Diana Manos

The regulation as it stands today is confusing. Don’t panic. Crush it instead. Experts share tips on how to make that happen. 

Doctors are required by law to allow patients to view, download and transmit data and that new reality is giving rise to many hesitations. Here’s a look at pressing issues to understand before proceeding. 

Several experts contend that the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT is attacking the wrong problems and the last thing anyone needs is more prescriptive regulation about EHR functionality, usability and quality measurement.

The consensus that EHR vendors and profit-hungry hospitals are intentionally making it hard for patients and outside providers to access information is based on evidence – much of it put forth by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT – that is primarily anecdotal. 

There are so many new medical devices today flooding the market, offering hope for a brighter tomorrow. But what good are they if they cannot be integrated into electronic health records or continuity of care efforts? “Integrated medical devices can contribute to efficient workflows and improved patient safety, but only if done with the strong collaboration between the technologists and the nursing end-users,” said Linda Burnes Bolton, chief nursing officer at Cedars-Sinai Health System. [Also: 21 awesome photos from past HIMSS conferences] Bolton will share Cedars-Sinai experience in a HIMSS16 session, The Next Frontier of Biomedical Device Integration, along with Jennifer Jackson, who directs clinical engineering and device integration at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. This session will describe how to successfully achieve device integration, as well as best practices for optimizing workflow, data entry and clinical documentation. The big potential is “integrated technology used to improve patient safety and documentation without compromising nursing workflow,” Bolton added. [Poll: What topics will define HIMSS16?] Despite significant advances in medical technologies, there is a consensus that a lack of corresponding improvements in the quality of healthcare delivery in the US is inhibiting progress. “High value medical device integration programs consist of strong executive leadership, a clear vision, and the commitment to quality and innovation from several stakeholders,” Jackson said. To that end, Jackson and Bolton also plan to address: unique staff structures needed to succeed, how traditional patient monitoring can be integrated to boost collaboration, and ways to tie a medical device integration program into published recommendations. “The Next Frontier of Biomedical Device Integration,” is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 29, 2016 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Marcello 4404. Twitter: @HealthITNews This story is part of our ongoing coverage of the HIMSS16 conference. Follow our live blog for real-time updates, and visit Destination HIMSS16 for a full rundown of our reporting from the show. For a selection of some of the best social media posts of the show, visit our Trending at #HIMSS16 hub.

Cancer treatment is changing for the better and the application of precision medicine deserves some of the credit. Lincoln Nadauld, MD, director of Cancer Genomics at Intermountain Healthcare in Utah, said healthcare is facing a “tremendous paradigm shift. The clinical implementation of precision cancer medicine is rapidly changing the way that advanced cancer patients are treated, and improving outcomes in many cases.” Intermountain Precision Genomics, a service of Intermountain Healthcare, offers genetic sequencing of solid tumors with in-depth sequencing that identifies individual mutations within a person’s cancer cells and identifies specific DNA targets for personalized drugs. Using genomics, Intermountain has been able to identify different treatment options for nearly 80 percent of its cancer patients, Nadauld said. Intermountain offers the genomic testing to any provider nationwide, or worldwide. [Also: 11 essential quotes from notable HIMSS keynotes] The precision cancer medication — in pill form — offered by Intermountain does not have the same negative side effects that cancer treatments in the past have had, Nadauld added, and patients can take the medication in the comfort of their own homes.   Nadauld will share insights during a HIMSS16 session “Precision Medicine: The future is Here.” All of this progress does not come without some challenges, though, some of which include IT infrastructure demands, electronic health record integration and data storage considerations, Nadauld said. “While the improved treatment options associated with precision medicine approaches are exciting, the impact on information technologies is substantial and will require ongoing attention,” Nadauld said.   Despite the challenges, Nadauld said he is excited about the progress of precision medicine, especially for cancer patients.  “The past five years have seen an increasing focus and attention on precision medicine in scientific publications, popular press, and even State of the Union addresses,” he added. “While much of the conversation has centered on the promise of precision medicine, there have been few examples of actual clinical application of precision medicine principles.” “Precision Medicine: The future is Here,” is scheduled for Feb. 29, 2016 from 2-3 p.m. PST in the Sands Expo Convention Center Delfino 4004. Twitter: @HealthITNews This story is part of our ongoing coverage of the HIMSS16 conference. Follow our live blog for real-time updates, and visit Destination HIMSS16 for a full rundown of our reporting from the show. For a selection of some of the best social media posts of the show, visit our Trending at #HIMSS16 hub.

