Health Management Technology articles from February 2002

Health Management Technology archives from February 2002

Quality as a career. (From The Editor).(Editorial)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... This editorial began, surprisingly, with a press release. Last December, the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA) announced results of its study measuring the effectiveness of a health reference book, What To Do When Your Child Gets Sick,...

Bush signs compliance delay; strings attached. (HIPAA Update).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Closing out a frenetic year in regulatory maneuvering, President George W. Bush signed into law a bill that gives many healthcare organizations the HIPAA compliance delay they wanted, but also attaches enough strings to keep them focused on...

Software certification part of new NCQA standards. (Disease Management).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A review and certification for the design of clinical information systems is a part of the new disease management (DM) standards just released by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. In December, the NCQA finalized the industry's first...

Websites earn URAC accreditation. (Internet Healthcare).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... URAC has announced the first 13 healthcare websites to attain independent accreditation for meeting quality and accountability standards. WebMD, WellMed, InteliHealth, Healthwise, and the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) were...

Technology use increases at physician practices. (Practice Management).
February 1, 2002... Newly released information on a year-old survey of 981 practice administrators and managers by the American Medical Association indicates that "nearly every" physician practice uses computers, 85 percent have networked their computers, and 75...

Healthcare software ranked. (Awards).(KLAS Enterprises report)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... KLAS Enterprises, a healthcare research and consulting firm based in Draper, UT, has released its 2001 HIT Performers, the annual ranking of healthcare software applications based on the reports of more than 1,000 CIOs, CFOs and other...

Healthcare low spender on Information Security. (Security).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The healthcare industry came out on the low side nationally when it comes to spending on IT security, according to a recent survey of 2,545 information security professionals by Trusecure, Predictive Systems and Information Security magazine....

A4 acquisition makes it EDIS leader. (IT Acquisitions).(A4 Health Systems acquires EmSTAT)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A4 Health Systems, a North Carolina-based provider of computer-based patient record systems, has acquired EmSTAT Corp. from CyberPlus. The purchase makes A4 the largest EDIS vendor in the U.S., with more than 70 emergency department information...

Cerner buys Dynamic Healthcare. (IT Acquisitions).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Shareholders of Dynamic Healthcare Technologies approved the company's sale to Cerner Corp., Kansas City, MO. Cerner announced the completion of the purchase on Dec. 17 and will pay about $21 million, including $19 million in stock and $2...

A practical approach: Maine Medical Center works toward HIPAA compliance as part of an enterprise-wide IT strategic plan. (HIPAA Watch).(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... HIPAA is hardly the only IT-related issue you're facing. With limited budgetary dollars and staff resources, approaching HIPAA compliance as an end, in and of itself, doesn't seem prudent. Can HIPAA be harnessed as an opportunity to address...

IT in the ED: the nature of emergency department medicine means specific and comprehensive IT needs for clinicians. (Emergency Department Information Systems).
February 1, 2002... The fast-paced environment of a hospital emergency room often leads to information overload. Yet those who regularly deal with a quick turnaround of patients, split-second decision making and detailed discharge instructions know that most...

Teaching future physicians: technology, academics and patient care join forces in a mobile world. (Wireless).
February 1, 2002... Jeff is a third year medical student. He spends his days rotating through multiple hospitals and external clinics in a healthcare system that covers a 20-mile radius. How do medical schools provide timely, pertinent information to students...

At the speed of EDI: physician practice converts to EDI and slashes both its claims turnaround and accounts receivable days. (EDI/Data Transactions).
February 1, 2002... Financials aside, sometimes the toughest part of eliminating inefficiency is determining exactly where in its cycle to interrupt it and begin the correction process. Martin's Point Health Care in Portland, ME is a 40-physician group...

