New E-health recommendations from ACP aim to improve health care quality, safety, and access

2008-05-16

E-health activities have potential to advance the patient-centered medical home model of care. Health care may be the fastest growing industry, but it has been slow to adopt the use of technology. While orders at fast food chains are now entirely automated, most physician offices and hospitals still maintain their records on paper. In a new position paper released today by the American College of Physicians (ACP), the nation's largest medical specialty organization says that collaboration among physicians, patients, technology developers, and policymakers must occur if e-health activities like electronic communication between physicians and their patients, remote monitoring of patients, personal and electronic health records, and patients seeking health information online are to transform health care in the U.S. More: http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=35679666

E-Medicine

2008-05-16

Imagine e-mailing your doctor with a simple question, having him shoot your prescription straight to the pharmacy, and checking lab results all without ever sitting in a waiting room. It's medicine of the future, and it's happening now. Doctors, hospitals and pharmacies are taking your health care, high tech. Many patients don't know it, but 70 percent of the nation's pharmacies already accept electronic prescriptions. Instead of trying to read the doctor's handwriting the pharmacist simply views a secure prescription online, fills it and you pick it up in one trip instead of two. Instead of costly, time-consuming visits and phone calls some doctors now allow patients to e-mail them. More: http://www.wcbd.com/midatlantic/cbd/news.apx.-content-articles-CBD-2008-05-16-0010.html

Who Should Own Data Captured in Personal Health Records?

2008-05-13

Ninety-two percent of health care IT professionals said patients should own the data captured in personal health records, according to a survey by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Four percent of respondents said providers should own PHR data, while 1% said the company supplying the PHR should own the data. The survey also found that nearly half of respondents said that privacy and security issues are the biggest barrier to the use of a PHR. Twenty-four percent of respondents said that the biggest barrier to PHR use is that their clinician does not use electronic records. Thirty percent of respondents said they access a PHR, while 76% of respondents said they believe PHRs need to be integrated with an electronic health record to have value in patient treatment. Results are based on an April online survey of 675 health care IT professionals.

IT Struggling Over Security, Compliance Issues

2008-05-13

IT pros are having a hard time balancing security, software patch management and IT auditing with a host of other duties, according to a survey released Monday by Shavlik Technologies. The St. Paul, Minn.-based security consultancy gathered its findings from attendees at the recent RSA Conference and Infosecurity Europe events, both in April. In summary, the group found that the No. 1 difficulty among IT pros was finding an all-encompassing approach to tackle vulnerabilities, protect data and meet compliance objectives -- all while doing that pesky thing: their actual jobs. More: http://redmondmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=9847

Europe is well placed to seize the arising opportunities

2008-05-12

The European Commission has identified a growing demand for innovative eHealth services in Europe. As a consequence, the eHealth market became part of the European Lead Market Initiative in December 2007. Mike Palmer from the European Commission’s “ICT for Health” unit spoke to HealthTechWire about the initiative. More: http://www.healthtechwire.com/Pressrelease.146+M5c3d26a3415.0.html

Mayo Clinic Looks to Cisco for Mobility Solutions to Enhance Patient Care

2008-05-12

Cisco announced that Mayo Clinic, the largest integrated, not-for-profit group medical practice in the world, has deployed a Cisco Unified Wireless Network to improve its patient care. The network encompasses more than 3,000 Cisco access points, Cisco 4400 Series controllers and the Cisco Wireless Services Module for the Catalyst 6500; delivering a broad set of healthcare mobility applications to its population of approximately 40,000 physicians, nurses and staff within its three U.S.-based campuses. Mayo also will begin evaluating Cisco's 802.11n Aironet 1250 Series Access Points to enable a broader set of new mobility applications across its facilities. Cisco also announced that Mayo Clinic received Cisco's five millionth Aironet access point, which began shipping in 2000. This marks yet another major milestone for Cisco in the evolution of the enterprise wireless market. More: http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1535974/