All but seven U.S. states have either passed or are working on legislation that would establish a state-sponsored, all-payer claims database – and that’s among the reasons these databases are in the spotlight for their promise to improve the way providers and insurance companies manage patient populations. This year at the HIMSS16, in fact, John Freedman, MD, president of Freedman Healthcare, and Linda Greene, vice president of Freedman Healthcare, will lead a session intended to shed light on what APCDs are and where they’re headed in the future. See all of our HIMSS16 previews APCDs as “large-scale databases that systematically collect medical claims, pharmacy claims, dental claims (typically, but not always) and eligibility and provider files from private and public payers,” said officials at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in a recent report. “States with APCDs are responding to a need for comprehensive, multi-payer data that allows states and other stakeholders to understand the cost, quality, and utilization of health care for their citizens.” “While enormous attention is focused on EHRs and the health record data they contain – deservedly so – the other data world of claims data has been quietly creating applications for public health, price transparency, performance improvement, population health management and health services research,” Freedman said. [Also: 21 awesome photos from past HIMSS conferences] Instances of all-payer claims databases, in fact, have tripled in the past decade. “The impacts of APCDs on healthcare are just starting,” he continued, “and they will be profound.” The session,“Implications of Expanding State All Payer Claims Databases,” will be held on March 3 from 1 - 1:30 p.m. in the Sands Expo Convention Center. Twitter: @HealthITNews This story is part of our ongoing coverage of the HIMSS16 conference. Follow our live blog for real-time updates, and visit Destination HIMSS16 for a full rundown of our reporting from the show. For a selection of some of the best social media posts of the show, visit our Trending at #HIMSS16 hub.

With more than 70 sessions on tap at HIMSS16 concentrating on value-based care, it promises to be among the hottest topics in this year’s show. HIMSS Quality, Cost, and Safety Committee leaders Shelley DiGiacomo, RN, vice president of consulting services at the Quammen Group and Pauline Byom, regional quality administrator at the Mayo Clinic, in fact, will share recommendations for quality reporting and performance requirements within the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System. [Also: 11 essential quotes from notable HIMSS keynotes] Last November, HIMSS warned the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of the administrative burdens on providers, and now the tension continues. On Jan. 14, 31 major healthcare organizations, including Intermountain Healthcare and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center wrote to CMS calling for the federal government to back down off of Meaningful Use 3. It’s not meeting the ultimate objective, the organizations said. At HIMSS16, DiGiacomo and Byom will explain the HIMSS committee’s core mission to promote the use of health IT to improve the quality of healthcare delivery while ensuring that data collection is not an overly burdensome part of workflow. See all of our HIMSS16 previews The speakers will also share insights about the policies that are driving value-based care and tips for recognizing current barriers to e-reporting in quality programs and advice on developing principles for feedback on CMS programs. What’s more, DiGiacomo and Byom intend to help attendees know how best to identify opportunities to participate in the development of CMS policy outside of regulatory public comments. Come to the keynote, “Making Payment for Value Work: HIMSS Recommendations,” and find out HIMSS’ predictions on Monday, Feb. 29 from 3:15 - 4:15 p.m. at the Sands Expo Convention Center, Lando, Room 4301. Twitter: @HealthITNews This story is part of our ongoing coverage of the HIMSS16 conference. Follow our live blog for real-time updates, and visit Destination HIMSS16 for a full rundown of our reporting from the show. For a selection of some of the best social media posts of the show, visit our Trending at #HIMSS16 hub.

By John Halamka’s standards, healthcare IT is pretty average. In fact, he’d only give the sector a B-minus.

Though longtime CIO Edward Marx, vice president at the Advisory Board Company, has won several awards as leader in the health IT sector, according to him it's nurses who should be the most recognized in healthcare.