Government & Policy
Strong momentum continues for the meaningful use program as CMS revealed that it has disbursed more than $19 billion in reimbursement incentives. There were 440, 998 registered providers participating in the federal electronic health record incentive program as of the end of 2013, with $19.2 billion paid out in incentives, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
CCHIT surprised many in the industry this past week when it announced it would be bowing out of the EHR certification game to focus on advisory services and thought leadership. Alisa Ray, executive director and CEO of the standards and testing pioneer, spoke with Healthcare IT News about the rationale behind that decision.
The ONC's Health IT Policy Committee's Privacy and Security Tiger Team is calling for public comment on privacy and policy concerns surrounding patients giving access to their health information.
Somewhere in the wreckage of Katrina, National Coordinator for Health IT Karen DeSalvo said, "there has to be a better way."
A panel convened by the Network for Excellence in Health Innovation and Prescriptions for a Healthy America is urging health IT policymakers to sharpen their focus on medication adherence.
Karen DeSalvo, MD, talks with Healthcare IT News Editor Bernie Monegain about the work ahead and what has influenced her on her way to becoming the national coordinator for health information technology. DeSalvo is the fifth coordinator and the first woman to serve in the post since it was established by President George W. Bush in 2004.
Officials from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology had a presence at this year's Connectathon and were glad to use it as an opportunity to leverage support for interoperability.
A fistful of kinks need to be worked out before social media can truly help patients with chronic diseases.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged a former accountant at healthcare IT company Allscripts with insider trading, trades he's alleged to have conducted through his wife's account. The SEC alleges the violations occurred in April 2012 -- a time when the company was disarray.
Last October and November, as HealthCare.gov struggled to accommodate visitors and offer its promised user experience, HHS staff and contractors were, among other fixes, "adding server capacity" -- suggesting that the U.S. CTO's goals of technological innovation remain to be seen in health programs.