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Category: Healthcare Industry News
Health Care's Age of Enlightenment
Date: October 21st, 2014Source: ForbesTopics: Value-Based Care, Accountable CareThe Age of Enlightenment brought us crucial inventions and discoveries in many areas including the circulation of blood, optics, scientific classification, calculus, the microscope, gravity and more while serving as inspiration for the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. With good reason, it was called a revolution of thought. It is self-evident that we are in the early days of health care’s Age of Enlightenment that will be just as dramatic in terms of its long-term impact. Bold new ideas in health care delivery freed from tradition and dogma are resulting in dramatically better outcomes. These ideas both catalyze and are enabled by new technology. Over time, themes emerged in the Age of Enlightenment, as they will in healthcare.
Read MoreTurning data into insight: Event-based notifications drive improved outcomes
Date: October 10th, 2014Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: Care Coordination, Patient Event NotificationsIn order to improve health care quality in a meaningful way, physicians must be empowered to make informed clinical decisions. This includes being promptly notified of changes to a patient’s health status and any new “care events.” A care event could include the patient receiving care from a specialist, being seen in an emergency department or admitted to a hospital and then discharged to home or to another facility.
Read MoreAnnual Data Exchange Survey Findings Show Steady HIE Growth
Date: October 10th, 2014Source: eHealth InitiativeTopics: HIEeHealth Initiative presented its findings from their 11th annual survey of health data exchange on October 8, 2014. The four key findings from the survey reveal (1) cost and technical challenges are key barriers to interoperability; (2) regulatory policies appear to have prompted increased use of core health information exchange (HIE) services such as Direct, care summary exchange, and transitions of care; (3) advanced initiatives are supporting new payment and advanced care delivery models; and (4) sustainable organizations have replaced federal funding with revenue from fees and membership dues.
Read MoreFTC, ONC Put Health IT Vendors on Notice
Date: October 10th, 2014Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: EHRs, Health ITThe Federal Trade Commission has some news for health IT vendors whose zeal for competitive marketshare outweighs their willingness to share data: they're watching, and will step in where necessary. "We are working with ONC staff to identify potential competition issues relating to health IT platforms and standards, market concentration, conduct by market participants, and the ability of health IT purchasers to make informed buying decisions," wrote FTC officials in a blog post this week. Healthy competition "is central to improving health care quality and outcomes, reducing costs, and improving the consumer experience."
Read MoreReport: Most Physicians Say EHR Vendors Offer Poor Interoperability
Date: October 9th, 2014Source: iHealthBeatTopics: EHRs, InteroperabilityA majority of providers said their electronic health record vendors are not interoperable with other vendors' EHR systems, according to a new report from KLAS Research. For the report, researchers surveyed 220 provider organizations about EHR interoperability.
Read MoreCMS Gives New Opportunity to Request MU Hardship Exceptions
Date: October 7th, 2014Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: EHRs, Meaningful Use, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is reopening the period during which providers can apply for an EHR hardship exception and avoid Medicare reimbursement penalties for failure to attest for meaningful use in 2014. Now, the new deadline for applying for a hardship exception is 11:59 p.m. EST on November 30, 2014 for both eligible professionals and eligible hospitals.
Read MoreACOs Held Back by Poor Interoperability
Date: September 25th, 2014Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: Interoperability, Accountable CareMost accountable care organizations (ACOs) have health information technology in place to improve quality and lower costs, but many say difficulties with data exchange are keeping them from reaching their potential. Of the 62 ACOs polled by Premier healthcare alliance this past summer, 88 percent report "significant obstacles" in integrating data from disparate sources. Also, 83 percent say they have a hard time fitting analytics tools into their workflow. As ACOs grow, gathering data from more and different care settings, these challenges become more accute, according to Premier.
Read MorePopulation Health Essentials for Physicians
Date: September 18th, 2014Source: Physicians PracticeTopics: Population HealthNet U.S. healthcare spending exceeded $2.9 trillion in 2013, or over $9,000 per person. CMS has projected that net healthcare spending will increase by 5.6 percent in 2014 to $3.3 trillion. At 17.9 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product this nation spends far more on healthcare than any other country in the world in terms of dollars, percentage of GDP, and per capita spending. Yet, it ranks "dead last" in quality, outcomes, access, and a number of other metrics at a per capita cost of about twice as much when compared to 10 other First World countries according to Forbes.
Read MoreAMA Unveils Framework Outlining Priorities To Improve EHR Usability
Date: September 17th, 2014Source: iHealthBeatTopics: EHRs, Physician WorkflowThe American Medical Association recently released a framework outlining eight priorities for making electronic health records easier for providers to use. AMA developed its framework of priority areas alongside an external advisory committee made up of industry stakeholders, including physicians, researchers and health IT executives. According to AMA, the framework builds on a recent study the group conducted with the RAND Corporation that found ineffective and complex EHR systems contribute to high levels of job dissatisfaction among physicians.
