of a surprise, Cerner Corp. beats out archrival Epic Systems Corp. for coveted $4.3 billion U.S. Department of Defense EHR contract.

• July 30, 2015 30 Jul'15

  Three things I learned about the future of healthcare technology

  Advances in technology move at lightning speed, and it's hard not to wonder what the future holds, especially when it comes to healthcare IT. In my over-imaginative mind I envision hover-gurneys ...