February 7th 2025
Doctors handle their patients with care, and they need to do the same with data.
Indianapolis VA joins pilot HIE project
September 16th 2010The Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Indianapolis will partner with the Indiana Health Information Exchange, the largest health information exchange organization in the United States, to securely exchange electronic health record (EHR) information using the Nationwide Health Information Network in the third of three pilot programs announced by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the delivery of veterans? health information.
Cincinnati, Detroit last two of 17 Beacon Communities
September 16th 2010Cincinnati and Detroit are the two final pilot cities selected under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Beacon Community Program, which aims to use health information technology to help tackle leading health problems in communities across the country and accelerate development of a nationwide health IT infrastructure.
First two EHR certification bodies named
September 16th 2010The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology and the Drummond Group Inc. are the first two technology review bodies authorized by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to test and certify electronic health record systems for compliance with the standards and certification criteria that were issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year. Applications for additional certification bodies also are under review.
No consensus on broadband access and healthcare information
August 26th 2010Americans are divided about whether broadband Internet access is an advantage when it comes to obtaining health information, according to the results a national phone survey by the Pew Research Center?s Internet & American Life Project.
Telemonitoring helps patients with chronic heart failure
August 26th 2010Support and monitoring via the telephone for patients who have chronic heart failure helps reduce the risk of mortality from all causes, and hospitalizations related to the chronic heart failure, according to a study recently published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. These interventions also were found to improve patient quality of life, reduce costs, and improve evidence-based prescribing.
Web searches, patient-doctor conversations often linked
August 26th 2010Fifty-three percent of those going online for health information report that they have discussed information they found online with their doctors, and 51% say they have searched for information on the Web based on discussions with their doctors, according to a new Harris Poll.
World Health Organization launches global EHR standards program
August 13th 2010The increasing use of electronic health records has led to a collaboration between the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organization (IHTSDO) and the World Health Organization to harmonize WHO classifications with the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine?Clinical Terms maintained and distributed by IHTSDO.
Advanced features of e-prescribing often overlooked by physicians
August 13th 2010Even when physicians have access to e-prescribing capabilities, many do not routinely use the technology, particularly the more advanced features the federal government is promoting with financial incentives, according to a new study by the Center for Studying Health System Change.
FCC, FDA to promote broadband, wireless use in healthcare
August 13th 2010The Federal Communications Commission and the Food and Drug Administration have announced a joint effort to help ensure that the capabilities of broadband use in healthcare and wireless-enabled medical devices are fully realized.
EHR certification important, but needs clarification
August 13th 2010Sixty-six percent of healthcare providers responding to a recent survey said that certification is a very important element in the process they use to evaluate ambulatory EHRs, but 52 percent erroneously thought that they must purchase an EHR certified by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology to receive stimulus funds to cover the purchase.
HHS Web site is database of public, private health insurance plans
July 15th 2010The Department of Health and Human Services has launched a new Web site aimed at helping consumers access healthcare coverage. HealthCare.gov is the first central database of public and private health coverage options, according to the government.
ONC establishes temporary EHR certification program
July 15th 2010The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has established a temporary certification program through which it will authorize organizations to test and certify electronic health record technology.
Obstacles to clinical data use remain, healthcare providers say
June 24th 2010One obstacle to better use of clinical data within healthcare organizations is that capturing discrete patient data and entering that data in a computable format appear to be daunting, resource-intensive tasks, according to healthcare providers participating in a study, the findings of which are summarized in a white paper titled, Can Organizations Maximize Clinical Data?
National initiative will share health data to spur creation of new apps
June 24th 2010A national initiative by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Institute of Medicine aims to improve access to health data so that developers of Web and mobile phone applications, social media, and other information technologies can create tools designed to improve health.