Practice Technology

Why EHR interoperability remains an elusive goal

Devices generate their own forms of data, most of which aren’t compatible with EHRs

The electronic health record industry might look markedly different than it does today

Experts discuss how the federal government will approach technology during Trump presidency

Using registry data to elevate benchmarking and performance

With the advent of new technologies (particularly those enabling real-time video communication), telehealth is becoming an increasingly common means of providing healthcare services.

Online outlets provide savings, but physician buy-in remains varied

Virtually all primary care physicians engage in coordinated care to some degree, but the extra emphasis placed on it now by healthcare policymakers, along with new reimbursement models and reporting requirements, has primary care doctors looking for ways to improve how they coordinate care.

In smaller practices, the position of security officer is often filled by whoever appears to have the time to fill it.

If you and your team haven’t discussed how social media can be used to grow your practice and get seen in a competitive market, I hope you keep reading. Finding success with social media takes time and energy, but it’s never too late to start building momentum.

Vendors don’t offer identical features and services, leaving physicians to determine which one offers the right fit.

Here’s what features and functions vendors should add to improve their software for physicians.

Avoid repeating these common errors

What the Telehealth Innovation and Improvement Act would mean for PCPs

More than 80% of security breaches result from human errors

Experts predict an increasing number of patients will want, and need, to share data generated from devices, forcing health IT to find ways to keep up.

Studies show documentation remains a significant pain point for physicians, but technology developments on the horizon deliver hope for improvements.

The article “I was hacked” (February 10, 2017) by Dr. George Ellis was quite timely.

Good cybersecurity also means protecting patient data when it’s held by a business associate

Viewed as a small-practice savior for data reporting, CMS has yet to reveal how they can assist with quality metrics

Patients seek digital connections

Electronic heath records (EHRs) and other forms of health information technology have the potential to significantly improve care delivery and patient outcomes. But that can’t happen until the technology becomes more user-friendly and patient-focused than it is today.

Internists detail recommendations to reduce the burdens of EHRs, quality metrics and more

Medical note transparency can help patients and physicians communicate better, but many physicians remain tentantive

Most physicians have plans for responding to computer system failures, but many don’t revisit those disaster recovery/business continuity plans with any regularity.

While leaders in healthcare are pushing for an era of digital care, many providers on the frontlines have remained silent observers.

AI will be an increasingly important player in healthcare IT, with better medical care being an expected benefit.

Systems allow physicians and their patients to more easily identify relevant studies, although working such alerts into workflow can be challenging

Electronic health records (EHR) have the ability to transform the current healthcare system into a place of efficiently executed, high-quality, and patient-centered medicine, but only if physicians know how to use these systems to their maximum potential.

Health IT change is coming to nursing facilities and home health agencies, fixing a problem for physicians