Opinion

Opinion

• Information blocking rule aims to facilitate health data exchange

  The recent information blocking rule from ONC penalizes healthcare organizations and EHR vendors that prevent patients from accessing their health data.  Continue Reading

• EHR vendors face competition from IBM, Amazon and others

  IBM and Amazon have introduced new services targeting the healthcare industry. Traditional EHR companies will have to adapt or innovate if they want to fend off obsolescence.  Continue Reading

• Digital voice assistants seek their place in healthcare

  At their respective conferences this spring, Microsoft and Google unveiled new features for their digital assistants that may help them gain adoption in healthcare.  Continue Reading

• March to value-based healthcare results in 'payviders'

  Our columnist's research indicates that value-based care is prompting the creation of 'payviders,' but the pace is slow. Technological considerations also come into play.  Continue Reading

• Improved patient outcomes underscore convergence efforts

  Clinicians, health IT professionals, insurance carriers and others have started a slow roll toward improved patient outcomes using methods based on healthcare reform.  Continue Reading

• Are attitudes toward smartwatches for healthcare changing?

  Some healthcare providers remain skeptical of the use of smartwatches and other wearables for clinical use, but consumers are increasingly adopting the devices for health reasons.  Continue Reading

• Compare EHR systems with these key features in mind

  Compare EHR software options and look at the features they offer healthcare organizations for mobile access, certifications, reporting, workflow automation and document management.  Continue Reading

• Why every hospital needs a natural disaster recovery plan

  No healthcare organization is immune to natural disasters, which is why it is important to be prepared before calamity strikes, rather than trying to pick up the pieces afterward.  Continue Reading

• In the medical imaging market, AI drives investment dollars

  Investors in medical imaging technology leaned toward software that improves AI-related radiology and associated workflows, as evidenced by detailed research.  Continue Reading

• Cloud for healthcare presses on but is slowed by HIPAA anxiety

  Facing mounting pressure to take steps toward the healthcare cloud, hospital systems find themselves balancing modern infrastructure trends with HIPAA safeguards.  Continue Reading

• An inside look at the potential of blockchain in healthcare

  Blockchain could be the solution to fix the tricky problem of healthcare data ownership. Longtime blockchain researcher Adrian Gropper, M.D. explains how it could work.  Continue Reading

• Flash storage trends in healthcare point to NVMe, QLC

  In the alphabet soup of storage technologies, two that health IT professional should pay attention to are QLC and NVMe -- both of which boost flash options.  Continue Reading

• Healthcare APIs weave into common lingo of federal officials

  It's hard to imagine that a federal health policy announcement would have ever included the term 'API', but it's on the minds of health regulators.  Continue Reading

• Digital transformation in healthcare boosts patient engagement

  As healthcare becomes increasingly digital, patients expect a top-notch experience accessing their medical information as they bid farewell to paper records.  Continue Reading

• AthenaHealth CEO Jonathan Bush out as cloud EHR vendor soars

  Jonathan Bush quits as CEO of AthenaHealth in the midst of an unsolicited purchase bid from an activist investor and details surface about domestic abuse in Bush's 2006 divorce.  Continue Reading

• Healthcare ransomware attacks threaten patient safety

  Worry about health IT cybersecurity has shifted from hacker-triggered health data breaches to ransomware and malware exploits that shut down hospitals and threaten patient safety.  Continue Reading

• New risk to cybersecurity in healthcare: Hacker as a service

  Health IT and hospital security professionals must try to stay ahead of cyberattacks against electronic patient records. But now hackers are prepping the next generation.  Continue Reading

• Apple's health app may reshape patient engagement

  As part of its newest iOS release, Apple's health app will provide iPhone users access to their health records, which could encourage other smartphone companies to do the same.  Continue Reading

• SharePoint for healthcare aids HIPAA compliance, workflow automation

  Hospital IT may have a love-hate relationship with SharePoint, but features like Information Rights Management can help ensure the security of PHI and other health data.  Continue Reading

• Analyzing stored medical image data helps picture the future

  The analytics performed on medical images adds a new dimension to clinical data. For providers, this trend boosts population health management and precision medicine efforts.  Continue Reading

• Value-based healthcare is steeped in technology and policy

  Improving patient health outcomes through value-based approaches requires skills from physicians, analysis from technology pros and guidance from federal regulators.  Continue Reading

• RSNA 2017 shows AI in healthcare, value-based imaging

  Medical imaging professionals converge on RSNA 2017, North America's biggest healthcare conference. This year the emphasis is on AI and machine learning, and value-based care.  Continue Reading

• Health IT outsourcing helps organizations manage costs

  Healthcare organizations that want to work toward high-visibility initiatives may want to consider outsourcing IT support as a way to free up internal resources.  Continue Reading

