08/27/2010
A new Health Affairs study suggests that only 2% of hospitals that have adopted electronic health records actually would qualify for the federal government's "meaningful use" incentive payment program. The study authors note that small, rural and critical access hospitals generally would be less likely to meet the meaningful use criteria than urban facilities. AHA News et al.
08/26/2010
The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that it is partnering with the Indiana Health Information Exchange to launch a data exchange pilot program for veterans seeking health care treatment. The program is designed to test the framework of the Nationwide Health Information Network and to advance development of VA's Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record. Indianapolis Star et al.
08/23/2010
A bill in the Illinois Legislature aims to reinstate full public access to a database that provided legal profiles of state physicians, which was removed in February. Meanwhile, a laptop with medical data on Chicago-area patients has been stolen from a hospital. Chicago Tribune et al.
08/20/2010
Mississippi's Medicaid program has signed a contract with health information exchange company Shared Health to establish electronic health record and electronic-prescribing programs, while North Carolina is adopting a health information exchange system. Healthcare IT News et al.
08/20/2010
A recent study finds that electronic health record adoption at relatively large, well-known hospitals in densely populated areas can spur EHR adoption at nearby facilities. Researchers also found that a hospital's "celebrity status" influences neighboring facilities. United Press International, CMIO.
08/19/2010
A study finds that adopting basic electronic health record systems does not necessarily translate into improved hospital emergency department wait times, citing possible administrative challenges with partial EHR adoption. The Hill's "Healthwatch," Wall Street Journal's "Health Blog."
08/18/2010
Yesterday, Missouri's top health official announced that the state would begin republishing older information on hospital infection rates to its website. Consumer advocates had criticized the state's previous policy of deleting the data after one year. St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
08/18/2010
U.S. hospitals could save an estimated $40 billion annually if facilities effectively implement health IT strategies, according to a new report from consulting firm McKinsey. The report also outlined ways hospital executives could best recover IT investments. Fierce Health IT, NextGov.
08/17/2010
A new report from Computer Sciences Corp. concludes that electronic health record systems that satisfy data capture rules might not meet all of the Stage 1 requirements necessary to demonstrate "meaningful use" of EHRs under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package. The report classifies 65% of the requirements as "hidden" elements of meaningful use. InformationWeek.
08/16/2010
Missouri health officials have purged a website containing hospital infection rates from 2005 to 2008, saying the information is too costly and sensitive to maintain. Consumer advocates say the information is necessary to assess hospital performance. St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
08/13/2010
CMS recently addressed a range of questions from hospital representatives about the federal government's regulations on the "meaningful use" of electronic health records. CMS provided several pieces of information during the meeting. The question-and-answer session is part of the agency's efforts to address health care providers' concerns about the incentive program. InformationWeek.
08/12/2010
More than 40 health care providers have received grants from the Cardinal Health Foundation to improve care quality and efficiency. Several grants apply to health IT-related projects in hospital operating rooms and for medication management. Healthcare IT News.
08/09/2010
New legislation introduced in the Senate would make mental health care providers eligible for federal incentive payments for the "meaningful use" of electronic health records. Meanwhile, a separate Senate bill would permit multicampus hospital systems to collect EHR incentive payments for each hospital in their system. The Hill's "Healthwatch," AHA News.
08/09/2010
The growth in social media has led health care facilities to set rules for how staff can work with the technology. Many hospitals already have faced numerous issues as they incorporate social media into their marketing plans. Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Business Journal.
08/06/2010
CMS is urging Medicare providers to update information in an agency database to ensure prompt and accurate payments. In addition, reports of hospital-acquired infections will be required starting next year. NextGov, Health Data Management.