Cerner Millennium health information technology implemented in UAE

2008-05-12

Cerner announced today the successful implementation of multiple Cerner Millennium healthcare information technology (HIT) solutions at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi. Tawam Hospital, in affiliation with Johns Hopkins is a 468-bed tertiary care hospital owned and operated by SEHA, the Abu Dhabi health services company. The Cerner Millennium solution will eventually link all SEHA facilities in Abu Dhabi. SEHA owns and operates eight hospital systems, totaling 14 hospitals and more than 55 ambulatory and primary health clinics in the Emirate. This milestone is the first in a series of steps to automate healthcare in Abu Dhabi and to create a unified electronic medical record (EMR) for hospitals and clinics across the region. In addition to Tawam Hospital, four hospitals and 12 clinics throughout the Emirate of Abu Dhabi will implement Cerner Millennium solutions during the 2008-2009 timeframe. “The implementation of the Cerner Millennium solutions throughout will transform the way healthcare is provided in Abu Dhabi, to match the latest international standards,” said John Hawkins, SEHA Information and Technology Director. “By automating our processes with the Cerner Millennium system, our clinicians are able to access a single patient record for Tawam Hospital, and soon, for all SEHA hospitals and clinics in Abu Dhabi.” More: http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?id=20071&t=1&c=33&cg=4&mset=

King to Lay Foundation of Health University
2008-05-11

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will lay the foundation of the King Saud University for Health Sciences in Riyadh on Tuesday, Prince Miteb ibn Abdullah, assistant commander of the National Guard for military affairs, announced yesterday. Speaking to reporters after signing contracts to establish the university, Prince Miteb said the king would also attend the graduation ceremony of medical students who have obtained master’s and bachelor’s degrees. He praised King Abdullah for approving the university, which is the first of its kind in the region, adding that it would focus on providing manpower for the Kingdom’s National Guard hospitals. The university comprises a college of medicine, a college of nursing and allied medical sciences, a college of public health and health informatics, in addition to departments relating to academic affairs, training and development. More

U.S. Health Chief Says Country on Track To Meet EHR Goal
2008-05-09

In an interview with The Hill, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said that President Bush's 10-year goal to provide every U.S. resident with access to an electronic health record by 2014 "will be accomplished," noting that "once the consumer begins to see [the technology's] value, it spreads quickly." Leavitt said, "I think it's important to remember that the goal here isn't [EHRs]. The goal is to transform the sector of health care into a system of health care, a system that provides consumers with information about the quality and cost of their care." He added, "To accomplish that, we need to have information digitized rather than on paper, and we need to have that information mobilized so that it can be assembled in many different ways that are useful." More

NCQA Recognizes 10,000th Physician For Excellent Care
2008-05-08

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) reached a major milestone when it recognized its 10,000th physician for high-quality care. NCQA's voluntary Physician Recognition programs evaluate physicians and physician practices based on evidence-based measures of quality care and practice standards. Since the introduction of the first recognition program in 1997, patients, employers and health plans have come to rely on these programs as a basis upon which to identify and reward top-performing practices. They have also served as a valuable practice improvement tool for physician practices and form the basis for many of the pay for performance programs in the U.S. NCQA recognizes physicians for consistently providing evidence-based care to patients with diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and low back pain. Two additional programs, Physician Practice Connections and Physician Practice Connections - Patient-Centered Medical Home recognize physician groups for using clinical information systems and systematic processes to enhance care for all of their patients. More

Online health records: Convenience vs. privacy
2008-05-06

Some day soon, Canadians will have access to free online tools for managing their health information. But there are concerns that plans to store the information on servers south of the border could mean unwittingly sharing it with the American government. Private companies developing systems to help individuals conveniently manage their personal health information include technology heavyweights Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. More

Laws in Some States Hinder Efforts To Build Health Data Exchanges
2008-05-06

As state lawmakers take up legislation aimed at boosting the use of health data exchanges, legislators' efforts are being hindered by laws that were intended for a paper-based health care industry, Healthcare IT News reports. For example, Kristen Rosati, a lawyer with Arizona Health-e Connection, said that the group has created a legislative package that would remove the barriers to exchanging electronic health records and other health data, as well as to protect patient privacy. The group plans to deliver the package to lawmakers in January 2009. More

