Health Management Technology articles from February 2004

Health Management Technology archives from February 2004

Targeted by tech.(From The Editor)
February 1, 2004... I admit--I delete a lot of e-mail unopened. Sometimes 70 percent of the daily electronic onslaught is the instant victim of my delete key. Vitamins on sale and low-cost mortgages aren't what this job is about. You probably do the same. Which of...

Standards committee to vote on new model of national EHR.(Electronic Health Records)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Health Level Seven (HL7) is expected to vote next month on a revised version of a proposed national electronic health record (EHR). The model EHR is part of an ongoing effort by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a...

Industry gets closer to longitudinal patient record concept.(Continuity of Care)
February 1, 2004... A different kind of standardized medical record may soon reach provider offices--and patients' hands, too. The continuity of care record (CCR) is an XML document standard for a summary of personal health information that patients can carry from...

California ranks highest in health research among low-income residents.(Consumer e-Health)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Low-income Californians are just as likely as their wealthier counterparts to use the Internet for health information, according to a Pew Internet and American Life Project completed for the California HealthCare Foundation. The most...

Administrative use of IT outstrips clinical applications.(Physician Practices)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Massachusetts physicians are far more likely to adopt information technology to streamline administrative functions than to adopt clinical applications. That's despite the fact that most believe that computers can significantly improve the...

Docs: PDA use at point of care can cut medical mistakes.(Handhelds)(Personal digital assistant.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Physicians say PDA use at the point of care cuts medical errors and provides vital decision support. Nevertheless, just one in five can link their PDAs to the larger hospital IT enterprise, according to research by Skyscape, a Hudson,...

Mayo Clinic database improves speed, accuracy of diagnoses.(Best Practices)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... A cutting-edge comprehensive database at Mayo Clinic facilities will help clinicians diagnose patients more accurately and with greater speed. The Mayo Clinic Life Sciences System, a joint effort between the Mayo Clinic and IBM Life Sciences,...

Insurers focus on Web sites.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Look for major health plans to make Web sites even more consumer-friendly with a natural language search tool, according to a recent Forrester Research report. While most searches allow users to enter keywords or phrases, the newer search...

DM programs control cost of care.(Disease management)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... An Accordant Health Services study indicates that disease management (DM) programs do help control cost of care and improve clinical outcomes. Accordant Health supplies DM solutions for more than a dozen chronic conditions such as ALS,...

California rural providers count on IT.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Information technology helps more than half of California's rural healthcare organizations provide services to patients. The increased use of technology among rural healthcare providers comes at a time when future funding for rural economic...

Safety first: IT has made huge inroads into improving patient safety Four healthcare end-users discuss their organizations' latest IT adoptions of patient safety technologies.(Patient Safety)(Cover Story)
February 1, 2004... While securing patient information has grabbed the spotlight in recent years, ensuring patient safety is still a priority for physicians, nurses and CIOs. Medication errors have been addressed publicly by the Institute of Medicine and by...

Patient safety hotlist.
February 1, 2004... Bar Coding Bridge Medical Inc. 120 S. Sierra Ave. Solana Beach, CA 92075-1811 858-350-0100 Founded: 1996 Product: MedPoint is a bar code-enabled point-of-care system designed to eliminate errors in the medication...

Moving from liability to viability: hospitals, health plans and physician practices can outsmart hackers with policy, a comprehensive security infrastructure and wireless monitoring.(Security)
February 1, 2004... As wireless LANs are deployed in the healthcare market, their benefits become clear: improved accuracy and efficiency for nursing documentation, dramatic decreases in preventable medication errors, greater customer satisfaction through...

Investing in the internet: a community hospital finds that Web-based applications can help it increase cash flow, reduce claim denials and optimize internal business processes.(Internet applications/ASPs: case history)
February 1, 2004... How many directors of patient financial services (PFS) have told their organizations that they have enough cash? Cash makes everyone happy--and those who manage receivables and patient financial services for a living learn the lesson fast. ...

Right on schedule: Kentucky-based regional network eliminates scheduling conflicts and reduces wait times by implementing integrated enterprise scheduling systems. (Scheduling: case history.
February 1, 2004... Any large healthcare provider that wants to prosper must make its patients, physicians and staff happy, or it won't be in business very long. Key to fostering this behavior is utilizing a system that quickly and efficiently schedules procedures...

