03/15/2010
The Certification Commission for Health IT sent comments calling for federal officials to refine the required standards for electronic health record certification. Meanwhile, eHealth Initiative and Premier submitted comments on CMS' proposed "meaningful use" rule. Modern Healthcare et al.
03/12/2010
A Senate jobs bill passed this week includes a provision that would make it easier for certain hospital-based physicians to qualify for federal incentive payments for the "meaningful use" of electronic health records. Currently, the 2009 federal economic stimulus package excludes all hospital-based physicians from the EHR incentive program. Health Data Management et al.
03/12/2010
FDA is asking 350 hospitals to report health IT system malfunctions that could jeopardize patient safety. The agency specifically is looking to identify problems with electronic systems that help physicians prescribe medications. Huffington Post Investigative Fund.
03/11/2010
The Department of Veterans Affairs is working to develop Aviva, a new electronic health record system designed to supplant the agency's 20-year-old VistA EHR platform. The Aviva system is designed to be Web-enabled and interoperable with other agencies' health IT systems. Government Health IT.
03/11/2010
On Thursday, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT published in the Federal Register a proposed rule creating a temporary and a permanent program to approve entities to certify electronic health records. The public will have 30 days to comment on the temporary program and 60 days to comment on the permanent one. Healthcare IT News, Health Data Management.
03/10/2010
During a work group meeting yesterday, federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra said officials are looking to the public and private sectors for examples of effective use of health IT that could encourage further adoption. Government Health IT, Modern Healthcare.
03/08/2010
A recent Medical Group Management Association survey found that more than two-thirds of physicians believe their productivity will decrease as they strive to meet the "meaningful use" requirements for health IT. Many respondents said they expect to encounter difficulty providing patients with electronic copies of their health records within a certain time frame. Modern Healthcare et al.
03/08/2010
Consumer Partnership for eHealth recently published consumer and employer responses to 10 common concerns about the "meaningful use" rules. Consumers generally said they do not expect the criteria to be out of reach for health care providers. Healthcare IT News.
03/08/2010
Although the American Academy of Family Physicians said it agrees with many of the stated goals of the proposed "meaningful use" criteria, it also believes significant changes should be made to make the rules more workable and reduce redundancy. Modern Healthcare.
02/26/2010
Sen. Chuck Grassley has sent letters asking HHS Secretary Sebelius and HIMSS CEO Stephen Lieber about the possibility of increasing FDA's authority to regulate health IT. He also expressed concern about the current lack of attention on health IT-related safety issues. The letters are the latest of Grassley's inquiries into the health IT industry. Health Data Management, Modern Healthcare.
02/25/2010
A Government Accountability Office review of four health information exchanges concluded that data sharing can improve the coordination and quality of medical care. GAO also found that the exchanges were adhering to proper patient privacy guidelines. Modern Healthcare.
02/25/2010
During yesterday's meeting, the Health IT Standards Committee recommended adding greater flexibility to certification standards for electronic health records. The panel said officials could develop a framework that would allow the certification criteria to evolve over time. The committee is expected to submit its recommendations at the beginning of next month. Government Health IT.
02/24/2010
The Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced plans to expand its Program Management and Accountability System to monitor progress in its entire portfolio of 282 IT projects. The portfolio includes numerous health IT initiatives. NextGov, Healthcare IT News.
02/24/2010
Tomorrow, Jeffrey Shuren of FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health is expected to testify about health IT system malfunctions that have contributed to patient safety risks. The reports are leading some stakeholders to recommend that the federal government increase its oversight of the health IT industry. Huffington Post Investigative Fund.
02/23/2010
Yesterday, President Obama released a health care reform proposal that includes provisions related to health IT. The plan calls for the federal government to leverage health IT tools and establish databases to monitor health care fraud. In related news, the Obama administration also has announced the creation of a new federal health IT task force. Federal Computer Week et al.