Category: Healthcare Industry News
Six 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.
Read MoreTelehealth Gets Big Boost From AMA
Date: June 12th, 2014Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: TelehealthThe nation's largest physicians' association has officially put its foot forward with telemedicine, after establishing guiding principles to ensure appropriate coverage and reimbursement for telemedicine services. It's the latest in a continuing barrage of votes, letters, position papers and announcements from professional organizations, trade groups and other telemedicine advocates to push the needle ahead on this technology and give providers the support they need to use telemedicine, telehealth and mHealth tools.
Read MorePanel Advances Behavioral Health Data Exchange Recommendations
Date: June 11th, 2014Source: iHealthBeatTopics: HIE, Care Coordination, Behavioral Health, Data SecurityOn Tuesday, June 10th, the Health IT Policy Committee approved recommendations from its Privacy and Security Tiger Team that are aimed at safeguarding the privacy of behavioral health data included in electronic health records. The Privacy and Security Tiger Team recommended that EHR systems used by behavioral health providers have the ability to tag documents containing sensitive behavioral health information. That information then would be transmitted in documents using the Consolidated Continuity of Care Document format and its "data segmentation for privacy" tagging format.
Read MoreHow to Reduce EHR Adoption, Meaningful Use Complexities
Date: June 3rd, 2014Source: EHR IntelligenceTopics: EHRs, Meaningful UseIt’s generally accepted that there are many advantages to healthcare organizations adopting EHR systems. Ubiquitous availability of patient records, convenience and timeliness of mobile access to information, and streamlined communication among healthcare professionals and patients are among the greatest gains. But as with many advances in the workplace, EHR presents a number of challenges to healthcare organizations and providers. Here are lessons learned from early adopters.
Read MoreThe Right Data Can Work Wonders
Date: June 3rd, 2014Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: HIE, InteroperabilityThe excitement was palpable at this week's Health Datapalooza event. The theme: endless possibilities. In fact, the ways that the gathering of the appropriate data and the analysis of it can improve health outcomes is astounding. But first the right data must to be collected.
Read MoreACO Landscape Shows Physicians Key to Success
Date: June 3rd, 2014Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: Health IT, Accountable CareTo move things forward, shake things up, embrace change, a strong leader proves essential. In healthcare, this leader is often the physician. From getting staff on board with health information technology or adopting new value-based care models, physician leadership is key to success, particularly with accountable care organizations, a new study suggests.
Read MoreCMS Proposes Stretching 'Stage 1' in EHR Incentive Program
Date: May 20th, 2014Source: Modern Healthcare (free registration may be required to view)Topics: EHRs, Meaningful Use, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesHealthcare providers will have one extra year to use 2011 Edition software in their electronic health record systems under the federal incentive program for health IT under a proposed rule the CMS issued Tuesday. Providers scheduled to jump to the program's Stage 2 criteria will have another year to stay at Stage 1. Hospitals, physicians and other eligible professionals trying to meet the program's Stage 1 meaningful-use criteria can continue to use 2011 Edition software under the proposal, which will give them “more flexibility,” according to a joint announcement by the CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
Read MoreSubstance Abuse Patients Suffer from Privacy, Data-Sharing Rules SAMHSA Says
Date: May 9th, 2014Source: Modern Healthcare (free registration may be required to view)Topics: Behavioral Health, Data SecurityExisting federal privacy regulations are keeping healthcare organizations, including health-information exchange (HIE) organizations, accountable care organizations (ACO) and coordinated care organizations from relaying information about patients' substance-abuse disorders, according to HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This inability to share information is preventing some patients from fully benefiting from appropriate treatment models, the agency said. As a result, SAMSHA is now attempting to tweak regulations so those individuals can have full access to coordinated care, while still ensuring their personal information isn't at risk for exposure to unauthorized personnel, the agency said in a federal notice.
Read MoreCMS Reminds Providers of 'Meaningful Use' July 1st Hardship Exception Deadline
Date: May 8th, 2014Source: Medscape Medical NewsTopics: EHRs, Meaningful Use, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is reminding physicians who did not attest to meaningful use (MU) of electronic health records (EHR) in 2013 that they have until July 1 of this year to apply for a hardship exception so they can avoid a financial penalty in 2015. Physicians who attested in previous years but don't attest to MU stage 2 this year have until July 1, 2015, to apply for a hardship exception to sidestep a penalty in 2016. Hardship exceptions are valid for one year and then must be renewed.
Read MoreIn a World of EHRs, Should Physician Notes Be Turned Upside-Down?
Date: May 8th, 2014Source: Healthcare InformaticsTopics: EHRs, Physician WorkflowBrian Patty, M.D., vice president and CMIO at the four-hospital, HealthEast Health System, based in St. Paul, Minn., is one of many CMIOs around the U.S. working to improve physician documentation in patient care organizations, for the sake of everyone—physicians, nurses, other clinicians, administrators, and above all, patients. Patty has been in the trenches working with his colleagues at HealthEast to improve the way in which physicians document.
Read MoreSurvey Shows Health Info. Exchange is on the Rise
Date: May 6th, 2014Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: HIE, Health ITDespite the often-heard doom and gloom about interoperability, the reality of hospitals engaging in health information exchange appears to be brighter. HIE among U.S. non-federal acute care hospitals has been trending upward since 2008, in fact, and it took some major leaps forward in 2013.
