Molly Merrill
Maine's culture is to "get things done" - and when it comes to improving the quality of care through IT, the state has positioned itself well, said its director of the Office of the State Coordinator for HIT, James Leonard at a regional extension center (REC) educational forum this week.
When it comes to following recommended processes for patient care the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system outperforms the private sector, according to a recent report. Report authors cite the use of information technology as a possible reason.
The healthcare industry is spending an estimated $6 billion annually on data breaches of patient information, according to the latest benchmark study by Ponemon Institute. Protecting patient data is a low priority, the study concludes.
Epocrates, Inc., announced Thursday a partnership with Covisint, a Compuware Company, that aims at helping doctors get paid for quality reporting.
One of the largest recent security breaches of personal health information (PHI), involving 280,000 individuals, is on the surface a "pretty low-risk scenario," says one privacy expert. But, he acknowledges, "these things are like an onion: the more layers you peel back, the stinkier it gets."
Peter Christensen Health Center, an Indian health center that is part of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation in north central Wisconsin, has seen a 35 percent jump in revenue over five years, thanks in part to efficiencies brought out by its EHR and billing system.
The Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA), a statewide leadership group that promotes quality improvement, accountability and affordability of healthcare in California, has named its top 45 performing physician organizations for 2009, based on the IHA statewide Pay for Performance (P4P) program measures.
Nimble, a new comprehensive EMR application designed and developed specifically for the iPad, hit the market last month with the aim of allowing docs to provide meaningful care – at the point of care.
"The future physician of America" is a tech savvy one – one who reaches for an iPhone to choose clinical references, and who expects to use an EHR when he or she begins practicing, according to a recent survey of medical students.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has awarded a $12 million grant to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center for the creation of an inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) registry that will initially link 27 sites across the nation.