04/25/2013
To reduce hospital readmissions, health care providers must embrace today's user-friendly technologies to improve communication between care teams. The key will be identifying tools that allow doctors to jump into the communication revolution, without abandoning security and privacy. By Andrew Brooks, M.D.
03/26/2013
A recent College of Healthcare Information Management Executives survey found that health care CIOs earned an average base salary of $208,417 in 2012. But a closer look at the survey data shows that hospital size, titles and reporting relationship matter when it comes to executive compensation. By Fred Bazzoli
01/14/2013
Even with health IT advances and the march toward computerized provider order entry, health care facilities still struggle with the process of medication reconciliation. However, hospitals, with IT companies' help, are beginning to make headway -- if slowly. by Bonnie Darves, iHealthBeat Contributing Reporter
12/03/2012
There's growing evidence that most of the nation's smaller health care facilities are lagging behind in meeting meaningful use requirements. However, Henry County Health Center, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Iowa, found that its small size actually provided advantages in moving ahead with EHRs. By Fred Bazzoli
10/18/2012
Reliable, widespread health information exchange has been elusive in California despite earnest attempts over the past eight years. Now the Institute for Population Health Improvement at the University of California-Davis is stepping up to the plate as the new cooperative agreement partner charged with bringing HIE to fruition. by Mari Edlin, iHealthBeat Contributing Reporter
09/06/2012
The successful adoption of a bar-code bedside medication verification system at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, highlights the importance of planning, project ownership, and end-user support and affirmation. By Fred Bazzoli
08/13/2012
In memory of Dr. Stephen Covey, we relate his "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" to health care CIOs and how they manage their IT departments. CIOs have difficult, complicated and stressful jobs. Who could benefit more from a little simplicity? By Doug Thompson
07/09/2012
Wireless medical devices offer several benefits, such as the ability for clinicians to remotely monitor devices and patients, but experts warn that the technology also poses new security risks. Several groups are pursuing research and best practices into medical device security. by John Moore, iHealthBeat Contributing Reporter
07/02/2012
Most CIOs are feeling the need to better manage or reduce operating expense at the very moment when demand for IT services is peaking. How can CIOs manage competing demands -- such as the meaningful use program and ICD-10 -- without compromising performance? By Ernie Hood and Daphne Lawrence
04/02/2012
The two most crucial drivers of the transformation to accountable care at Dean Health System have been the effective use of technology and data to drive decisions and motivate change. While we still have much further to go, our experiences offer lessons that likely will shape the future of health care. By Craig E. Samitt
01/24/2012
As more and more consumers turn to the Internet when making decisions about their health care, Web presence is becoming increasingly important. A new study evaluates U.S. hospital and health system websites and identifies the top-performing facilities. By Eric Ford
11/21/2011
Hospital CIOs are discovering that qualifying for meaningful use incentive payments is a long-term effort, with changing challenges. While CIOs' timelines have been readjusted, most are cautiously confident as they move ahead with plans to implement electronic health record systems. By Fred Bazzoli
11/07/2011
Integrated systems where health care providers and payers join forces to increase quality of care and reduce costs could successfully reform the health care system. But are there potential privacy issues when payers and providers join forces? By Bruce Merlin Fried and Rebecca Fayed
10/20/2011
The process for a routine colonoscopy procedure can be uncoordinated, inefficient and lack a customer focus. IT solutions commonly found in other industries could significantly improve the patient experience. By Doug Thompson
09/21/2011
Although the Health IT Policy Committee recommended in June that CMS delay Stage 2 by one year for health care providers who attest to meaningful use in fiscal year 2011, CMS has yet to take action. As a result, most hospitals are better off waiting until fiscal year 2012 to attest to Stage 1 of the meaningful use program. By Protima Advani