Electronic Health Records (EHR, EMR)

"Historically, telehealth hasn't received the attention that it's deserved from the federal government," says Neal Neuberger, executive director of the Institute for e-Health Policy and president of Health Tech Strategies. A case in point is the government's meaningful use program.

Earlier this spring, Maine State Sen. Roger Katz (R-Augusta), introduced a bill to the Legislature's Committee on Health and Human Services titled “An Act To Ensure Patient Privacy and Control with Regard to Health Information Exchanges.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has launched its attestation system – where hospitals and physicians participating in Medicare can verify online that they are meaningful users of certified electronic health records.

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, with more than 1,400 CIO members, is urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to rethink the government’s rulemaking proposals on accountable care organizations. At issue is a provision that would give individuals the option to restrict access to data.

It’s hard to tap the brakes – even ever so slightly – to an initiative like the government’s meaningful use program.

There is no doubt that many healthcare providers feel they were left out of the game when it comes to meaningful use (MU).

For more than two years now, the focus of healthcare conversation has been on how the provider community will ensure “meaningful use” of electronic medical records.

With hospitals "raising the bar" to meet meaningful use requirements, new positions are being created within IT departments that have a focus on quality and data, says one consultant.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is seeking comments on approaches that will enable providers and other healthcare entities to obtain and manage digital certificates that are cross-certified with the Federal Bridge.

Leveraging efficiencies of the electronic health record, four independent physician practices have earned the position of finalist for the 2011 HIMSS Ambulatory Care Davies Award of Excellence.