News

News

• 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

  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 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 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 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 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 ...

• July 28, 2015 28 Jul'15

  Family physicians find meaningful use audits are expensive, unhelpful

  The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) didn't get the response it desired when it sent a letter of concern about the meaningful use audit program to CMS in April. In fact, CMS hasn't ...

• July 28, 2015 28 Jul'15

  Telehealth experts bullish on ROI of wearable health technology

  According to Telehealth and mHealth experts, providers can achieve ROI in the wearable health technology market. This news analysis examines the issue.

• July 24, 2015 24 Jul'15

  With continuing breaches, mHealth should learn from past thefts

  Data breaches in healthcare won't be stopping anytime soon. At the mHealth + Telehealth World Congress, experts said learning from past thefts is key.

• July 23, 2015 23 Jul'15

  In wake of UCLA health data breach, security expert says providers should be forthcoming

  The 4.5 million people who had their health and financial records potentially exposed in a hack of the UCLA Health provider system were not the only victims of the breach, which UCLA officials said ...

• July 21, 2015 21 Jul'15

  A health IT implementation brings work interruptions

  Undertaking a health IT implementation will result in numerous interruptions to the workflows of clinicians and associated staff members, though those interruptions frequently don't involve the new ...

• July 21, 2015 21 Jul'15

  Infographic: Epic leads Cerner in battle for EHR market

  Epic continues to dominate archrival Cerner in the inpatient and ambulatory EHR markets, according to recently updated meaningful records from CMS.

• July 16, 2015 16 Jul'15

  Patient advocates: You can now get big data training

  With big data evolving so rapidly within healthcare, even the most engaged and informed patients and healthcare advocates might feel they don't know enough to truly take part in and evaluate the ...

• July 15, 2015 15 Jul'15

  Meaningful use targeted

  Meaningful use is in the spotlight again, but not necessarily in a good way. The American Medical Association’s (AMA) call this week to “reboot” government regulation of EHRs is the latest in a ...

• July 15, 2015 15 Jul'15

  With mobility, par8o boosts patient referral process

  In tandem with mobile devices, par8o's patient referral software helps hospitals and physician practices more carefully monitor referral activities.

• July 14, 2015 14 Jul'15

  Health information management professionals foresee less coding in their futures

  Health information management professionals believe proficiency in big data analysis, informatics and data mining will be more important for workers in their positions in the future than they are ...

• July 13, 2015 13 Jul'15

  EHR market as viewed through meaningful use attestation stats

  Updated meaningful use attestation stats from large CMS database show top vendors have solidified market dominance in inpatient and outpatient spheres.

• July 10, 2015 10 Jul'15

  Join the discussion: Healthcare Internet of Things Twitter chat

  Our #chatHIT on Twitter on Thursday, July 23 at 3 p.m. EST, will assess and question the development of the healthcare Internet of Things.

• July 09, 2015 09 Jul'15

  Connecticut is the latest state to enact telemedicine law

  On June 22, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed a telemedicine commercial reimbursement statute into law, making Connecticut the 28th state to do so. The vote provides a stark contrast to the ...

• July 07, 2015 07 Jul'15

  CMS, AMA announce plans to help providers through ICD-10 conversion

  After formerly questioning how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is handling the upcoming ICD-10 conversion, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced it will work with CMS on ...

• July 02, 2015 02 Jul'15

  New research: Physicians key to wearables taking off

  What's the key to wearables truly taking off? According to a report by MedPanel, it's physicians who have the power. "As long as tech companies view wearables and apps as consumer-driven markets, ...

• July 01, 2015 01 Jul'15

  HIMSS reports spike in health IT security worries

  Until recently cyber-security was one of many issues for health IT executives; now it is top of mind for most. Anecdotally, it is abundantly clear how widespread increased worry about cyber-attacks ...

• June 30, 2015 30 Jun'15

  Architecting health data for the cloud

  Bayer HealthCare recently announced plans to improve health data and reduce pain management cases.

• June 25, 2015 25 Jun'15

  The reason some doctors quit? EHRs, says one noted columnist

  The general consensus surrounding the movement to EHRs, at least from what I've heard and read, is that, although not perfect, EHRs are a good thing for doctors, healthcare organizations and ...

• June 24, 2015 24 Jun'15

  CommonWell grows, despite Epic absence

  Despite the continued absence of health IT’s biggest name, the CommonWell Health Alliance, a vendor-backed interoperability group, keeps growing. EHR giant Epic Systems Corp. is the notable ...

• June 23, 2015 23 Jun'15

  FDA makes a deal with online patient group to study patient-reported drug safety data

  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is teaming up with the largest online patient network to collect and study patient-reported drug safety data. The research agreement between ...

• June 18, 2015 18 Jun'15

  Steps to achieve a value-based contract

  A shift to value-based payments and benefit designs is underway -- accelerating, even-- despite the significant obstacles, a health policy brief from the Brookings Institution has found. The piece ...

• June 17, 2015 17 Jun'15

  Practice Fusion CEO talks market share in solo practices and relationship with bigger vendors

  Ryan Howard, the 40-year-old founder and CEO of cloud EHR vendor Practice Fusion Inc., certainly doesn’t lack for confidence. In some ways, Howard’s brash charisma resembles that of  a market ...

• June 16, 2015 16 Jun'15

  Cerner CEO Neal Patterson tells Senate committee of wife's interoperability dilemma

  Neal Patterson, CEO of EHR vendor Cerner Corp. -- a founding member of CommonWell Health Alliance -- has a personal reason to pull for CommonWell to realize its goal of greater health IT ...

