EHR

As confusion clouds the lead-up to a long-overdue switchover, AHIMA tackles three of the most persistent and pernicious untruths about ICD-10.

Getting physicians on board with cost cutting measures proves to be one of the healthcare industry's top challenges, one that has become critical as hospitals buy up more physician practices. There's the technology available to help doctors accomplish this, but it often costs a pretty penny. The question then becomes is it worth it economically?

More than 5,000 IT staff from 194 nominated hospitals completed the 79-question online survey. To qualify to be considered a top hospital, at least half the employees in an IT department needed to complete the survey.

For at least the last decade, the health IT field has seen a scholarly back-and-forth on the effectiveness of electronic medical records. As soon as one study is published that finds technology has little impact on patient outcomes, another emerges that seems to show just the opposite. But, today, more accurate information is emerging.

The EHR vendor market landscape may be poised for a shakeup, as according to recent reports, Cerner may be exploring the possibility of acquiring the health IT division of Siemens Healthcare, which was among the EHR vendors that failed to increase marketshare in 2013.

Seven health IT startups have landed a spot in the 2014 New York Health Accelerator. The accelerator, a program run by the New York eHealth Collaborative and the Partnership Fund for New York City, selects growth-stage digital health companies developing cutting-edge technology products for healthcare providers and patients.

2014's second quarter brought with it a boost in earnings for cloud-based EHR company athenahealth, which reported gains this time around after disappointing numbers last quarter. Net losses were also down significantly, company officials announced last week.

MemorialCare Health System, a top 100 integrated delivery network, implemented awareness computing technology at the Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif. The goal is to provide roaming clinicians instant access to patient records throughout the hospital, while also ensuring top security.

Massachusetts healthcare providers are adopting health information technology and health data exchange and drawing consumer support for going digital, according to a new study from Massachusetts eHealth Institute.

Geisinger Health System announced a new initiative this week that will offer patients access to advanced cancer treatment protocols and clinical trials. By partnering with Hamburg, Germany-based Indivumed, the health system has set its sights on the "next generation" of oncology, according to President and CEO Glenn D. Steele, Jr., MD.