02/22/2012
Respondents to the 2012 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's Leadership Survey said that demonstrating meaningful use and implementing ICD-10 code sets are two of their organizations' top IT priorities for the next two years. MedPage Today et al.
02/22/2012
During a Wednesday session at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's 2012 conference in Las Vegas, federal officials offered a "sneak peak" of the proposed regulations for Stage 2 of the meaningful use program. The rules were sent to the Office of the Federal Register today and are scheduled to be posted online tomorrow. Modern Healthcare et al.
02/22/2012
A Deloitte Center for Health Solutions study finds that only 25% of physicians are on track to meet the requirements of the meaningful use program. Many survey respondents said upfront costs pose a major barrier to health IT adoption. National Journal, Deloitte release.
02/21/2012
During the first day of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's 2012 conference in Las Vegas, representatives of two health IT groups called for health care providers to continue working toward ICD-10 implementation. Also at the conference, experts discussed Stage 2 of the meaningful use program, health IT usability and other issues. Government Health IT et al.
02/21/2012
A survey from IVANS finds that 42% of health care providers currently use electronic health records, but 39% do not plan to attest to Stage 1 of the meaningful use program. Respondents also said budget constraints are hindering their ability to share data. Hartford Courant et al.
02/21/2012
New HIMSS Analytics data show that certain types of hospitals are more likely to meet Stage 1 meaningful use requirements. The data show that hospitals with more than 500 beds are more ready than smaller hospitals to achieve Stage 1. Healthcare IT News, HIMSS Analytics release.
02/17/2012
An Optum Institute survey of hospital CIOs finds that about 90% of hospitals have an electronic health record system in place, a significant increase from last year. However, the hospital CIOs cited interoperability as a significant barrier to meaningful use. Healthcare IT News, CMIO.
02/17/2012
During an event in Kansas City, Missouri, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the number of hospitals using electronic health records has more than doubled from 16% in 2009 to 35% in 2011. Sebelius also said new CMS data show that $3.12 billion in EHR incentive payments have been distributed through the meaningful use program. Kansas City Star, HHS release.
02/13/2012
Massachusetts has distributed $14.6 million in Medicaid meaningful use incentive payments to 15 hospitals and 12 health professionals, while New Jersey has distributed $40 million in Medicaid incentive payments to 30 hospitals and 40 physician practices. Becker's Hospital Review et al.
02/13/2012
Preliminary reports from regional extension centers show that waiting for vendor technology upgrades and certification are among the biggest obstacles to meeting meaningful use. According to an analysis, vendor selection accounted for 34% of all reported meaningful use barriers. Government Health IT.
02/07/2012
A Computer Sciences Corporation report looks at lessons learned from Stage 1 of the meaningful use program. The report predicts that Stage 2 criteria will be more stringent, with Stage 1 menu options becoming requirements under Stage 2. Health Data Management, CSC report.
02/03/2012
During this week's Health IT Policy Committee meeting, National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari said he expects the use of health data exchanges to grow in 2012, partly because health IT systems are becoming more interoperable. Healthcare IT News.
01/31/2012
Three Beacon communities are launching text messaging campaigns aimed at helping people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Participants will receive customized texts to help them manage and improve their health. Healthcare Informatics, Government Health IT.
01/30/2012
In a recent blog post, National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari wrote that 2012 will be "the year in which health IT truly comes of age." He also predicted that at least 100,000 health care providers will receive meaningful use incentive payments by the end of this year. CMIO et al.
01/27/2012
Today, the White House announced that U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra is stepping down from his post. During his tenure, Chopra advocated for greater use of health IT and improved government transparency by making more data available online. Politico et al.