Shining bright: HIMSS conference and exhibition illuminates the increasing importance of IT in healthcare organizations.(HIMSS 2004 Preview)
February 1, 2004... Look for broader offerings at the 2004 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference and Exhibition, with a special focus on clinicians and topics like the electronic health record (EHR). Leaders of the...

The show of shows: HIMSS 2004 offers the industry's best mix of healthcare IT solutions.(HIMSS 2004 Exhibitor Showcase)(Health care information management systems society.)
February 1, 2004... In the January 2004 issue of HMT, we described what some exhibitors will present at HIMSS 2004, Feb. 22-26 in Orlando, Fla. Here are even more exhibitors and what they are planning for HIMSS attendees later this month. BOOTH 6038 ...

Financial finesse: Sutter Health nears the finish line of an enterprisewide standardization of financial applications for 26 facilities.(Financial Information Systems)
February 1, 2004... Integrating and standardizing financial operations is a tough job for a single facility. For Sutter Health, integrating the financial services departments of 26 licensed hospitals across 33 different campuses was a challenge of epic...

Looking ahead by looking back: healthcare organizations can partially assess where their future HIPAA efforts lie by evaluating how they handled HIPAA requirements and mandates of the past year.(HIPAA)(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)
February 1, 2004... The first two weeks of April 2003 will be remembered by many in healthcare as the last days of a mad dash toward compliance with HIPAA's privacy regulations. Copiers churned out Notices of Privacy Practices. Privacy policies and procedures were...

Living happily after the installation: unexpected benefits result when a private group practice uses its medical document management system to eliminate paper charts.(Document Management)
February 1, 2004... When Nephrology Associates of Kentuckiana PSC purchased a medical document management system in 1999, we were drowning in paper. We are one of the only practices in the Louisville, Ky., area specializing in problems exclusive to kidneys. Two...

Surviving the enterprise integration war: HCOs can improve efficiency and reduce operational costs by implementing an operational data store for real-time views of transaction-related data.(Data Management)(healthcare organizations)
February 1, 2004... There is an enterprise integration war being waged by a multitude of clashing forces. XML versus EDI and its variants--X12, HL7, ACORD and NCPDP, to name but a few--tends to dominate the scene. At the same time, specific technologies--Web...

The economics of electronic efficiency: a three-hospital healthcare system emerges from a disparate, paper-laden clinical report process to a swift, centralized electronic system.(What works: data management)
February 1, 2004... The medical industry is welt-known for being stuck in the paper age. Many vertical markets, like the telecom and financial industries, have already learned how to overcome problems resulting from paper workflow; healthcare is starting to slowly...

Healthier members, happier employers: a health plan's unique approach to consumer-driven healthcare attracts new employers.(What works: health plans technology)
February 1, 2004... Like seldom before, health plans today are in a position to influence how productively consumers use and maximize their benefit plans. With the right products and the right information technology to help deliver them, health plans may find...

Automating for growth: Colorado specialty practice uses IT to automatically capture documentation and to cut documentation time requirements in half.(What works: workflow automation)
February 1, 2004... When any business is in growth mode, it requires information technology to help it keep pace with burgeoning business needs. A specialty medical practice is no exception. PROBLEM Gastroenterology of the Rockies is an eight-physician...

Medical management solution.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Vitria:SmartResponse software is designed to reduce medical management administration costs by further automating intake, determination, responses and inquiries, so fewer transactions need to be evaluated manually, and more complete and...

NAS gateway for SANs.(New Products & Services)(storage area network)(network-attached storage )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Reducing complexity and management by enabling storage area network (SAN) and network-attached storage (HAS) functionality to coexist in a single system, the NS600G offers a Celerra HAS gateway that enables users to easily and cost-effectively...

Bedside supply tracking.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... An enhancement to the SafetyMed bedside nursing workflow automation system, SupplyTracker lets nurses electronically document their use of medical and surgical supplies at the patient bedside. It allows for electronic inventory replenishment...

HRA Solution for health plans.(New Products & Services)(Health reimbursement arrangement )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... With the new Amisys Synertech health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) Solution, a carve-out product complementing the vendor's Complete Consumer-Directed Solution, fully adjudicated medical claims are forwarded by a health plan to the vendor for...

Application development software.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Visual CE version 8 offers new features for the rapid application development software for database and forms development on Microsoft Windows Mobile and Pocket PC handheld computers. Designed for a wide range of applications such as patient...