Assessing risk based on episodes of care: software helps MCOs identify future risks and rally resources. (Managed Care).
February 1, 2002... Risk and cost can be dangerous words. Too much of the unmitigated former can lead to too much of the uncontrolled latter. For managed care organizations (MCOs), health plans and pharmaceutical organizations, that can spell trouble. As...

Influencing physician practice variation: the future of evidence-based medicine portends use of information that is cumulative and evolutionary, not static. (Evidence-Based Medicine).
February 1, 2002... The business case for decision support in healthcare is predicated on the need to reduce costs and the opportunity to do so by addressing the variation phenomenon. We should reduce healthcare costs because: 1) Older people use much more...

Talking it through: busy physical therapy practice converts from manual transcription to voice recognition. (What Works: Speech Recognition).
February 1, 2002... Fulfilling the requirements for Medicare compliance is a challenge for every healthcare organization. For a paper-based physical therapy practice, the challenge is accentuated by volumes of referral paperwork and documentation on patients'...

Image this: document imaging carves a clear path to automation for Louisville group practice. (What Works: Document Management).
February 1, 2002... Two years ago, University of Louisville Health Care joined 12 separate health care clinics in the same ambulatory care building into one group under the umbrella of University Physicians Group (UPG), headed by Executive Director Chris Dugger....

Matching skill levels to unit needs: the Johns Hopkins Hospital creates a successful master schedule in obstetrics units with the help of technology. (What Works: Staff Scheduling).
February 1, 2002... Nurses often complete the scheduling of staff on clinical units. This is not something they want to relinquish due to the important role scheduling plays in work life and staff satisfaction. However, balancing unit needs with preferences of...

Reaping the benefits of wireless: Minnesota hospital consortium improves patient care with bedside network access. (What Works: Wireless).
February 1, 2002... Sisu Medical Systems--named after the Finnish word that translates to "tenacity" or "determination"--was born in 1982 when a group of Minnesota community hospitals formed a consortium to manage their IT needs. From our Duluth offices, we...

Conveying an effective message in voice mail or e-mail. (Nursing Technology).
February 1, 2002... Just a few weeks ago, a frustrated manager asked me, "How can I convey what I mean in my written communications? My notes are so matter-of-fact that I often don't think staff understands just how much I value their work or their input. I can...

Emergency Department Systems HotList.(Buyers Guide)
February 1, 2002... The information in HotList is based on survey responses from companies with offerings in the category covered. HotList is not intended to reflect the quality of products or services. Forms are sent to companies listed in the category in HMT's...

Sounds like a nurse.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... McKesson Information Solutions has introduced an enhanced surgical software system with the addition of Perioperative Nursing Data Sets (PNDS), a standardized nursing vocabulary developed by AORN, the Association of periOperative Registered...

A real task master.(Datacap Task Master 5.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Datacap has released Task Master 5.0 and Task Master iCapture, new software tools that extend Datacap's document image and data capture capabilities over the Internet. Task Master 5.0 combines production forms processing capabilities (ICR, OCR,...

There's nothing telephony about this.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... SecureLogix Corporation has launched an ETM (Enterprise Telephony Management) platform. The system addresses telecom security and management issues and provides a robust strategy for security using converging technologies. The new bundled...

The one chart you need.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... ChartOne has introduced the latest version of its Web-based patient chart management solution, View Manager version 2.0. This system gives hospital personnel instantaneous, secure access to patient records from any Web browser. It uses...

Get out of a jam.(Hypercom's SureLoad printer)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Hypercom Corporation has introduced SureLoad, a printer that eliminates paper jamming and reloading problems with two-part, clamshell technology. The new printer allows easy drop-in receipt paper loading and complete access to the paper path,...

Take a RIS.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... RIS Logic Inc. has added scheduling and automated billing enhancements to its RIS Logic technology in a version 4.0. This new version provides electronic claims processing that allows users to automate the entire claims and billing process....

Unravel contracts.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... eHealthContracts has introduced Release 3.0, an upgrade version of its core product. Release 3.0 includes enhancements that add coordination capabilities to existing modeling, tracking and reporting features. Now users can define and store any...

