Summit spotlights need for collaboration above all else
Two days of discussion about the influence of technology on healthcare have produced at least one hard truth: Having the latest and best toys doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be successful. The Institute for Health Technology Transformation’s Spring Summit, held May 12 and 13 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., brought together more than 200 healthcare officials to discuss issues ranging from security to vendor management to federal incentives. Some familiar themes emerged: the rise in patient-centered healthcare and telemedicine, the decline of the small practice and the gulf in communication between independent physicians and hospital networks.
Study: Health IT critical to meeting cholesterol guidelines
Kaiser Permanente is crediting healthcare information technology and care coordination as helping more than 40 percent of very high-risk patients reach national cholesterol guidelines – a feat that past studies indicate is difficult to achieve. In 2004 the National Cholesterol Education Program issued revised cholesterol goals recommending people at very high-risk for heart disease move their target LDL or "bad" cholesterol from 100 mg/dL to 70 mg/dL to reduce the risk for another heart attack. Kaiser Permanente is crediting healthcare information technology and care coordination as helping more than 40 percent of very high-risk patients reach national cholesterol guidelines – a feat that past studies indicate is difficult to achieve.
Health IT panel probes NHIN privacy gaps
A Department of Health and Human Services workgroup is wrestling with questions of whether existing laws are strong enough to protect the privacy of patient information conveyed using NHIN Direct, a set of specifications for helping healthcare organizations swap data electronically. The workgroup has sent the Health Information Policy Committee broad recommendations for setting up a "trust framework" that applies to NHIN Direct. Panel members are now beginning to drill down into the details, starting with the business and legal requirements that apply. Healthcare providers have to be assured that existing laws and business agreements safeguard the privacy and security of health information. If not, other measures may need to be taken to fill in the gaps, according to discussions at a May 10 meeting of the committee's NHIN workgroup.
Wisconsin WIRED bill signed into law
A new bill signed into law on May 11 is expected to boost the creation of a statewide health information exchange in Wisconsin. The state legislation authorizes the Wisconsin to designate a nonprofit corporation to receive and administer federal funds to implement a statewide electronic health information exchange. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Wisconsin is receiving $9.4 million for the planning and development of a statewide network.
