News
Between tight healthcare finances and the swirl of government initiatives, the healthcare IT consulting business has never been better. It seems as if there are more challenges to overcome and higher stakes than ever in today's healthcare climate, causing both providers and payers to line up for help from professional problem solvers.
About 75 percent of Minnesotans' patient records are online, thanks to a user group that has connected eight of the state's largest healthcare organizations and is expected to connect two more within the year.
Congress has passed a bill that exempts doctors and other providers from the Federal Trade Commission's Red Flags Rule, which would have required them to develop and implement written identity theft prevention programs.
Mobile health applications will be distributed predominantly through traditional healthcare channels by 2015 as opposed to app stores, according to a global survey by research2guidance.
Norton Healthcare will use the Microsoft Amalga Unified Intelligence System and Microsoft HealthVault to aggregate and mine data for its Accountable Care Organization initiative.
Communication problems and lack of knowledge are the most frequent causes of medication errors and adverse drug events in primary care practice offices, according to a study of a prototype Web-based medication error and adverse drug event reporting system.
There's little question that electronic health records reduce adverse drug events and improve quality of care. But that doesn't mean healthcare providers shouldn't be doing all they can to make sure they're as safe and as easy to use as possible, said National Coordinator for Health Information Technology David Blumenthal, MD.
The TriZetto Group has announced plans to enhance its care management and value-based solutions for health plan members and their providers through a strategic partnership with clinical analytics developer MEDai.
The 120 network hospitals and 30-plus physician groups participating in Blue Shield of California's claims transparency program continue to see shorter claims cycle times and fewer denials, resulting in significant savings.
In an investment expected to pay dividends as health reform becomes "the law of the land" and healthcare IT use grows, Aetna announced in December that it would spend $500 million to acquire Medicity, a Salt Lake City-based developer of health information exchange (HIE) technology.