Health Management Technology articles from February 2007

Health Management Technology archives from February 2007

I want my EHR!(From the Editor)(electronic health record)(Editorial)
February 1, 2007... Recently, I underwent several medical procedures, which were performed by different doctors at different locations. In each instance I filled out personal history forms, insurance verification forms and HIPAA release forms, all with the same,...

Slowed growth for healthcare spending.(Healthcare Spending)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Recent studies find that multitiered formularies are a significant factor in decelerating the growth of U.S. healthcare spending in both the public and private sectors over the last three years. That's according to a recent study by actuaries...

Interactive healthcare portal.(Personal Health Management)(Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Getting employees to take charge of their health is at the heart of the Mayo Clinic Health Solutions' new personal health management portal, Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth. The portal allows businesses and organizations to partner with their...

PHR interoperability study.(Healthcare Utilization)(personal health records)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... In an effort to bring portability to Personal Health Records (PHR), America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) recently released the results of an 18-month pilot project involving 10 AHIP member companies. The goal of the project was the study of...

Healthcare options portal.(Briefly)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Californians now have the Health Insurance Store to aid them in online comparison-shopping for providers and healthcare options. Consumers can compare prices and coverage options from insurance plans such as Blue Cross of California, Blue...

Ethics in pharmaceutical marketing.(Briefly)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Ethical promotion of products to healthcare professionals is what drives the updated International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations' (IFPMA) Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices, which took effect January 1, 2007....

Health Law attorney's top 10 issues for 2007.(Briefly)(Survey)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... According to the current BNA Health Law Reporter (HLR) survey of top health law attorneys, fraud and abuse ranks as the number one issue that will take up the majority of time for health law attorneys in 2007. The 27 members of the HLR...

Government dangles CDHP carrot.(Healthcare Plans and Payers)(consumer-driven health plans)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... A press release and discussion paper from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) says projected high deductibles for consumer-driven health plans (CDHP) may reduce the number of patients coming to their physicians for preventative...

Overcrowding top issue according to new survey.(Hospitals Survey)(Survey)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... A recent survey of more than 200 hospital executives, administrators and managers across the nation reveals that overcrowding remains a serious concern that continues to force hospitals to divert patients in need of urgent care to alternate...

P4P gains steam.(Medicare Reform)(pay for performance)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The pay-for-performance (P4P) debate heats up as Congress approves a 1.5 percent bonus in the second half of 2007 for doctors who report data on the quality of their care, but only using government-specified measures. Some doctors and lawmakers...

AMA agenda tackles Medicare reform.(Medicare Reform)(American Medical Association)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Speaking of the freezing of those cuts, the AMA's 2007 Advocacy agenda includes the blocking of those proposed cuts for 2008 as part of their Medicare payment system reform. Additionally, the agenda will include progress on: coverage for the...

Are company clinics becoming fashionable again?(Employer-based Healthcare)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... More than 250 of the nation's 1000 largest employers are expected to offer some form of onsite primary care or preventative health services by year's end. According to healthcare specialist David Beech of the Watson Wyatt benefits consulting...

Manic for medication safety: bar codes and drug information databases are helping to reduce medication errors.(Patient Safety)(Cover story)
February 1, 2007... The tragic deaths last September of three premature newborns who were mistakenly given an adult dose of heparin in an Indianapolis hospital did more than just make headlines. It also served as a stark reminder that too few healthcare...

Speak, and ye shall be heard: technological advancement may facilitate a healthcare organization's drive to efficiency. However, wide adoption is usually governed by the provider's tolerance for change.(Speech Recognition/Transcription)(Company overview)
February 1, 2007... Advanced technologies that eventually succeed in establishing significant usage in a market typically follow well-charted adoption curves. Such models suggest that innovations take root with early adopters who like to try the new, move through...

Paving the way for the second wave of EHR adoption: universal physician adoption of EHRs will require hospitals to play a pivotal role.(Physician Practice Management)(electronic health records)
February 1, 2007... This type of problem occurs almost daily in the American healthcare system. Patient Lynn Green (not her real name) has her annual mammogram. The results come back abnormal. Her internist orders tests that reveal a malignant tumor, so he refers...

Picking up the pace: Colorado specialty practice uses new practice management system to improve productivity, increase revenues and grow its business.(Physician Practice Management: Case History)(Colorado West WomanCare)
February 1, 2007... Determining that it is necessary to implement new practice management software is a difficult decision for any medical group. In fact, it is almost as challenging as deploying the new software system itself. Reaching consensus on priority...

One part tech, two parts process: Delaware healthcare system combines improved business process with an automated patient flow and bed management application to achieve commendable results.(Patient Flow: Case History)
February 1, 2007... Just like old habits that are hard to break, old perceptions are hard to change. For hospital nurses who are increasingly asked to perform nonclinical functions in addition to their already ambitious clinical workloads, asking for any change in...