Near-infrared light enables palm-vein authentication for healthcare and other industries
2008-05-06

BioGuard, a provider of biometric solutions for a wide variety of applications, has teamed up with Fujitsu and Computer Sky to offer PalmGuard, an advanced biometric authentication system that uses near-infrared light to verify an individual's identity by recognizing the unique pattern of veins in the palm. More

Call for semantic health interoperability
2008-05-06

A leading UK academic has called for a new push on the development of semantic electronic health records based on ‘clinical archetypes’ as the only viable route to deliver fully interoperable electronic health care records, writes Jon Hoeksma in Slovenia. More

Kaiser Completes Nationwide Roll Out of Outpatient EHR System
2008-05-06

On Monday, Kaiser Permanente announced that it has completed the installation of its outpatient electronic health record system for more than 8.7 million members in nine states and Washington. The EHR system, called HealthConnect, allows Kaiser's 13,000 physicians nationwide to access outpatient medical records. Implementation of HealthConnect, which Kaiser says is the largest privately funded EHR system in the world, began in Hawaii four years ago and was completed this month in Northern California. Ravi Poorsina, a Kaiser spokesperson, said the cost of the EHR installation is about $4 billion, including $1 billion for maintenance. More

Medicare PHR pilot is underway in South Carolina
2008-05-06

Medicare has launched its pilot online personal health records program in South Carolina, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced today. The program gives thousands of Medicare beneficiaries in the state access to a PHR populated with their hospital and physician claims information. Information on prescription drugs will not be provided, but PHR users can enter information on their prescription and over-the-counter medications. Through the pilot, CMS hopes to learn more about people’s use of PHRs and how to encourage them to use the tools. Participation in the program is voluntary, but CMS will be promoting it to beneficiaries and physicians. More

Cerner Millennium PowerChart/PowerWorks EMR Receives 2007 CCHIT Certification
2008-05-06

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHI®) announced that Cerner’s 2007 Cerner Millennium PowerChart/PowerWorks solution is CCHIT Certifie®, and meets the Commission’s ambulatory electronic health record (EHR) criteria for 2007. Ambulatory EHRs are designed for physician offices and clinics where most Americans get their healthcare. CCHIT – an independent, nonprofit organization – is the Recognized Certification Body in the United States for certifying health information technology (HIT) products. More

HealthPort’s Electronic Medical Record System Receives 2007 CCHIT Certification!
2008-05-06

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT®) today announced that HealthPort’s product, HealthPort EMR, is CCHIT Certified® and meets the Commission’s ambulatory electronic health record (EHR) criteria for 2007. Ambulatory EHRs are designed for physician offices and clinics where most Americans get their healthcare. CCHIT—an independent, nonprofit organization—is the Recognized Certification Body in the United States for certifying health information technology products. In the second year of the program’s operation, the criteria and testing have been significantly enhanced. The Commission added 96 criteria to the 151 original requirements from last year. As a CCHIT Certified product, HealthPort EMR has been tested and passed inspection of 100 percent of a set of updated criteria for functionality, interoperability, and security. More

Wireless Security: The Basics
2008-05-05

Encryption and authentication are the fundamentals of wireless security - here's your guide. The first widely available wireless LAN technology, 802.11b, has been available since 1999, yet it's surprising how many companies still don't take appropriate security measures for their wireless connections, both on LANs and Wide Area Networks, those inside their walls and those used elsewhere. Today, businesses are seeing a real uptake in mobile devices that adds a whole new set of security concerns. "A lot of organizations still have not done the basics," says Allan Carey, a senor research vice president at the Institute for Applied Network Security, an organization for practicing information security professionals. More