Automated security auditing.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Preventsys Network Audit and Policy Assurance System version 1.5 automates the auditing of security policy violations, vulnerability risk and remediation success. It applies corporate, regulatory and commercial policies, encoded in a uniform,...

Small-network security solution.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Developed for small- to medium-size organizations with fewer resources than large organizations, Contego version 2.1 automates, consolidates, normalizes and correlates security events across the entire security environment, from the perimeter...

EDI management software.(New Products & Services)(Electronic data interchange)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Enroll-Link is Web-based software for managing the electronic data interchange enrollment process. Its features include: tracking each step of the process; alerting the user when responses are expected or when deadlines are approaching;...

Pharmacy order management.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Designed to improve the management of pharmacy orders in an institutional setting, the Pharmacy Order Management System (POMS) automates streamlines and decentralizes much order processing, supporting more effective communication among...

Print utility software.(New Products & Services)(Interbit Data Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Eliminating the need for daily printing of one or more backup hard copies of records for disaster recovery purposes, MPrint is a print utility application that offers automatic, locally accessible and timelier backups of critical medical...

Drug library software.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... MedNet is a drug library application that provides clinical decision rules designed to improve medication management at the patient's bedside including intravenous (IV) medication errors. Working in conjunction with Plum A+, an IV drug-delivery...

Mammography film digitizer.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Engineered for mammography computer-aided detection (CAD), the CAD PRO Advantage film digitizer provides a combination of high image quality, speed, consistency and repeatability, as well as reliable film feeding, to improve workflow and...

Predictive modeling software.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The new version of Risk Navigator Clinical, formerly known as High Risk Predictor, processes and presents meaningful risk information for health plans. Besides identifying risk at an individual and group level, it forecasts expenses by major...

Imaging display calibration.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... CXtra Desktop Edition is software that medical and IT professionals, administrators and healthcare service organizations can utilize to enable quality managed review of diagnostic images on Dome Cx, Adara Qx and other displays. It ensures that...

Pathology management software.(New Products & Services)(SCC Soft Computer Inc)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The latest version of SoftPath, A a total software support solution designed for anatomic pathology laboratories, provides new features and functionality such as improved managerial navigation one workspace capabilities, greater integration of...

Practice management solutions.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Intuition, a Windows-based, client/server product line designed for small and mid size group physician practices, is a suite of healthcare information systems that encompasses areas of data management such as EMRs and practice management. Its...

Digital dictation device.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The portable Digital Pocket Memo 9350 offers a fast dictation download speed--30 minutes of dictation can be downloaded in as little as five seconds--and a four-position switch that enables intuitive, single-handed operation without looking....

Online health information.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The Healthwise Knowledgebase API/Web services delivery option allows healthcare organizations to pull updated evidence-based health information from me online database as needed and present it in the way that works best for their Web sites or...

QuadraMed.(News Makers)(Marion General Hospital )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Marion General Hospital has signed a three-year contract with Reston, Va.-based QuadraMed Corp. QuadraMed will implement its Affinity HIS Patient Financial Systems, Electronic Document Management and Cost & Profitability Analyzer at Marion...

Citrix Systems Inc.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Kindred Healthcare has selected Citrix Systems Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to provide its staff with Web-based access to patient care applications from their homes and remote sites.

Quovadx and FCG.(News Makers)(First Consulting Group )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Englewood, Colo.-based Quovadx has strategically partnered with First Consulting Group (FCG). The agreement will allow FCG to expand its services group dedicated to Quovadx products and to offer its clients Web-services solutions with the QDX...

Misys Healthcare Systems.(News Makers)(Barton HealthCare System)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Barton HealthCare System, South Lake Tahoe, Calif., selected Misys Healthcare Systems for its RIS-PACS integrated workflow optimization solution. The agreement covers acquisition, deployment and software maintenance of Misys Radiology...

Info-X.(News Makers)(Physician Practice Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Physician Practice Services (PPS), a billing and practice administration consulting firm, has implemented Veri-Claim software by Info-X of Northvale, N.J. PPS will use the software to detect coding and compliance issues with claims prior to...

DxCG.(News Makers)(Tufts Associated Health Plans Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Tufts Health Plan has signed a multiyear contract to license RiskSmart, a Web-based suite of predictive modeling tools by DxCG Inc. of Boston. Waltham, Mass.-based Tufts Health Plan joins other leading Massachusetts health plans, providers and...

