01/09/2013
A new study published in the journal Health Affairs finds that primary care physicians who receive more technical assistance when using electronic health record systems are more likely to achieve care quality improvements than physicians who receive little or no technical assistance. According to the researchers, EHR implementation alone was not enough to improve care quality. InformationWeek et al.
01/04/2013
A Journal of Urology study finds that online doctor ratings might be based on scores provided by very few patients. The study looked at ratings for 500 urologists across 10 websites and found that ratings were based on an average of 2.4 patient reviews. United Press International, Reuters.
12/10/2012
Two recent studies find that increased use of electronic health record systems and other health IT tools might be associated with a rise in repetitive strain injuries among health care providers. HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report, McKnight's Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living.
12/04/2012
Although diagnostic software can store large volumes of data to help health care providers make decisions, some doctors have been slow to adopt the tools. An expert noted that some providers find it difficult to integrate diagnostic tools into their work flow. New York Times.
12/03/2012
A new report from Leavitt Partners and KLAS Research finds that many health care providers are unsure whether existing health IT tools can meet the needs of accountable care organizations. For the report, researchers grouped ACOs into three categories. FierceHealthIT.
11/28/2012
Forty-eight percent of U.S. physicians are sending electronic prescriptions using an electronic health record system on the Surescripts network, according to a report from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. The report notes that in 19 states, the percentage of physicians e-prescribing via the Surescripts network has increased by at least 50% since 2008. Government Health IT et al.
11/26/2012
Under a new CMS data sharing program, three organizations will combine Medicare claims data with information from private health insurers to generate reports on health care provider performance. The data will not include any personally identifiable information. Modern Healthcare.
11/21/2012
Some physicians are expressing concern about how Florida is establishing a state health information exchange, saying they want more input in the process. Exchange officials say they are focusing on connecting hospitals in the early stages of the project. Tampa Tribune.
11/20/2012
According to a new study, pediatricians are about one to two years behind national averages in implementing fully functional electronic health record systems. In addition, few pediatricians have a fully functional EHR system with pediatric-specific features. MedPage Today.
11/14/2012
A Journal of General Internal Medicine commentary states that health care providers lack guidance on disclosing conflicts of interest in social media posts. The author offers recommendations for making such disclosures. FierceHealthIT, Boston Globe's "White Coat Notes."
11/12/2012
A new study finds that some medical school and residency program admissions officers use social networking websites to research applicants. However, few admissions officers said they had rejected an applicant because of social media postings. Kaiser Health News' "Capsules" et al.
11/05/2012
CMS has extended the deadline by which health care providers must file hardship exemptions for the Medicare electronic prescribing program. Providers now have until Jan. 31, 2013, to file an exemption to avoid payment penalties. American Medical News, Modern Physician.
11/02/2012
According to an Accenture report, many physicians are leaving small practices for larger health care organizations. The report attributes the trend in part to the cost involved in meeting federal requirements for electronic health record implementation. eWeek, Accenture release.
11/01/2012
An article in the Journal of the American Health Information Management Association states that vendors should develop better electronic health record technology for physician practices by focusing on factors like usability and customization. Clinical Innovation & Technology.
10/26/2012
A study finds that nurses initially were less satisfied than physicians with computerized provider order entry systems. However, nurses' satisfaction with CPOE systems increased over the course of one year, while physicians' satisfaction levels remained steady. FierceHealthIT.