Government & Policy

The White House held a two-hour town hall meeting on Tuesday to get the pulse of how health IT is advancing nationwide, according to one panelist at the private session.

ONC wants to standardize data access so it can be automated and go from machine to machine, Fridsma said.

Northrop Grumman, Aegis and Terrarecon used last week's Government Health IT Conference to reveal and discuss plans for cloud computing and mobile health technologies.

With mobile devices growing in number and scope, the risks they present are, too. Covered entities can, and must, commit to protecting patients' privacy.

A former governor, a serving senator, and a 15-year old exchange strike to the core debate about whether being pro-health reform also means a politician cannot be conservative.

HIMSS vice president Dave Roberts is running for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in a non-partisan race. Even there, healthcare is as contentious an issue as they come.

All are anxiously awaiting the ruling due by June's end, but some states are stalling on health reform measures, while others are forging ahead. But even if the Supreme Court strikes down the law, or pieces of it, there are at least 3 aspects states should continue pursuing.

While Delaware is moving slowly on health insurance exchanges and other pieces of health reform, it has demonstrated it is an innovator, having established the first operational statewide health information exchange in the country in May 2007.

The changes taking place in U.S. healthcare as a result of rapid healthcare IT adoption leave the nation's health IT chief Farzad Mostashari optimistic – especially about improving quality, he told the audience at a recent meeting of the National Quality Forum as he urged: "Keep our eyes on the prize."

There is room for improving how the government measures whether hospitals and physicians have met the requirements for meaningful use of EHRs to prevent improper payments, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).