Workflow

With little news on Stage 2 meaningful use updates since the proposed rule in April, the Medical Group Management Association is calling on CMS to extend the 2015 reporting period.

A health system based in Kentucky has added security muscle targeted at its network-connected medical devices by rolling out technology that monitors the devices for cyber vulnerabilities.

Intermountain Healthcare opened a state-of-the-art simulation center at one of its hospitals this week. It's a place where doctors, nurses and healthcare staff can practice and perfect their skills while employing technology they will put to work for their patients in real medical situations.

Contrary to a spate of recent studies that show rising physician aggravation with EHR systems, another new poll shows majorities of large practices commending the "enhancements in functionality, service and innovation" of leading vendors.

Physicians are increasingly dissatisfied with their electronic health records. A recent poll found that just 34 percent of physicians said they were happy with their system. Our columnist asks: Should we be alarmed? Or should we even care?

As they grapple with meaningful use and grumble about usability, nearly 20 percent of community hospitals polled for a recent report are "actively looking to replace" their electronic health record vendors.

Critical technologies -- including the electronic health record platform -- at a health network in Missouri went black this past week, and stayed down for 20 hours.

Electronic health records are altering nearly every aspect of the caregiver-patient relationship -- not to mention changing caregivers' workflows with omnipresent tablets, handhelds, wall mounts and mobile carts. Today, nurses are on the front lines of this transformation.

Payer report cards released today by health IT company athenathealth and healthcare communications firm ReviveHealth show insurers strong on operational performance, but still lacking in provider trust.

Around the turn of this century, a saying popped up in certain IT circles: We're all going to agree on specification and compete on implementation. When health IT vendors start adopting and implementing HL7's FHIR spec, things could start to get interesting.