Image is everything.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... StorComm Inc. has announced the release of ImageACCESS Clinical Image Management System (CIMS) version 4.1. The new system features improved workflow capabilities and easier access to patient information. The system also includes Health Level...

You need therapy.(TherapyEdge HIV)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... TherapyEdge Inc. has announced the release of TherapyEdge HIV, a Web-delivered decision-support system. The system graphically tracks and automatically processes a patient's clinical data, including medical conditions, medications, genetic...

Go cart.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... NextRx Corp. has introduced NextCart for hospital medication management. When used as part of the NextRx System, NextCart is rapidly filled by NextCentral which can dispense medications in as little as three seconds and fill 24-hour medication...

Take the xpress.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... HealthTrio offers HealthTrio xpress, designed to meet the administrative needs of health plans and providers. The xpress system is a scalable client/server managed care solution. It helps manage group contract administration, provider...

It's a vision thing.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Cerner has introduced Cerner ProVision, a complete image management solution that is designed to benefit hospitals with reduced costs and improved quality of care by integrating all medical images, from radiology and oncology, into the...

Hear voices.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... SoftMed Systems has introduced VoiceScript, a dictation and voice management system. The system supports both analog and network dictation modes. It enables the retrieval of voice files from network-connected dictation stations. Using standard...

Bringing another good thing to life.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... GE Medical Systems has introduced GE Centricity, a new integrated information system. With GE Centricity, a Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) is combined with Radiology Information Systems (RIS) so disparate patient information...

More than just a claim.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... HNC Software Inc. has launched Payment Optimizer, a predictive software system that identifies high-risk claims before claims are paid. Payment Optimizer uses HNC's profiling and neural network technology, which has been deployed in finding...

As easy as APC.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... 3M Health Information Systems offers 3M APC Expert software, designed to group, estimate costs and reimbursement, and analyze and report on outpatient encounter data. The system also allows users to transform existing UB-92 claims data into...

Talk the BizTalk.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Microsoft is featuring BizTalk Accelerator for HIPAA. BizTalk takes advantage of existing systems, applications and networks, and enables organizations to create solutions that integrate HIPAA compliance into their overall business processes....

Set your recruiting sights even hire.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Engenium, Inc., has introduced HireReasoning, a new concept-based information retrieval software application for human resources and recruiting. Powered by Engenium's Semteric technology, this system automatically identifies qualified...

Help is on the horizon.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Eclipsys' Sunrise product line provides integrated solutions for all aspects of the healthcare enterprise. The systems include the Sunrise Clinical Manager designed for acute and ambulatory environments. The Clinical Manager suite includes...

All in one, one for all.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Siemens has introduced Soarian, a comprehensive healthcare system. The system's process-oriented user interface is designed to help clinicians and administrative staff work more efficiently. The embedded workflow management technology is for...

Immediate access.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... AMICAS, Inc., has introduced Office Suite 4.0, an Internet-based PACS. Office Suite 4.0 enables all authorized personnel across all departments of a facility, and even physicians on their home PCs, with immediate access to a patient's imaging...

A direct view.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Kodak has released two new digital radiology (DR) systems. The Kodak DirectView 7100 is a table-based system for general radiography exams. The tilt table features easy-to-use controls and is capable of either grid or gridless imaging. It...

2002 editorial calendar.(Calendar of Events)
February 1, 2002... 2002 Editorial Calendar ISSUE FOCUS & SPECIAL FEATURES HOTLIST SECTION JANUARY Systems HIMSS Utilization Management Integration Preview ...

Write-offs: doing it right the first time. (Viewpoint).(Column)
February 1, 2002... In my 20 years of working in hospital management, it never ceased to amaze me how much time we spent undoing, redoing and doing away with problems because we didn't do something correctly the first time. Perhaps I noticed this more than...