Al Amal Hospital boasts paperless DMS by ZFP-IT
2008-05-05

Al Amal Hospital rebuilds its workplace with a paperless document management environment by using Akrebeia Document Management System (DMS), made possible by ZFP-IT. The implementation of the Akrebeia DMS enabled Al-Amal to efficiently manage their incoming and outgoing documents through electronic and technological means in digitally capturing, storing, routing, viewing and archiving documents from hard copy or digital form. It contains a workflow engine that controls the routing of documents from one user to another and provides full security and control features ensuring system integrity at all times. More

US requires 40,000 more health IT professionals
2008-05-05

United States alone requires an additional 40,000 IT professionals to move its healthcare toward a paperless system that cuts costs and medical errors. That is the finding of an analytical report presented here on Friday at the meeting of Steering Committee on Tele-health and Healthcare Informatics, by William Hersh of Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). The report was based on an analysis of the HIMSS Analytics database, the largest and most comprehensive source of its kind, with information from 5,000 US hospitals. More

Hazy Definitions for Health Informatics Field Compound Issues in Work Force Development
2008-05-04

In an iHealthBeat Special Report, three experts on health care informatics discussed a recent study that found the health IT industry would need at least 40,000 additional professionals to move toward a paperless system. More

KLAS Investigates whether Digital X-Ray is Worth the Effort
2008-05-04

Although advanced medical imaging procedures such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) are growing, x-ray imaging continues to dominate as a standard diagnostic procedure. X-ray equipment is among the first modalities to be upgraded to a digital platform due to the relatively low cost and its frequent use in diagnostic procedures. Many organizations have already implemented digital radiography (DR) in their facilities; however, there currently is a significant market yet to adopt this enabling technology. KLAS found in its recently published 2008 Digital Radiography report that overall most healthcare professionals are satisfied with their DR vendors. Additionally, providers reported increased patient throughput which resulted in improved ROI. The study data revealed that DR equipment generally performed as advertised and that DR support has been satisfactory. However, very material differentiating factors among vendors exist such as timeliness and accurate response to provider questions and issues, among other issues. More

New medical concept treats the whole person
2008-05-04

The Advanced Medical Home model could be the wave of the future. Major medical organizations are testing the concept in several pilot programs across the country, and it seems to be working. It's a way to care for people based on what's best - and often easiest - for them and it rewards doctors for spending time with a patient, managing the whole person and not just their current symptoms. The American College of Physicians proposed the concept in a major 2006 policy paper. It would change the way we organize, deliver, finance and value primary care, the college says. A doctor's medical practice would have to become certified and be accountable for results based on quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. In a nutshell, the concept means that patients will have a primary care doctor who leads a team of health professionals caring for the patient and whose office tracks all of the patient's medical conditions using the latest in electronic records sharing. The doctor alerts patients when it's time for vaccinations, office visits and other medical procedures. More

Hospitals Struggle With Access Control
2008-05-04

Despite increased awareness of access control issues, healthcare providers continue to struggle with security and compliance related to user access, according to the results of a survey conducted at the Health Information Management and Systems Society 2008 conference in February. The survey, conducted by enterprise provisioning and access control software vendor Courion at the show Feb. 24-28, revealed that 64 percent of respondents cited controlling user access to clinical systems as their top IT security concern. The survey, which was conducted among 136 pre-screened HIMSS attendee respondents, found that 60 percent reported issues with users sharing passwords, 52 percent found that orphaned user accounts were not properly disabled after employment was terminated and 38 percent of respondents said there had been instances of inappropriate access. More

Health Insurer's Security Information Management Eases HIPAA Compliance
2008-05-04

Collecting millions of security incident alerts without the manpower to interpret them doesn’t do much to improve security. Just ask health insurer Priority Health, whose security staffers had been drowning in alerts from the firm’s firewalls, intrusion detection system (IDS), and system logs, trying to separate real threats from the false alarms. Priority Health, which has 500,000 customers, was getting frustrated with the time-consuming and tedious process -- as were its auditors. So the firm, which provides health care insurance to 100 acute-care hospitals and over 12,000 doctors and other health care providers in Michigan, had to better integrate its security tools and the data it was generating. HIPAA-compliance pressure was on, too: “Because of emerging HIPAA reporting regulations regarding log activity, we needed to monitor the activity on our systems and network more closely than we had in the past,” says Tim Maletic, information security engineer at Priority Health. More

