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HIT Adoption Among California Dentists

What's the level of interest among California dentists in adopting health information technology, such as electronic dental health records, and how many are already making use of such systems? This snapshot of survey data provides some answers.

Diabetic Retinopathy: Call for Applications

This project will support clinics in providing remote diabetic retinopathy screenings to patients by funding retinal cameras, software, and expert consultation from the UCB School of Optometry. Applications are being accepted now through October 2010.

Revisiting the HITECH Act, One Year Later

A new report examines the progress implementing the U.S. government's multi-billion-dollar effort to jump-start adoption of information technology tools in the health care industry. Recommendations for further action by the White House and Congress are included.

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Data Points

08/27/2010

What Percentage of Home Health and Hospice Agencies Use Electronic Health Record Systems?

In 2007, 43% of home health and hospice agencies had an electronic health record system, compared with 32.3% in 2000, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. Meanwhile, 20.6% of home health and hospice agencies reported using telemedicine in 2007, the study found.

08/18/2010

How Does Your Organization Determine if Patients Are Eligible for Social Service Benefits?

Twenty-one percent of survey respondents reported using an automated system to enroll patients in health and human services programs, while 38% of respondents said they use a manual process. Respondents cited reduced levels of uncompensated care and saved staff time as the biggest benefits to using IT to enroll patients in social services programs.

08/11/2010

What Percentage of U.S. Adults Have Ever Gone Online To Look for Health Care Information?

In 2010, 76% of U.S. adults reported that they have looked online for health information, compared with 51% of adults in 2004 and 27% in 1998, according to a new survey. Of the adults who reported looking online for health information, 86% said they were successful and 85% said the health information they found online was reliable.

08/04/2010

What Types of Physician Practices Have Access to Electronic Prescribing Systems?

Nearly 42% of physicians in 2008 reported having access to electronic prescribing systems in their practices. However, access varied by practice characteristics. For example, 91.5% of physicians in group/staff HMOs reported access to e-prescribing, compared with 30.1% of solo-practice physicians and 43.9% of physicians in hospital-owned practices.

07/28/2010

What Percentage of Health Care Providers Recommend Health Websites to Patients?

Eighty-three percent of online registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses report recommending health-related websites to patients in 2010, according to a new report. In comparison, 59% of online physicians say they recommend health-related websites to patients.

07/21/2010

How Important Do You Consider Certification When Evaluating an Ambulatory EHR System?

Nearly 90% of health care providers surveyed said certification is important or very important when evaluating ambulatory electronic health record systems, according to a recent survey. Just 2% of health care providers surveyed said certification is not important, while 9% of respondents said they were unsure how important certification is when considering an ambulatory EHR system.

07/14/2010

Should Prescribers Be Able To Use E-Prescribing Technology for Controlled Substances?

Ninety-three percent of health IT professionals surveyed believe that clinicians should be able to use electronic prescribing technology to prescribe controlled substances. One-third of survey respondents said that the Drug Enforcement Administration's recent interim final rule addressing e-prescribing for controlled substances would significantly increase the use of e-prescribing.

07/07/2010

When Will Your Organization Be Prepared To Apply for 'Meaningful Use' Incentives?

Fifty percent of health care CIOs and health IT executives say their organizations will be ready to apply for "meaningful use" incentives by 2011, according to a new survey. Seventy-nine percent said their organizations will be ready to apply for the incentives in 2012, while 89% said their organization will be ready in 2013.

06/30/2010

Who Should Have Access to Information Stored in Patients' Electronic Health Records?

Seventy-eight percent of U.S. adults say their physicians should have access to information included in their electronic health records, while just 30% believe insurers should have access to information in their EHRs, according to a new survey. Forty-two percent of respondents said they were unsure whether their primary care physician uses an EHR system.

06/23/2010

What is the Most Critical Influencer for Use of RFID Technology in Health Care Organizations?

Thirty-six percent of health IT professionals said the ability to improve patient safety and/or reduce medical errors is the most critical influencer for the use of radio frequency identification tools in health care organizations. Meanwhile, 20% of respondents said inventory management/asset control is the most critical influencer of RFID use, and 19% cited hospital operation improvements.

06/16/2010

Which Group Has the Least To Gain From the Conversion to Electronic Health Records?

Twenty-six percent of U.S. adults said patients have the least to gain from the conversion to electronic health records, according to a new survey. Another 26% of adults said all groups would gain equally from the conversion to EHRs, while 9% of respondents said the federal government had the least to gain from the switch to EHRs.

06/10/2010

Which of the Following Information Have You Looked for Online in the Past Year?

According to a recent survey, 38% of U.S. adults have researched a specific medical condition online in the past year, while 26% have researched a specific drug or medication online and 10% have researched health insurance providers online. The survey also found that 7% of U.S. adults have researched health care quality online and 5% have gone online for health care cost information.

06/02/2010

How Many U.S. Adults Go Online To Find Prescription Drug Information?

In 2009, 102.3 million U.S. adults went online for prescription drug information, up from 93.5 million U.S. adults in 2008 and 45.7 million U.S. adults in 2004, according to a Manhattan Research survey. Researchers cite health care costs and older consumers becoming more comfortable with the Internet as some of the reasons for the increase.

05/26/2010

What Online Communication Services Do Your Children's Health Care Providers Offer?

Fourteen percent of parents surveyed said they are able communicate online or via e-mail with their children's health care providers regarding minor illnesses or injuries, while 47% said such access would be very helpful, according to a recent survey. Meanwhile, 11% of parents say they can request prescription refills online and 9% say they can schedule appointments online.

05/20/2010

Did You Use a Google Search the Last Time You Looked for Health Care Information?

A new survey finds that 46% of women report using a Google search the last time they needed information on a health care issue, compared with 28% of men. Sixty-three percent of women said they believed health information found through a Google search was reliable, compared with 53% of men.

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