Read MoreUnprepared EHR Vendors Making MU Thornier for Practices
Date: May 1st, 2014Source: Medical Practice InsiderTopics: EHRs, Meaningful UseAchieving meaningful use in 2014 will be a substantial challenge for small and midsize practices, primarily because EHR vendors haven't yet upgraded their systems to 2014 criteria. Practices in such a situation would file a hardship extension with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which administers incentive payments under the MU program. An exemption category applies to eligible providers who are unable to implement meaningful use due to 2014 EHR certification delays.
Read MoreONC Reminds Providers of July 1 Hardship Exception Deadline
Date: April 23rd, 2014Source: EHR IntelligenceTopics: EHRs, Meaningful UseEligible professionals (EPs) have until July 1, 2014, to submit their applications for a hardship exception to avoid a payment adjustment as a result of failing to demonstrate meaningful use during reporting year 2013, according to a reminder issued by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).
Read MoreDeSalvo Calls for Restructuring of HIT Policy Committee Workgroups
Date: April 14th, 2014Source: Health Data ManagementTopics: Health IT, Healthcare PolicyNational Coordinator for Health IT Karen DeSalvo wants to see changes made to the Health IT Policy Committee's current "somewhat siloed" workgroup structure. In a meeting last week of the HIT Policy Committee, DeSalvo called for fewer workgroups but expansion of their scopes so that they are more "strategic and forward-thinking" with the restructuring slated to begin in May for a couple of the workgroups and the rest of the transition continuing this summer.
Read More'Silo' One of Healthcare's Biggest Flaws
Date: April 10th, 2014Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: HIE, EHRs, InteroperabilityTo healthcare mogul Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, the dirtiest four-letter word in the realm of digital health is "silo." Unfortunately, it's everywhere. Hospitals, clinics and doctor's offices all keep close tabs on their information -- as do departments within the hospital or health network. Digital health devices and services silo their data, and let's not even talk about EHR vendors. In short, everyone in healthcare these days has control over a certain subset of data, and they're not into sharing.
Read MoreIOM Report: EHRs Should Capture Social and Behavioral Health Domains
Date: April 8th, 2014Source: Health Data ManagementTopics: EHRs, Population HealthA new study from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) argues that the inclusion of social and behavioral health domains in electronic health records (EHRs) is vital to providing crucial information to providers treating individual patients, to health systems concerned about the health of populations, and to researchers involved in determining the effectiveness of treatment.
Read MoreCornell Study: HIE Access in ED Cuts Admission Odds By 30%
Date: March 13th, 2014Source: Health Data Management / Applied Clinical InformaticsTopics: HIE, Emergency ServicesEmergency department physicians who accessed an upstate New York health information exchange's data were able to reduce the odds of patients being admitted to the hospital by 30 percent, according to a new study conducted by Weill Cornell Medical College researchers.
Read MoreHealth IT Policy Committee Cuts 30% of Initial Stage 3 Recommendations
Date: March 12th, 2014Source: Health Data ManagementTopics: EHRs, Meaningful Use, Healthcare PolicyThe Health IT Policy Committee has approved scaled-down recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services on criteria for Stage 3 of the electronic health records Meaningful Use program. The recommendations, which include 19 objectives for providers to comply with compared with 26 in an earlier version, will inform HHS in developing a proposed rule for Stage 3.
Read MoreNew ONC Chief Sees Public Health, HIE as Priorities
Date: March 3rd, 2014Source: Modern Healthcare (free registration may be required to view)Topics: HIE, Public Health ReportingDr. Karen DeSalvo is not the first head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) with a public health background. But she's sounding as though she may be the first to make public health an ONC priority. She also revealed a personal stake in achieving another goal, completing work on a long-proposed nationwide system of interoperable health information records.
Read MoreEDs With HIE More Likely to Avoid Repeat Imaging
Date: January 23rd, 2014Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: HIE, Duplicate TestingIn one of the first large-scale empirical studies on the links between HIE participation and imaging in hospital emergency departments, a group of researchers from Mathematica Policy and the University of Michigan found redundant CT scans, x-rays and ultrasounds decreased fairly significantly — with savings in the millions of dollars.
Read MoreNew Guidance on Data Mapping for HIM Professionals and Others
Date: January 9th, 2014Source: Health Data ManagementTopics: Health IT, Data SecurityThe American Health Information Management Association has issued a white paper on data mapping and how it affects data integrity. “The increased demands for data sharing and interoperability, especially across different practice settings and different classification systems, increase reliance on data mapping tools and techniques,” the report explains. “The use of these tools requires frequent integrity checks. Understanding the role and context of data maps, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, is essential in ensuring the reliability of the data entries derived from maps.”
Read MoreMeaningful Use Stage 3: Anticipate New Patient-Generated Data Requirements
Date: December 31st, 2013Source: Becker's Hospital ReviewTopics: Meaningful Use, Patient EngagementONC's Health IT Policy Committee has announced its intentions to include expanded requirements for hospitals and health systems to collect and use patient-generated data in meaningful use stage 3 objectives.
Read More