Leading UK Healthcare Group Selects iSOFT as its Strategic Health Information Technology Partner
2008-05-03

iSOFT Plc, an IBA Health Group company, has announced that it has been selected as the strategic health information technology partner, by General Healthcare Group (GHG), the largest private healthcare group in the UK. iSOFT has also signed a US$ 9.9 million (£5 million) agreement with GHG, whereby it will provide its patient management systems along with development, implementation and deployment services at 47 of GHG’s private acute care hospitals and Netcare centers, over the next six years, with scope for licensing more iSOFT products in future. More

Premier Selects Eclipsys as Supplier of Clinical and Financial Information Solutions
2008-05-02

Eclipsys Corporation® (NASDAQ: ECLP), The Outcomes Company®, today announced that it has signed an agreement to become a contracted supplier of its Sunrise Enterprise clinical and financial solutions for Premier Purchasing Partners LP, one of the nation's largest healthcare group purchasing organizations with $31 billion in annual purchasing volume. The agreement gives Eclipsys’ greater access to the more than 1,700 acute care hospital members of the Premier alliance as well as more than 49,000 other healthcare sites. Premier members include many of the nation's prominent healthcare institutions, integrated delivery networks and group affiliates. Premier has a field force of more than 100 staff and consultants who promote solutions to its members. Eclipsys sales force will continue to sell the company's solutions directly to Premier participating members with marketing and sales support from Premier. More

The Heart Center Selects Allscripts EHR and PM Solutions
2008-05-02

Allscripts, a provider of clinical software, has announced that The Heart Center Medical, a physician-owned multi-specialty group, has selected its Electronic Health Record and Practice Management solution to automate and connect clinical and administrative processes for its 50 physicians. The Allscripts Electronic Health Record (EHR) will enable The Heart Center's physicians to instantly access patient information when and where they need it - in the main campus or satellite offices, at the hospital or while on-call at home.

Technology to Allow Automated Medical Information to Transmit, Store Through Wireless System
2008-05-02

A medical technology company announced today that implantable devices to measure data such as people’s heart rhythms could soon be used to send health records to doctors and databases. St. Jude Medical, Inc. is working with Microsoft Corp. Health Solutions Group to determine how data collected through devices such as implanted defibrillators could safely, accurately and securely transfer patients’ medical information to physicians and personal health records remotely. The collaboration, between St. Paul, Minnesota-based St. Jude’s Patient Care Network and Microsoft’s HealthVault, could revolutionize the Internet-based consumer health records, according to George J. Fazio, president of St. Jude’s U.S. division. More

Florida Cardiology Selects Intergy By Sage to Integrate E-Health Records
2008-05-02

To achieve enterprise-wide seamless integration, enhance patient care delivery and business office processes, Florida Cardiology, a multi-site medical practice with 18 cardiologists, has selected Sage Software's Intergy EHR by Sage Electronic Health Records and Practice Management System. Florida Cardiology will deploy the web-based integrated solutions at eight office locations equipped with full diagnostic facilities and a freestanding cardiac catheterization laboratory and two satellite offices in the greater Orlando area. More

Filipinos father open source electronic health record system
2008-05-01

Filipinos have announced the first beta release of an open source electronic health record application that hopes to pave the way for low-cost electronic health record applications for the healthcare industry, the manager of an international open source network told INQUIRER.net on Thursday. "This is groundbreaking for several reasons: it is free, portable, and open source that even doctors can contribute to its development," Dr. Alvin Marcelo, manager of the International Open Source Network (IOSN) Asean+3 node based in Manila, in an interview. Dr. Marcelo said the Asean+3 node of the IOSN commissioned the Free Feathers EHR (FFEHR) project, which is an electronic health record application. The public beta was launched on April 28. More

