03/12/2010
First lady Michelle Obama recently launched the Apps for Healthy Kids competition in an effort to encorage software and game designers to come up with innovative ways to teach children about the importance of health and nutrition through digital mediums. Healthcare IT News.
03/11/2010
For the first time, CDC successfully used data from supermarket data cards to trace the source of a salmonella outbreak. Other health agencies have relied on data card information in the past, but CDC has never before succeeded in using the data in an investigation. AP/Ventura County Star.
02/23/2010
The Indian Health Service plans to upgrade several aspects of its electronic health record system in 2010 to comply with new HHS regulations for "meaningful use" of EHRs dictated by the 2009 federal economic stimulus package. Federal Computer Week.
01/14/2010
A coalition of public safety organizations is urging Congress to provide an additional 10 MHz of radio spectrum for a planned national public safety communications network. Allocating the spectrum for public safety use would require legislative action. Federal Computer Week.
01/12/2010
Californians now can send text messages to receive information about vaccinations for H1N1 influenza. The California Department of Public Health is leveraging the text message campaign and other social media platforms in an effort to reach the younger generation. Sacramento Bee.
12/22/2009
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation sponsors a registry that collects health status and treatment data from cystic fibrosis patients across the country. Such registries allow researchers to analyze drug efficacy and identify the best treatments for specific patients. New York Times.
12/17/2009
HHS has announced plans to develop a national database of claims records from health care payer organizations. Officials said the system would generate large volumes of medical data to help researchers analyze health trends and conduct comparative effectiveness research. HHS plans to seek a vendor to conduct a design study for the proposed claims database project. Government Health IT.
12/14/2009
Initial funding for San Antonio's diabetes registry has expired and privacy concerns prompted changes to the database that could make results less accurate, according to officials. New York City is the only other U.S. city to collect diabetes data to assess treatment efficacy. San Antonio Express-News.
12/11/2009
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality will award $44 million in grants to improve the electronic collection of clinical data for comparative effectiveness research. AHRQ also will award a $4 million grant to fund meetings on electronic comparative effectiveness research. Government Health IT.
12/07/2009
The American Nurses Association has opened up its National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators to help researchers examine how nursing performance might affect patient outcomes. The group has created an online platform for researchers to submit proposals. Modern Healthcare.
11/12/2009
Explorys, a startup firm, is developing a search engine tool that will quickly search large patient record databases to help facilitate medical research. The Cleveland Clinic owns a share of Explorys and is conducting an in-house pilot project of the technology. Cleveland Plain Dealer.
11/11/2009
Google joined forces with HHS, the department's flu.gov partners and the American Lung Association to develop an online tool that lets users determine where they can receive the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines. So far, the flu shot finder includes data for about 20 states. Time, Healthcare IT News.
11/05/2009
HHS will work with the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to monitor H1N1 activity using medical databases. Meanwhile, CDC is tracking H1N1 using school closure information, and Maryland is monitoring data from its hospitals and pharmacies. Government Health IT, HealthLeaders Media.
10/29/2009
Earlier this week, federal officials testified before a House subcommittee meeting about national efforts to track disease outbreaks. Officials said enhanced IT systems could help them monitor disease progression and evaluate stress on the health system in real time. NextGov.
10/26/2009
Today, Rhode Island officials launched a new initiative designed to monitor H1N1 influenza activity through electronic pharmacy records. Officials say the project will allow state health workers to determine which communities are experiencing a surge in flu cases. AP/USA Today et al.