• June 15, 2015 15 Jun'15

  New research: FDA-regulated digital health devices could save U.S. healthcare billions

  Last year, the FDA seemed to lean toward deregulation of wellness, wearable and mobile devices when it downgraded -- from Class III high-risk to Class I low-risk -- mobile device data systems, ...

• June 12, 2015 12 Jun'15

  CMS publishes hospital discharge, Medicare payment data

  The costs of the top 100 most frequently billed discharges were part of recently released Medicare payment data documenting the year 2013.

• June 11, 2015 11 Jun'15

  Providers work for security in healthcare, lock down mobile devices

  With mobile devices proliferating -- and security in healthcare lacking -- providers are ramping up efforts to better safeguard devices and related apps.

• June 11, 2015 11 Jun'15

  ICD-10 codes elicit humor

  “Struck by Orca” is by no means the most obscure or unintentionally humorous entry in the voluminous catalog of new ICD-10 codes for medical conditions. But it is, indeed, the memorable Twitter ...

• June 09, 2015 09 Jun'15

  Switching to cloud-based EHRs reduces data breach concerns for most small practices

  Significantly fewer physicians that deploy cloud-based EHR systems in solo or small medical practices are worried about their system's security than their counterparts that use server-based EHRs. ...

• June 04, 2015 04 Jun'15

  In Texas, regulators dig in on the other side of telemedicine

  Telemedicine can and will do a lot of good when it comes to improving patient care and saving money. But lawmakers in Texas are pushing back, making it more difficult for telemedicine technology ...

• June 03, 2015 03 Jun'15

  Wearable health technology meets corporate wellness

  Corporate America: Rise from your cubicle chairs and stand up if you want to stay healthy. That’s the key takeaway from the new 2015 corporate wellness study by Withings SA, the French consumer ...

• June 02, 2015 02 Jun'15

  AMIA task force recommends simplifying documentation, refocusing EHR regulation

  Now that EHRs have been cemented as technology that isn't going away any time soon, healthcare providers are looking for ways to set their EHR systems up for optimum performance and future ...

• May 29, 2015 29 May'15

  Like EHRs, clinical research data must be unchained for the greater good

  We write a lot about interoperability of EHRs in SearchHealthIT's stories and blogs because the topic is rife with obstacles for the healthcare industry to overcome. Yet the ability to share a ...

• May 28, 2015 28 May'15

  The journey to data analytics: Many healthcare professionals haven't started yet

  The importance of big data and data analytics is not lost on healthcare professionals, and many are clamoring to implement big data and data analytics within their organization. According to ...

• May 28, 2015 28 May'15

  Health IT startup offers single EHR option

  When a new health IT company’s name sounds like a call to action, you can tell right away that the enterprise, even while for-profit, has a sense of mission. FreeOurHealthRecords.com is an ...

• May 26, 2015 26 May'15

  Healthy prognosis for hospital wireless networks

  The growing needs of clinicians and guests mean IT departments must split their focus when managing wireless hospital networks.

• May 22, 2015 22 May'15

  Report explains how to secure expensive patient data on mobile devices

  Medical information is one of the most valuable types of data hackers can get their hands on, according to a report by the Institute for Health Technology Transformation (IHT2). While credit card ...

• May 21, 2015 21 May'15

  Electronic prescribing of controlled substances poised to take off

  E-prescribing has come of age. Now it’s e-prescribing of controlled substances’ (EPCS) turn. In 2014, 56% of U.S. physicians and 95% of pharmacies processed 1.2 billion electronic prescriptions on ...

• May 20, 2015 20 May'15

  Federal authorities on to healthcare cybercrime

  The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are chasing state-sponsored hackers who are perpetrating healthcare cybercrime.

• May 19, 2015 19 May'15

  New survey: Physicians most likely to make patient notes, prescriptions in electronic systems

  Physicians have come a long way in a short time in getting comfortable working with EHR systems and other healthcare technology. Nearly 80% of U.S. physicians say they are more proficient with EHRs ...

• May 19, 2015 19 May'15

  Healthcare CIO star John Halamka slams meaningful use

  John Halamka, CIO at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, criticized meaningful use and said healthcare CIOs with tight IT budgets must invest wisely.

• May 13, 2015 13 May'15

  Health Datapalooza 2015 to showcase health IT rock stars

  It's probably the only major health IT industry event at which you can play mini-golf all day. Welcome to Health Datapalooza 2015. The name of the May 31-June 3 conference pays homage to rock music ...

• May 13, 2015 13 May'15

  Healthcare CIOs must treat IT as a business

  CIOs must be able to clearly communicate and demonstrate the business value of the IT services they provide, Barry Runyon, research VP at Gartner Inc. who focuses on healthcare provider research, ...

• May 08, 2015 08 May'15

  Telemedicine reimbursement has ATA leaders optimistic

  In a podcast from the ATA annual meeting, ATA leaders expressed optimism because of telemedicine reimbursement.

• May 07, 2015 07 May'15

  Proposed changes to stage 3 of the EHR Incentive Programs

  On May 5, CMS outlined its proposed changes to the EHR Incentive Programs as part of meaningful use stage 3.

• May 07, 2015 07 May'15

  Researchers: Stop charging patients for paper copies of records

  Despite 94% of hospitals in the United States having already adopted a certified EHR system, many state regulations are still focused on paper records. That's the word from Niam Yaraghi, a fellow ...

• May 06, 2015 06 May'15

  Positive buzz at ATA show

  LOS ANGELES -- The American Telemedicine Association's (ATA) annual meeting and trade show came barely a month after the raucous, sprawling health IT industry-wide must-attend show HIMSS 2015. The ...