• Patient retention strategies must go beyond mobile check-ins

  Healthcare organizations will have to go beyond traditional approaches to patient retention if they want to keep their patients. Personalized recommendations are one place to start.  Continue Reading

• Voluntary ONC certification requires API-related access

  APIs are useful in improving EHR interoperability. From that perspective, electronic medical records that are certified by the ONC must adhere to API criteria.  Continue Reading

• Mobile technology in healthcare looks toward a brighter future

  Patients, physicians and health IT pros have different needs and concerns with mobile technology in hospitals. The future points to greater mobile use -- with the help of IT.  Continue Reading

• Survey with CHIME shows how trends in healthcare tie to tech

  SearchHealthIT's recent IT purchasing intentions survey -- done in conjunction with CHIME -- points to technology spending priorities at the top of CIOs' minds.  Continue Reading

• Health information privacy threatened in race for marketing data

  The recent repeal of broadband privacy rules may affect how consumers' health information is used for marketing and advertising purposes.  Continue Reading

• Healthcare cloud concerns diminish but not yet fully resolved

  As long-standing worries dissipate, hospitals more frequently approach cloud computing with greater confidence. Cost and scalability benefits have proved to be strong motivators.  Continue Reading

• Patient involvement in care needs a nudge from technology

  Perhaps it's been overstated that healthcare trails other industries when it comes to adopting software, but patient engagement offers a worthy way for hospitals to catch up.  Continue Reading

• For CIOs, hospital cyberattacks present a likely threat

  Cybercriminals have a greater likelihood of hitting hospitals than the community assaults envisioned after the 9/11 attacks. But technology is better poised to defend against them.  Continue Reading

• Vendors must prioritize connected device security as popularity rises

  Connected devices such as fitness trackers and digital voice assistants are gaining popularity with consumers, but the challenge for health IT is how to secure these devices.  Continue Reading

• Nurses and technology meet at an uneasy crossroads

  Some students in the next generation of budding clinicians already view EHRs as an intrusion to patient care, so they must step up to better reshape future technology.  Continue Reading

• Despite increased funding for precision medicine, challenges remain

  The 21st Century Cures Act provides funding for precision medicine and cancer research, but current EHR systems aren't equipped with advanced analytics or genomics data capabilities.  Continue Reading

• Weathering upcoming changes to medical imaging technology

  The technology behind medical image archiving faces changes as we head into 2017, which is welcome news, according to health IT folks we talked to for the new issue of Pulse.  Continue Reading

• HIPAA-compliant cloud storage seen through my kid's data

  For many of us, viewing and downloading family medical records from the cloud brings a sense of what HIPAA protection involves. Our new handbook looks at this concern.  Continue Reading

• ONC, EHR vendors step up to fight interoperability challenges

  While the majority of physicians and hospitals use certified EHRs, the lack of national interoperability standards impedes the flow of health information exchange.  Continue Reading

• ONC seeks public feedback for health IT interoperability standards

  The ONC has released its Draft 2017 Interoperability Standards Advisory for public review, allowing stakeholders to provide feedback about implementation specifications.  Continue Reading

• Advances in health technology groom analytics, data sharing still lags

  With advances in health technology and data analytics comes far-flung potential -- but only if electronic health record systems allow information to be shared more freely.  Continue Reading

• Data blocking: When health information exchanges don't live up to their name

  Data blocking and health information exchanges shouldn't go together. But some HIEs are turning into siloes of data, two experts who discuss the problem say.  Continue Reading

• Health IT experts share firsthand data blocking experiences

  There are many patient stories out there about data blocking in healthcare. Now, three health IT experts share their run-ins with data blocking while on the job.  Continue Reading

• Population health strategies hinge on data interoperability

  With data interoperability acting as a fulcrum for population health initiatives, hospitals must seek cooperation from other systems and the communities they serve.  Continue Reading

• Tech plays big role in improving the patient experience

  The push for better user experience has rubbed off on healthcare with the idea of improved patient engagement. It's no surprise to learn technology plays a role.  Continue Reading

• 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.  Continue Reading

• Virtual desktop environment prompted by physicians

  The wants of physicians, combined with technological and security benefits, are boosting virtual desktop infrastructures. ROI may be a tougher avenue to pursue, however.  Continue Reading

• Use of technology in healthcare to take on new meaning

  Meaningful use is wrapping up, according to the acting administrator of CMS. That should allow providers to use their EHRs and other healthcare technology a little more freely.  Continue Reading

• 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.  Continue Reading

• For secure messaging, healthcare shouldn't rely on texting

  Texting is convenient and fun, but it is not the appropriate way for physicians to communicate securely with patients about health matters, such as lab test results.  Continue Reading

• 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.  Continue Reading

• Return on investment for EHR software takes on new forms

  Along the path to ROI for electronic health records systems, aspects such as further enhancing the technology -- or perhaps even swapping it out for a newer model -- come into play.  Continue Reading

