03/15/2010
Officials at the Drummond Group said the organization plans to seek the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's seal of approval to test and certify electronic health record systems under the requirements of the 2009 federal economic stimulus package. Healthcare IT News.
03/15/2010
The Certification Commission for Health IT sent comments calling for federal officials to refine the required standards for electronic health record certification. Meanwhile, eHealth Initiative and Premier submitted comments on CMS' proposed "meaningful use" rule. Modern Healthcare et al.
03/12/2010
The Health IT Standards Committee is urging vendors and users of electronic health record modules to monitor the products for potential security breaches. The recommendation is part of the panel's comments on the interim final rule on EHR certification. Government Health IT.
03/09/2010
California officials have selected the new organization Cal eConnect to develop a statewide health data exchange. The project aims to help health care providers qualify for incentive payments from the 2009 federal economic stimulus package. San Francisco Business Times, HealthLeaders Media.
03/08/2010
Although the American Academy of Family Physicians said it agrees with many of the stated goals of the proposed "meaningful use" criteria, it also believes significant changes should be made to make the rules more workable and reduce redundancy. Modern Healthcare.
03/03/2010
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking contractors to test health information exchange standards to determine how effectively they meet the needs of providers and health organizations. The stimulus package requires the testing. Government Health IT.
03/03/2010
During the HIMSS 2010 conference yesterday, National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal announced that ONC has released a notice for proposed rulemaking on electronic health record certification. Also at the conference, the Federal Health Architecture showcased interoperability projects, and several EHR vendors unveiled new applications. Health Data Management et al.
03/02/2010
The Federal Communications Commission recently conducted a survey that found that the U.S. lacks sufficient broadband Internet connections to facilitate effective health information exchange. FCC recommends creating broadband access funds and changing reimbursement policies to help develop a stronger broadband infrastructure for the health care industry. Government Health IT.
03/02/2010
During the HIMSS conference, Military Health System officials announced plans to deploy an electronic health record system for the White House and other sites. Other speakers offered advice on applying for health IT grants and securing patient data. Government Health IT et al.
03/02/2010
Modern Healthcare's annual IT survey finds that the "meaningful use" requirements for electronic health records are dominating the IT priorities for health care providers. Other concerns include data breach notification requirements and information exchange. Modern Healthcare.
03/02/2010
HHS is not using a new Web site for health privacy breaches to provide the kind of details about the lapses that would be most useful to consumers, according to columnist David Lazarus. The stimulus package requires HHS to post the data. Los Angeles Times.
03/01/2010
ONC is making available open source software that will allow physicians to create quality reports and analysis on patient health care. The software's quality measure reporting is in line with federal requirements on "meaningful use" of health IT. Government Health IT.
03/01/2010
A new HIMSS survey finds that nearly half of surveyed health care leaders say they anticipate an increase in health IT spending as health care organizations attempt to garner federal incentive payments for the "meaningful use" of electronic health records. HealthLeaders Media.
03/01/2010
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives is calling for federal officials to adopt an incremental approach that would allow health care providers to meet the "meaningful use" standards in stages. CHIME said current "all-or-nothing" requirements would widen the digital divide between health care organizations with different health IT capacities. Modern Healthcare et al.
03/01/2010
During a symposium prior to the 2010 HIMSS conference, a CMS official said health data exchanges could place significant burdens on financial information systems. Other symposia discussed "meaningful use," data security and other issues. Health Data Management et al.