Read MoreTedium Now, But Big Benefits Later: Moving to EHRs may be frustrating, but will pay dividends in the long run
Date: September 17th, 2014Source: US News & World ReportTopics: EHRs, Physician WorkflowAs Kimberly Leonard points out in her article (“Doctors Say Electronic Records Waste Time"), doctors are frustrated with the time it takes to use electronic health records. This is only natural. Moving from paper to digital communication is a different way of communicating and takes time to become proficient. If we think about electronic health records as a way for doctors to communicate more effectively rather than merely as a way to digitize a paper chart, then their value is greatly enhanced. Such records are just the first step in unleashing the power of health information technology.
Read MoreNew Rules for Achieving Meaningful Use in 2014
Date: September 4th, 2014Source: HITECH AnswersTopics: EHRs, Meaningful UseWe’ve been waiting for it to drop since late July and it finally hit the floor just as the three-day end of summer weekend was kicking off. The new CMS final ruling that was published on August 29, 2014 allows an end run around some of the challenges of receiving an EHR incentive in 2014. Don’t have 2014 Edition software? No problem, just use the old tattered and worn version from last year. Having trouble hitting the Stage 2 marks? No problem, just back pedal to Stage 1 and all is well. Now there are a few details in the fine print that should not be overlooked, and do not provide a poultice for every meaningful use (MU) ache and pain, but sometimes you can’t get what you want.
Read More5 Megatrends With the Potential to Transform U.S. Health Care
Date: September 4th, 2014Source: ForbesTopics: Health IT, Healthcare PolicyRecently, Cisco chairman and CEO John Chambers told me that U.S. health care is at a tipping point. A positive one, he hopes, but the truth is no one knows for sure which direction the system will tip. At the close of our interview, I asked Chambers what health care topic he’d like me to cover in the future. He asked me to answer two questions. And they happen to be the two questions weighing most heavily on the minds of just about every U.S. health policy expert.
Read MoreNew CMS Guidance on Stage 2 Measures
Date: August 28th, 2014Source: Health Data ManagementTopics: EHRs, Meaningful Use, Patient EngagementHow does a physician treating many patients without broadband access meet patient engagement measures under the electronic health records meaningful use program? CMS has issued three new frequently asked questions on meaningful use including the issue of low bandwidth accessibility.
Read MoreHow EPs Can Storm Ahead on Meaningful Use
Date: August 22nd, 2014Source: Medical Practice InsiderTopics: EHRs, Meaningful UseEligible providers (EPs) shouldn't wait for their EHR vendor to guide them through the next stage in the Meaningful Use process. With the right approach — not getting too hung up on technology issues — EPs can move ahead on their own. "People think meaningful use is a technical matter, but it's really not. It's much more about workflow and process than it is about technology," said Derek Kosiorek, principal at MGMA Healthcare Consulting. "If we remove the word 'technology' from the equation, it makes it a lot easier to understand what needs to be done and when it needs to be done."
Read MoreIn a Pressurized Policy Environment, Health Care Leaders Seek Clarity
Date: August 20th, 2014Source: Healthcare InformaticsTopics: HIE, Health IT, Value-Based Care, Accountable CareIt would be hard to dispute that the health IT industry is in the thick of an exciting journey that will transform the U.S. healthcare system. As we shift from a fee-for-service-based payment system to one that rewards value-based care, plenty of initiatives are on healthcare organizations’ plates, such as meaningful use, ICD-10, value-based purchasing, bundled payments, data privacy regulations, and accountable care organizations (ACOs). These programs, efforts, and mandates all are part of the voyage to the “new” healthcare, one that began a few decades ago but was reinforced with President Obama’s Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in 2009, which authorized tens of billions of dollars in federal subsidies to doctors and hospitals for the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs).
Read MoreHealth Groups Emphasize Interoperability To Enhance Patient Care
Date: August 19th, 2014Source: iHealthBeatTopics: EHRs, InteroperabilitySeveral health care organizations have sent letters to Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) highlighting the importance of health care data transparency and interoperability, EHR Intelligence reports. The letters came in response to a June request from Wyden and Grassley seeking ideas "to enhance the availability and utility of health care data" while protecting patient privacy from 200 health care industry individuals and groups. Aug. 12 was the deadline for responses to the senators' query.