Eclipsys Corp.(News Makers)(MaineGeneral Medical Center)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... MaineGeneral Medical Center will deploy SunriseXA by Boca Raton, Fla.-based Eclipsys Corp. The advanced clinical solution and workflow modules will integrate patient care across the entire organization. SunriseXA will help MaineGeneral automate...

MEDai Inc.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Sharp Healthcare of San Diego has renewed a multiyear contract with Orlando, Fla.-based MEDai Inc. to continue using MEDal's Pinpoint Quality application (formerly known as Pinpoint CDSS--Clinical Decision Support System).

Patient Care Technology Systems.(News Makers)(Mary Washington Hospital )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Mary Washington Hospital of Fredericksburg, Va., was recognized at the Healthcare Delivery Systems Congress in Nashville, Tenn., for its implementation of Amelior ED, an integrated emergency department information system developed by Aliso...

Eastman Kodak Co.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center has purchased Kodak DirectView PACS System 5, manufactured by Kodak's Health Imaging Group. The purchase upgrades the NIH Clinical Center from its existing Kodak PACS system.

Plexis Healthcare Systems.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Arrowhead Administrators, a San Bernardino, Calif.-based full-service third-party administrator, purchased core claims processing software from Plexis Healthcare Systems Inc. Plexis Claims Manager will help Arrowhead facilitate accurate and...

Daou Systems.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Mercy Health Partners of Toledo signed a contract with Daou Systems Inc., a provider of IT consulting mad management services, to migrate the health system's enterprise network infrastructure from the current provider to Cisco's gigabit...

BlueCross and Blue Shield of South Carolina.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The Chicago-based Forum for Healthcare Strategists handed BlueCross and Blue Shield of South Carolina an eHealthcare Leadership Award. BlueCross won a gold award in the Best interactive Site for Group HMO, PPO or Other Insurers category for the...

MediServe.(News Makers)(EDNet Emergency Department Information System )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The EDNet Emergency Department Information System product line, previously owned by Tenet Information Services Inc., was acquired by MediServe Information Systems Inc. MediServe will offer information systems for emergency departments and...

EMC Corp.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Palo Alto, Calif.-based VMware Inc., a provider of Intel-based virtual computing software, will be acquired by EMC Corp. EMC customers can deploy virtualization technologies across a heterogeneous IT infrastructure to create a single pool of...

EDS.(News Makers)(Electronic Data Systems Corporation)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) has signed a 10-year, $320 million contract with Piano, Texas-based EDS. The agreement is an extension of a pervious seven-year contract. EDS will implement its MetaVance Administration and...

MC Strategies Inc.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... MedAssets HSCA has selected Atlanta-based MC Strategies Inc. to provide its member facilities with online management training solutions. MC Strategies' Knowledge Deployment System will deliver the WebInservice e-learning course. The partnership...

Sentillion Inc.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center has selected the Vergence product suite by Sentillion Inc. of Andover, Mass. Cincinnati Children's will use the software to provide single sign-on and single patient selection between Siemens'...

ePocrates.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has selected ePocrates to provide its network physicians with access to the Blues plan's formulary through ePocrates handheld drug reference guide, available on Palm US or Pocket PC platforms or through...

Keane Inc.(News Makers)(Parkview Community Hospital Medical Center)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Parkview Community Hospital Medical Center in Riverside, Calif. and South Haven, Mich.-based South Haven Community hospital selected the Keane InSight healthcare information system by Keane Inc. of Boston.

eHealth Group.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Chandler, Ariz.-based eHealth Group, a provider of eBusiness solutions for physician-based organizations, has expanded its clinical information management offerings with Scribe Inc. The agreement enables eHealth Group to offer Scribe's...

Physician Strategies.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Physician-owned medical service organization Physician Strategies in Pembroke, Mass., has acquired Wang Healthcare through a newly formed entity, Integrated Healthware. The transaction adds Wang's electronic medical record software to Physician...

IDX Systems Corp.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Burlington, Vt.-based IDX Systems Corp. has established an IDX Imagecast National Service Center to integrate support services for its workflow applications (RIS), integration services (Imaging Suite) and image management (PACS).

The Beryl Cos.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services has selected The Beryl Cos. to provide its network with outsourced physician referral support via both the telephone and Internet. Residents of the Louisville, Ky., and southern Indiana area can either call a...

