02/08/2010
Last week, House Democrats
praised a proposal in President Obama's budget plan that would allocate $110
million to modernize CMS' data collection system and link quality of care to
payments. Another proposal would allocate $250 million to combat health care
fraud. NextGov
.
02/04/2010
National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal writes that the primary purpose of the HITECH Act is to improve health care quality and efficiency. Blumenthal also describes how the act aims to help health care providers adopt health IT tools. New England Journal of Medicine.
02/02/2010
Under President Obama's fiscal year 2011 budget plan, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT would receive about $78 million, a $17 million increase from the current fiscal year. The president's budget also includes federal funds for health IT initiatives related to comparative effectiveness research, medical fraud, patient safety and privacy. Healthcare IT News et al.
02/02/2010
The Social Security Administration has awarded $17.4 million to help 15 regional health information networks accelerate electronic disability claims processing. The projects will build on SSA's collaboration with Virginia's regional health information exchange. Government Health IT.
02/01/2010
A new Government Accountability Office report finds that the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have achieved interoperability between their electronic health record systems. However, the report also found that the agencies have many challenges to overcome before they can debut their joint virtual lifetime EHR project. Federal Computer Week, Government Health IT.
02/01/2010
NIH has announced a new policy that would require manufacturers of CT scans and other imaging tests to implement software that would track the amount of radiation patients receive. NIH physicians would record the radiation exposure data in patient EHRs. USA Today, Reuters.
02/01/2010
Several medical associations recently sent a letter asking the Federal Trade Commission to exempt health care professionals from the "Red Flags" rule requiring businesses to take specific steps to safeguard against identity theft. Health Data Management, HealthLeaders Media.
01/21/2010
This week, Sen. Chuck Grassley sent a letter asking 31 hospitals to describe problems they have encountered with health IT systems. Grassley also inquired about health IT vendor contracts, liability issues and patient safety concerns. The latest inquiries follow up on similar letters that Grassley sent to health IT software vendors in October 2009. Modern Healthcare et al.
01/21/2010
For the first time since 1999, the Military Health System has formally adopted a strategic IT and information management plan. The two main goals of the plan are to redesign MHS' IT architecture and to deliver a robust electronic health record system. Government Health IT.
01/20/2010
Ohio officials are considering a proposal that would make it the second state to require health care providers to consult an electronic database before issuing prescriptions for certain pain medications. The measure aims to curb prescription drug misuse in the state. Cleveland Plain Dealer.
01/07/2010
Because of a significant decline in sales, Minnesota will shut down its online prescription drug importation program on March 1. The six-year-old Minnesota RxConnect Web site was the first state-sponsored effort to help residents purchase low-cost prescription drugs from Canada. Minneapolis Star Tribune.
01/04/2010
On Christmas Eve, the Senate voted to approve its health care reform legislation. The bill addresses health IT standards, incentives and grants. Efforts to merge the bill with the House's reform bill are expected to begin later this month when lawmakers return from the holiday recess. Wall Street Journal et al.
01/04/2010
A new Center for Studying Health System Change study finds that commercial electronic health records can facilitate care coordination within a practice by making data available at the point of care but are less useful for coordinating care across different settings. Healthcare IT News, Modern Healthcare.
12/23/2009
Senate leaders have announced plans to hold a final vote on the chamber's health care reform bill Thursday morning. The bill includes provisions requiring health care organizations to adopt certain operating rules for electronic transactions. Health Data Management, The Hill.
12/22/2009
In a report accompanying the 2010 defense appropriations bill, lawmakers called for the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to collaborate on integrating their electronic health systems. President Obama signed the$636 billion bill into law yesterday. NextGov, Bloomberg/Seattle Times.