08/25/2010
Women who get text message reminders to take birth control pills are just as likely to miss a dose as women who do not receive texts. Text messaging is being tested as a way to boost medication adherence in other areas. MedPage Today, Wall Street Journal's "Health Blog."
08/24/2010
Several companies are offering “telecaregiver” services in an effort to help older adults remain independent longer. The services rely on video cameras and motion sensors to remotely monitor and assist elderly individuals in their homes. NPR's "Morning Edition."
08/23/2010
The federal government's timeline for health care providers to adopt electronic health records could cause some providers to hastily buy EHRs and others to avoid adopting them entirely, an opinion piece co-authored by former HHS Deputy Secretary Tevi Troy states. Washington Times.
08/20/2010
Federal attorneys are launching a new legal offensive against online pharmacies that deliver prescription medications without requiring valid prescriptions. Two such pharmacies in Illinois and Utah have been identified in court documents. Affidavits indicate that the Illinois pharmacy collaborated in shipping 30,000 packages of drugs nationwide during the first six months of 2010. CNN.
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.
08/13/2010
More than 100 entities that have reported data breaches affecting at least 500 individuals could pay about $834 million in total costs to address the violations, according to a new report. Since September of last year, there have been 130 reported security breaches involving patient data. HealthLeaders Media.
08/12/2010
A recent federal report found several barriers to greater use of technology that performs practice-based population health functions. Physicians with electronic health records are more likely to perform PBPH functions than those with paper records. InformationWeek.
08/06/2010
Yesterday, Washington state health officials unveiled a new database that aims to provide consumers with information about the number, type and date of serious medical errors that have occurred at hospitals and other medical facilities statewide. Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
08/04/2010
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and FDA differ in their approach to electronic health record system regulation. FDA advocates for more controls to ensure EHR safety, while ONC states that strict regulations could hinder EHR adoption. Huffington Post Investigative Fund.
08/02/2010
A new remote monitoring system that resembles a Band-Aid could help patients and physicians better monitor chronic conditions. Although such devices could improve care, some experts say more regulation is needed. NPR's "All Things Considered."
08/02/2010
New technology allows adult children to monitor their elderly parents' daily routines and habits to help the parents live independently longer. Specifically, the systems allow relatives to monitor their parents' daily medication intake and track their motions. New York Times.
07/28/2010
In January, CMS will start a $10 million demonstration project of imaging software packages aligned with clinical decision support systems, intended to help health care providers decide what type of scans and tests to order for patients. HealthLeaders Media.
07/28/2010
The new HHS initiative stresses the need to link regional health IT systems and to have electronic health records track health-related events in emergency situations. The plan is part of HHS' National Health Security Strategy. Government Health IT.
07/27/2010
A new report finds that 94% of physicians said they use smartphones to manage workflow and access medical information. However, respondents expressed concern with the volume of information they receive. Health Data Management et al.