• Wanted: Super sleuths to find healthcare data security risks

  To secure patient data in a world on the go, learn from breaches others have experienced, experts say, and look at how analytics can boost your security strategy.  Continue Reading

• Analyzing Health Cloud and Salesforce's healthcare strategy

  Salesforce, with the announcement of its Health Cloud, isn't the first notable vendor to venture into healthcare as an outsider. How should we expect the move to go?  Continue Reading

• SERMO adviser responds to reader's concerns

  A medical adviser to SERMO responded to a reader who questioned the security of physicians sharing anonymous patient data over the social network.  Continue Reading

• Remote patient monitoring changes clinical trials

  Remote patient monitoring has proven its value in caring for patients with chronic diseases. Learn why it's now proving useful in clinical trials.  Continue Reading

• Reader questions utility of SERMO social network

  In a letter to the editor, a SearchHealthIT reader expresses concerns with the anonymous nature of the physician social network SERMO.  Continue Reading

• With big data, healthcare won't cut it using old-school style

  To corral the challenges of looming big data, healthcare organizations -- and physicians -- should bring data analysis tools into their repertoire.  Continue Reading

• Threats grow common for mobile healthcare apps, data

  Mobile healthcare apps are convenient and prevalent, but they also potentially open up risky security pitfalls for hospitals and physician practices.  Continue Reading

• Healthcare cloud helps patients, research -- but has IT risks

  Healthcare cloud services hold much promise -- genomic research being a good example -- but the industry also worries about the related potential threats.  Continue Reading

• Collect mHealth data and determine what's actionable

  Many vendors offer devices that track and collect mHealth data, but that data hasn't been fully integrated into most patient care situations.  Continue Reading

• Vendor neutral archives are not yet poised to topple PACS

  VNAs cannot yet fully contend with PACS in the medical imaging market, and user interface problems and other technical concerns are to blame.  Continue Reading

• Developing technology can offset growing cost of healthcare

  Technology such as machine learning and patient engagement platforms can lower the cost of healthcare and aid better population health management.  Continue Reading

• Apple, Google make investments in mHealth devices

  Google and Apple are two major technology players that are posturing for consumers' attention in mHealth device market.  Continue Reading

• Ebola article highlights EHR usability problems, says doc

  In this letter to the editor, doctor and professor Alan Ducatman discusses EHR usability problems.  Continue Reading

• Lengthy meaningful use reporting period puts program in doubt

  While some CIOs are casting doubt that meaningful use can survive, stage 1 of the government's EHR incentive program shows evidence for the contrary.  Continue Reading

• Epic Systems playing defense on Ebola, interop: A losing game?

  Epic Systems Corp. was attacked for health data interoperability problems and blamed for an Ebola patient snafu. Is the U.S. Department of Justice the endgame?  Continue Reading

• Technology can shrink the risks of off-label drug use

  Prescribing medications for off-label use is legal, but it's rarely reimbursed and it's under-researched. Patients will have to rely on each other to learn more about it.  Continue Reading

• The crippling effect of meaningful use stage 3 uncertainty

  Many providers have changed business strategies to accommodate the meaningful use program. The lack of resolution about stage 3 has left some of their plans in limbo.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Project Adam may reach healthcare specialties

  Dermatologists and radiologists should take notice of Microsoft's recent Project Adam announcement of artificial intelligence that specializes in visual recognition.  Continue Reading

• Apple's HealthKit mHealth platform linked with Mayo Clinic, Epic

  One of Apple's headlining announcements at their Worldwide Developers Conference was the unveiling of HealthKit, an mHealth platform.  Continue Reading

• Healthcare CIOs bystanders in ACO saga

  Accountable care organizations could hold the key to transforming U.S. healthcare, but it all depends on whether a spate of technologies will help cut costs and lead to better patient health.  Continue Reading

• Meaningful use program: Code blue

  Analysis: D.C. scuttlebutt indicates that meaningful use might be in line for more than an overhaul as political forces close in around ONC.  Continue Reading

• Social media could lead to accountable care organization participation

  Building off providers' knowledge of social media tools could lead to more collaborative care and boost ACO participation.  Continue Reading

• Health data interoperability in sight ... via Epic?

  CIOs: Time to capitulate to Epic in regards to health data interoperability? ONC: It's a big country, and there's a lot more than Epic out there.  Continue Reading

• Healthcare mobility opens doctor-patient communication channels

  Mobile access to health information at the point of care is a time-saver for physicians, but some providers are still hesitant to embrace mHealth.  Continue Reading

• Federal delays, more BYOD part of changing U.S. healthcare landscape

  Clinicians are eager for mobile devices to play a role in patient care. First, technical and legal requirements must be met to safely encourage BYOD.  Continue Reading

• Cortana opens up the future for a healthcare virtual assistant

  Microsoft recently released their own virtual assistant into the market, inviting thoughts of potential healthcare applications.  Continue Reading

• FDASIA mHealth regulations: Whither EHR usability?