A&G Healthcare.(News Makers)(Multiple Application Repricing System)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Third-party benefits administrator Benefit Systems and Services Inc. (BSSI) of Westmont, Ill., has selected Piano, Texas-based A&G Healthcare Services to provide secondary network pricing for all of its out-of-area or network claims. A&G...

Lawson.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Providence Health System has completed installation of St. Paul, Minn.-based Lawson's Supply Chain Management for Healthcare Suite. The Lawson program enables the health system to standardize and consolidate its purchasing process across a...

GE Medical Systems.(News Makers)(University Community Health )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... University Community Health (UCH) system and GE Medical Systems announced that they have entered into a strategic alliance agreement to build one of the nation's most advanced heart hospitals. Under the agreement, GE Medical Systems will...

NovaRad.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Calhoun, Ga.-based iPro Inc. has partnered with NovaRad of American Fork, Utah. IPro will market NovaPACS and the company's RIS, archive products, servers and radiology accessories.

Emageon.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... ThedaCare, an integrated delivery network in central Wisconsin, will implement Birmingham, Ala.-based Emageon's Intelligent Visual Medical System throughout its facilities. IVMS will provide advanced visualization, content management and...

bConnected Software.(News Makers)(bRTE)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Cardiotronic Technology of Minneapolis and Broomfield, Colo.-based bConnected Software Inc. announced the joint launch of bRTE, a combination oft smart card with process management, bRTE enables healthcare providers systems and health plans to...

Royal Philips Electronics.(News Makers)(Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Baptist Health South Florida has signed a seven-year agreement with Netherlands-based Royal Philips Electronics. Philips will provide radiology., and cardiology picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), allowing physicians to access...

MC Strategies Inc.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Atlanta-based MC Strategies Inc., a provider of Web-based learning content, is now licensed to offer the Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO) educational tool. Developed by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, ECCO is a...

PatientKeeper Inc.(News Makers)(Duke University Health System)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Duke University Health System, Durham, N.C., has selected Boston-based PatientKeeper Inc. to provide its core mobile computing infrastructure and a variety of applications to its physicians, including clinical results, dictation and structured...

Enterprise Performance Systems Inc.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... DCH Health System, a healthcare network in Western Alabama, has purchased Enterprise Budget Manager by Enterprise Performance Systems Inc., a Chesterfield, Mo.-based provider of financial decision support systems. The Web-based product includes...

Computer Sciences Corp.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... American Community Mutual Insurance Co. has selected Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) for a seven-year, $12 million software and information technology services contract. Under the agreement, American Community will use CSC's PowerSTEPP, a...

RSA Security.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Main Line Health, a southeastern Pennsylvania healthcare network, is using RSA Security Inc.'s RSA SecurID two-factor authentication solution to help comply with HIPAA requirements. Medical staff will be able to view tests or lab results and...

A4 Health Systems.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Fremont Memorial Health Systems, Fremont, Ohio, has selected A4 Health Systems' HealthMatics ED to automate its emergency department. Fremont Memorial will use the full functionality of the EDIS, including patient registration, tracking hoard,...

ZixCorp.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Dallas-based Cedars Sinai Medical Center has selected ZixCorp for its secure e-messaging services. The ZixAuditor assessment service will evaluate the hospital's e-mail security vulnerabilities, and ZixVPM will protect Internet-bound e-mail...

Baxa Corp.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... New Orleans-based Baxa Corp. released Abacus, Windows-based hospital pharmacy software for order entry and total parenteral nutrition calculation. The program will help reduce the risk of prescription errors and mistakes in calculating and...

DPRx.(Website Services )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... A subscription-based Web site, MyFitnessLife.com, provides online access to patient blood type, drug allergies, lab report images, medical history and physician contact numbers. Managed by DPRx of Agoura Hills, Calif., the Web site also...

The SSI Group.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... MedCore Inc., a newly formed, wholly owned subsidiary of The SSI Group Inc. of Mobile, Ala., provides bad debt recovery services for healthcare providers nationwide. MedCore's recovery services center around highly automated collection systems...

WebMD.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Elmwood Park, N.J.-based WebMD Corp. has completed its acquisition of Medifax-EDI Inc., a Nashville based provider of real-time medical eligibility transaction services and other claims management solutions to hospitals, medical centers and...