Six more organizations join NHIN demonstration project
2008-05-01

The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) of Health Information Technology has awarded six more contracts to health systems and health information exchanges for participation in this year’s work to develop a nationwide health information network. The organizations, which together will receive about $600,000, join more than a dozen other health organizations in the trial implementation phase of NHIN. The project is scheduled to demonstrate live exchange of health records Sept. 28. That demonstration will not use real health records because of concerns about accidental release of information. The remainder of this year will be devoted to preparations for exchange of actual records for use in health care in 2009. More

McKesson launch whiteboard monitoring system
2008-05-01

McKesson has launched its Horizon Enterprise Visibility product – a whiteboard style system that provides real time information of a room’s availability, patient location and the current status of a patient’s treatment - to the UK market. McKesson say the system is the first visual control system designed specifically for hospitals, and that it enables more time for patient care by all healthcare workers. More

Newcastle chooses Pittsburgh for EHR
2008-05-01

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has partnered with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre (UPMC) to deploy electronic health record technology. Under the 14-month implementation plan, a UPMC technology team will install and adapt five electronic health record (EHR) applications at five Newcastle hospitals, including the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Freeman Hospital and Newcastle General Hospital, with a total of over 2,000 beds. The five applications to be installed include inpatient order entry, patient administration, pharmacy management, accident and emergency services and operating room systems. Details of the applications to be used or the value of the deal were not disclosed. More

Recent Medical Privacy Breaches Could Disrupt EHR Adoption Efforts
2008-05-01

A recent series of privacy breaches involving medical records at NIH, the University of California-Los Angeles Hospital System, Johns Hopkins University and others could undermine the health care industry's efforts for widespread adoption of electronic health record systems, the Wall Street Journal reports. The number and array of hospital employees who can quickly access EHRs has raised concerns about patient privacy protections, but hospitals are reluctant to restrict access too tightly to avoid creating obstacles to care delivery, especially in emergencies. More

Gingrich Stumps for Electronic Health Records at Conference
2008-05-01

On Monday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said that the Bush administration and Congress should do more to implement electronic health records nationwide, the Baltimore Sun reports. Gingrich, founder of the Center for Health Transformation, said, "It's been a very great disappointment that the administration has not proposed to go to 100%" EHRs. According to Gingrich, Congress could have used funds directed toward the subprime mortgage loan bailout to help finance a conversion from paper records to EHRs. More

Patient-Centered Health Care Needed To Fix Broken System
2008-05-01

For years, Americans have looked to Congress for answers about the way health care is delivered in our country. Our current system is fatally flawed, and right now more than 47 million individuals find themselves without coverage and millions more are underinsured. Two vastly different answers to our current health care crisis have emerged. One side is advocating for a single provider system in which Washington, D.C. bureaucrats would have the ultimate decision-making authority over every American’s medical coverage. More

CCHIT approves Fresenius EHR software
2008-05-01

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) has approved Fresenius’s Acumen ambulatory electronic health record software, according to the dialysis provider. “Fresenius Medical Care is thrilled to have exclusive rights to bring Acumen to the market,” said J. Michael Lazarus, chief medical officer and senior executive vice president, Fresenius Medical Care North America. “CCHIT’s ‘seal of approval’ validates that Acumen gives nephrologists the electronic record system they need to provide the best renal care possible.” More

ONC: Open source is key to agencies' NHIN connections
2008-05-01

Federal agencies’ shared connection to the Nationwide Health Information Network will be open, flexible and extensible -- characteristics that could make it useful to organizations outside the federal government in the future, Federal Health Architecture officials told a conference audience here yesterday. Speaking at a conference organized by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, leaders of the NHIN Connect project within ONC said the gateway would support six core services: subject discovery (in essence, identifying the patient), document query, document retrieval, retrieval of an audit log, a messaging platform and an authorization framework. More