Health Data Management articles from October 2006

Health Data Management archives from October 2006

AHIMA and MGMA Members Face Many I.T. Challenges.(American Health Information Management Association)(Medical Group Management Association)
October 1, 2006... October is a big month for conferences that offer a wealth of I.T. educational opportunities. Members of the American Health Information Management Association will gather Oct. 7-12 in Denver. The Medical Group Management Association's annual...

Newcomer Hits the Physician I.T. Market: "Most companies that come into health care from outside don't appreciate the complexity of it compared with other industries.".
October 1, 2006... Sage Group plc is taking the plunge into the health care information technology market aware of the challenges that come with the opportunity, says Eric Brown, vice president and research director at Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research...

Interpreter Network Comes in Loud and Clear.
October 1, 2006... Three California hospitals have joined together to launch a service that uses voice and video over Internet Protocol technology to enable virtual visits by medical interpreters. Prior to deployment of the Health Care Interpreter Network,...

Can Hospitalists Invigorate CPOE?(computerized physician order entry)
October 1, 2006... The number of hospitalists is growing, and with that growth comes some immediate, and potential, positive side effects. Hospitalists-physicians who practice inpatient medicine-are freeing attending physicians to spend more time seeing patients...

Radiology RHIO Takes Shape in Philadelphia Area.(Regional Health Information Organization )
October 1, 2006... A 10-minute walk typically isn't a major undertaking. But it was for fetal surgeons at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who had to take time out of their tight schedules to walk from the facility to the University of Pennsylvania Medical...

Take the Quick Poll...
October 1, 2006... Visit the Health Data Management Web site and express your opinion on one of health care I.T.'s hot topics. Your comments may appear in a future Readers' Perspectives department. www.healthdatamanagement.com (c) 2006 Health Data...

Newsline Digest.
October 1, 2006... BUSH ORDERS INTEROPERABILITY SUPPORT President Bush has signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to use available interoperability standards when implementing or upgrading health information technology systems. Further, federal...

Stock Chart.(statistical table)(Statistical table)
October 1, 2006... Price as Price a % One Six One Mkt. on of 52 month month Year YTD Cap. Health care software cos. 9/1/06 Wk High Change Change Change Change ($mil) Allscripts Healthcare $20.81 92.0% ...

Bar Codes vs. RFID: A Battle Just Beginning: As bar codes and RFID square off in some arenas, clinical and I.T. leaders weigh the pros and cons of each.
October 1, 2006... S Gerald Sandler, M.D., has used both bar codes and radio frequency identification technology during his research on ways to effectively automate the blood transfusion process. Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, where Sandler serves...

Hospitals Soak Up Technology For Sponge Counts.
October 1, 2006... Most hospitals require clinicians to conduct manual sponge counts both before and after each surgical procedure to ensure sponges that were used are removed before the patient is sewn up. But these procedures aren't always followed, and as...

Backing Up With Bar Codes.(Capital Regional Medical Center )
October 1, 2006... For the past 18 months, Capital Regional Medical Center has been using active radio frequency identification technology to track frequently used supplies. The Tallahassee, Fla.-based hospital, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA, is using...

Metamorphosis in the HIM Department: I.T. is helping push health information management further down the path of transformation.
October 1, 2006... Information technology is morphing medical records departments into new shapes and sizes as it becomes an agent of change across health care organizations. Some might view the multi-dimensional changes as unsettling, with health...

CIOs See HIM Ties Strengthen.
October 1, 2006... Community General Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y., is deploying an electronic medical records system that will become the legal record for the 356-bed facility. It's an example of how health information management and information technology are...

Plotting, And Staying, The Course.(Health care industry and information technology)
October 1, 2006... Hospitals and other provider organizations that have not yet begun to unite their health information management and information technology departments can learn from their peers. Often brought together by electronic medical records system...

Sprucing Up Practice Management: New functions are being added to the software and bringing new efficiencies.
October 1, 2006... Six times a month, Susana Gummel used to stay late at the office, sometimes four hours late, running reports to assess business issues at Princeton (N.J.) Medical Group. Now, a new module in the practice management system at the...

Vendor Pitch: Install Now, Confirm Benefits, Then Pay.
October 1, 2006... On Nov. 7, 2005, Comprehensive Urology in Los Angeles went live on an integrated practice management/electronic medical records system. In early August, the two-physician practice received its first bill from the vendor, Alteer Corp. of Irvine,...

Common Mistakes Imperil I.T. Changes.
October 1, 2006... Vendors and consultants that routinely replace practice management systems say physician offices commonly have expectations that are off the mark. "They universally will underestimate the money and resources it takes to switch out a...

Underserved Clinics Collaborate on I.T.: California community clinics work together on new technology.
October 1, 2006... Community clinics specialize in caring for the uninsured and indigent in a neighborhood. These same clinics often are underserved themselves in terms of information technology. But in the San Diego area, a group initially formed to help these...

Supply Chain Mantra: 'Never Run Out': Procurement system enables hospital to cut costs while keeping supplies moving.
October 1, 2006... Getting medical supplies where they needed to go at Mountain View, Calif.-based El Camino Hospital used to be a costly and labor-intensive process. The 395-licensed bed facility would receive bulk deliveries and store the supplies until...

Contracts Update.
October 1, 2006... The Contracts Update section includes announcements of contracts that health care information technology companies have signed with customers in recent weeks. Contract news can be sent to Health Data Management by e-mail to:...

Readers' Perspectives.(usage of electronic medical records)
October 1, 2006... Q: "Certification of ambulatory electronic medical records truly will help physician practices more easily select the right software for their needs. Do you agree or disagree?" Source: Health Data Management Web site,...