  It's time the feds grab health IT software developers by the lapels and address poor EHR usability. FDASIA mHealth regulations present an opportunity.  Continue Reading

• National Health IT Coordinator Karen DeSalvo, M.D., in her own words

  Karen DeSalvo, the National Health IT coordinator, talks about what brought her to the ONC and how her experiences will inform her tenure there.  Continue Reading

• Gamification in healthcare isn't just about playing games

  Gamification in healthcare is gaining popularity as providers continue to look for creative ways to engage their patients.  Continue Reading

• Healthcare interoperability, analytics get top billing in health IT

  If the interest in exhibits at recent conferences is any indication, healthcare interoperability remains a priority for providers and vendors alike.  Continue Reading

• Healthcare trends and EHR incentives yet to fix what ails industry

  Physician EHR incentives for using health IT paved the way for new healthcare trends aimed at improving health and lowering costs.  Continue Reading

• Clinical analytics automation still requires the human touch

  Providers are stacking third-party clinical analytics providers' services on top of EHR systems to get more insight into patient population data.  Continue Reading

• KLAS Research explains its changes in best EHR vendor awards

  In candid interviews, KLAS Research and athenahealth discuss the impact of unannounced changes in Best in KLAS health IT software systems awards.  Continue Reading

• Chief information officers under the gun of upcoming standards

  Some chief information officers are replacing their EHRs. Add that to coming regulations and the next few years will be full of health IT compliance.  Continue Reading

• More effective data mining is best marketing for radiology departments

  Radiology departments trying to separate themselves from competitors should start by making better use of their data.  Continue Reading

• HIMSS attendees share their dreams for an ideal meaningful use update

  We polled executives of health systems and vendor organizations to hear their thoughts about what's missing from meaningful use.  Continue Reading

• If you could change the meaningful use rules, what would you do?

  We polled CIOs, vendors and clinical leaders -- with some compliance under their belts -- about how they'd tweak meaningful use if they could.  Continue Reading

• Epic's Faulkner: Large customers not buying into health IT cloud

  At HIMSS 2014, cloud vendors abound. But who's buying? Epic Systems Corp. founder Judy Faulkner discusses health IT cloud's prospects moving forward.  Continue Reading

• CIOs: Thinking about getting out of the healthcare data center business?

  Last year, CommonWell Health Alliance made its debut. Will new interoperability gains make healthcare data centers a thing of the past?  Continue Reading

• MHealth clinical apps impacting care, not just with consumers

  MHealth clinical applications are helping shape better patient outcomes, especially in radiology practices.  Continue Reading

• ONC outlines future healthcare technology plans ahead of HIMSS 2014

  On the eve of HIMSS 2014, a federal agency's plan to make patients the center of care by 2020 looks attainable, at least to our health IT expert.  Continue Reading

• Newest-generation Bluetooth medical devices can disrupt healthcare

  Like iBeacon on iPhones, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) opens up many new uses. Bluetooth medical devices with BLE could change healthcare in many ways.  Continue Reading

• HIT Happens: Saving U.S. healthcare economics rests on data governance

  Can data governance be the missing link to solve the economic woes of U.S. healthcare? Tell me this: Would you rather bet on our CIOs, or politicians?  Continue Reading

• MHealth apps access hidden mobile data to improve patient care

  When mHealth apps monitor a patient's mood through his call, text and social media logs, can they improve outcomes? One company is betting on it.  Continue Reading

• Digital radiology may improve accuracy, quality with peer review

  The latest digital imaging platforms increase the possibility of radiology diagnostic peer review. Is U.S. healthcare ready?  Continue Reading

• Missing pieces: CV risk calculator needs more risk factors

  A new CV risk calculator helps determine patients' heart health, but the equation is incomplete without data analytics to help back up findings.  Continue Reading

• Where EHR interoperability, open systems and data governance meet

  Open EHR systems can be more interoperable, but data governance can suffer. Developers must strike a balance between open and closed.  Continue Reading

• 'Patient engagement 2.0' to make meaningful use look like tiddlywinks

  Patient engagement won't exactly reflect what's in meaningful use. ID theft, high deductibles will make them more active in policing their records.  Continue Reading

• Providers fear meaningful use penalties, push to delay stage 2

  Meaningful use stage 2 is pushing providers to engage their patients, something not all specialties can hope to achieve.  Continue Reading

• Shut down thoughts of a national patient identifier, stage 2 extension

  If your crystal ball says the CIO-endorsed ideas of a national patient identifier or meaningful use stage 2 extension will happen, check its firmware.  Continue Reading