Read MoreSmall Primary Care Physician Practices Have Low Rates Of Preventable Hospital Admissions
Date: August 14th, 2014Source: Health AffairsTopics: Hospital Readmissions, Primary Care, Patient CareNearly two-thirds of US office-based physicians work in practices of fewer than seven physicians. It is often assumed that larger practices provide better care, although there is little evidence for or against this assumption. What is the relationship between practice size—and other practice characteristics, such as ownership or use of medical home processes—and the quality of care? We conducted a national survey of 1,045 primary care–based practices with 19 or fewer physicians to determine practice characteristics. Compared to practices with 10–19 physicians, practices with 1–2 physicians had 33 percent fewer preventable admissions, and practices with 3–9 physicians had 27 percent fewer.
Read MoreSenate Panel Orders Scrutiny of Alleged EHR 'Information-Blocking'
Date: July 28th, 2014Source: FierceHealthITTopics: EHRs, InteroperabilityThe Senate Appropriations Committee has directed the ONC's Health IT Policy Committee to submit a report on the technical, operational and financial barriers to information-sharing among electronic health records systems--what it calls the "information-blocking problem"-- and what should be done to combat it. "ONC should use its authority to certify only those products that...do not block health information exchange," the budget report states.
Read MoreIs Capitol Hill Leaning Toward Relaxing Healthcare Privacy Regs?
Date: July 25th, 2014Source: Modern Healthcare - free registration may be required to viewTopics: Healthcare Policy, Data SecurityCapitol Hill's recent focus on digital health has seen bands of witnesses testifying about what policies might enable more innovation in the sector. A significant number of those witnesses agree: Rethinking healthcare policy rules is one potential target. The House Energy & Commerce Committee has, of late, been running a series of hearings and roundtables called “21st century cures,” intended to promote innovative treatments. Of the witnesses that the committee has called, at least seven have mentioned the need to change privacy regulations.
Read MoreLive From the Denver iHT2 Summit: If the Healthcare Cloud Is One Thing, It’s Complicated
Date: July 22nd, 2014Source: Healthcare InformaticsTopics: Data SecurityWhen it comes to shifting towards cloud-based computing in healthcare, the landscape remains highly complicated along a number of dimensions—core infrastructure and technology, data security and privacy, process, and above all, people. That much was clear, as the Health IT Summit in Denver kicked off on Tuesday, July 22nd.
Read MoreWhy the Long-Term Care Industry Needs to Get Connected (And Supported)
Date: July 17th, 2014Source: Healthcare InformaticsTopics: Interoperability, Long-Term Care, Transitions of CareThe long-term care market—and its growing need for health IT—has largely been ignored. According to a January 2014 report from the California Healthcare Foundation and Bluepath Health, a Calif.-based consulting firm, “HITECH [the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act] ignored most critical skilled nursing and interim care facilities, resulting in an enormous disconnect between the acute site and rehabilitative care. This disconnect may prove to be a significant barrier in achieving new payment models that rely on providing seamless care transitions.”
Read MoreSix Ways Big Data Can Lower Costs
Date: July 10th, 2014Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: EHRs, Data AnalyticsBrigham and Women's Hospital has put forth a new report showcasing a half-dozen ways to lower health care costs through the use of big data. With electronic health records now common across the U.S., the amount of clinical data ripe for research and analytics is on the rise. This is opening big opportunities to arrive at insights that could improve the value of patient care, say B&W officials. A new study published in the July issue of Health Affairs shows how big data analytics is helping pave the way toward reduced costs.
Read MorePhysicians Practice 2014 Technology Survey Results
Date: July 9th, 2014Source: Physicians PracticeTopics: EHRs, InteroperabilityPhysicians Practice, an online news service and community for physicians and practice management professionals, has been asking visitors about their use of technology for over a decade. The Physicians Practice 2014 Technology Survey has recently been released and physicians' top concerns are EHR adoption and lack of interoperability between EHRs.
Read MoreElectronic Transmission in Stage 2 MU: Not So Simple
Date: July 9th, 2014Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: EHRs, Meaningful Use, Care SummariesOn paper, it sounds easy. Eligible hospitals that refer patients to another care setting must electronically transmit "a summary of care record for more than 10 percent of such transitions and referrals." The twelfth of Stage 2 meaningful use's 16 core measures requires that such a summary of care be either transmitted to another recipient using certified electronic health record technology, or with help from an organization that's either an "NwHIN Exchange participant or (operates in) a manner that is consistent with the governance mechanism ONC establishes for the nationwide health information network."
Read MoreApps That Store Personal Medical Records Are Growing in Popularity
Date: June 16th, 2014Source: Boston GlobeTopics: Health IT, Patient EngagementHeather Earley used to lug a 5-inch binder to every pediatrician’s appointment, filled with hundreds of pages of specialists’ notes, test results, and other medical records for her 11-year-old son, who was born with a rare genetic disorder. Now Early, 47, a mother of three from Libertyville, Ill., just brings her iPad.
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