It's not easy being lean, but scripting can help: an integrated healthcare network of 26 hospitals using 14 different databases to support patient data gets serious about streamlined workflow and efficiency.(Data Management)(Avera Health)
February 1, 2007... In this millennium, all healthcare organizations are challenged to be as safe, thorough, productive, cost-effective, efficient and accurate as possible. That's a tall order, and while most healthcare organizations strive to achieve the goal,...

Disaster-proof patients: healthcare providers and IT supplier in New England simulate a disaster situation to test a web-based EMR for regional and maybe national adoption.(Disaster Planning)(electronic medical record)
February 1, 2007... Is there anyone who doesn't remember Hurricane Katrina and the heart-wrenching TV images of traumatized New Orleans residents being herded onto busses and then disbursed and displaced into Utah, Texas, Arkansas and Georgia? More than any...

Hospitals: get ready for severity-adjusted reimbursement: CMS plans to introduce its severity-adjusted DRGs in October 2007. However, the time for the industry to start preparing is now.(Claims and Coding)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Diagnosis Related Groups)
February 1, 2007... Hospitals remain in a holding pattern as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) formulates the final details of how it will implement severity-adjusted reimbursement for inpatient services. In August 2006, CMS announced the...

Take heart: RCM strategies enhance financial health.(Claims & Coding: Case History)
February 1, 2007... Cardiology of Tulsa (COT), a rapidly growing practice of 15 cardiologists with three offices in two northeastern Oklahoma cities, has long recognized the impact technology can have on its clinical and financial health. The practice's use of...

A clinician-centric medical results viewer: clinician feedback played a key roll in one not-for-profit healthcare organization's development of a web-based application for secure access, viewing and delivery of patient data, radiology images and lab results.(Clinical Data Repository)
February 1, 2007... MedStar Health is a not-for-profit, community-based healthcare organization comprised of 25 integrated businesses, including seven major hospitals in the Baltimore/Washington area. The hospitals, which include both teaching and community...

Less paper, less fuss, better patient care.(POC/Mobile Computing)
February 1, 2007... As populations grow, medical offices across the country struggle with an increasing amount of paper-based patient charts and records, and many are seeking alternatives. Paperless office solutions, such as electronic medical records (EMRs) have...

Reliable mobile computing: Orlando Regional Healthcare implements a wireless CIS.(Mobile Computing)(Company overview)
February 1, 2007... With the challenge of the electronic health initiative looming, the time had come for Orlando Regional Healthcare to get up to speed, technologically speaking. Our board decided to replace our legacy Clinical Information System (CIS) with one...

Notebook/Tablet PC combo.(Hardware: Mobile Computing)
February 1, 2007... The Lifebook T4215 Tablet PC from Fujitsu combines basic notebook features with a tablet PC. Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology processing and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition are standard with a choice of three 12.1-inch bidirectional hinge LCD...

HP Compaq nc6400 widescreen.(Hardware: Mobile Computing)
February 1, 2007... The HP Compaq nc6400 widescreen notebook PC from Hewlett Packard features a 14.1-inch widescreen display for side-by-side viewing of documents and applications. Multiple applications can be used simultaneously with the Intel Core 2 Duo...

Flo 2700 Medication Workstation.(Hardware: Mobile Computing)
February 1, 2007... The Flo 2700 Medication Workstation from Flo Healthcare Solutions expands on the company's 2000 series of medication workstations. The wireless workstation is configurable and features integrated 17-inch or 19-inch LCD monitors that tilt and...

Dual Display PACS Cart.(Hardware: Mobile Computing)
February 1, 2007... The Dual Display PACS Cart from InfoLogix accommodates two large LCD screens and is designed to bring working radiology mobility to operating rooms, surgical suites, CCU and ICU areas. The side-by-side, dual-display configuration provides...

Initi Mobile Computing MedServer.(Hardware: Mobile Computing)
February 1, 2007... The Initi Mobile Computing MedServer from Artromick combines mobile computing workstation features with medication cart security and organization for point-of-care medication administration. The MedServer features an integrated computer with...

Acme EMP 370.(Hardware: Mobile Computing)
February 1, 2007... The Acme EMP 370 from Acme Portable Machines is a rugged portable computer designed for field service applications where laptops are unsuitable, such as medical emergency and other demanding environments. The EMP 370 comes with a 17-inch...

Upgraded Radiology capabilities.(New Products & Services)
February 1, 2007... CARESTREAM Radiology Solutions from Eastman Kodak now include an upgraded picture archiving and communications systems (CARESTREAM PACS) that features support for workflow grid computing, allowing information storage and retrieval from multiple...

RFID Asset Tracking.(New Products & Services)
February 1, 2007... The Philips Asset Tracking Solution from Royal Philips Electronics in conjunction with AeroScout Inc. uses WiFi-based radio frequency ID (RFID) technology to provide a turn-key solution for locating hospital assets in order to improve...

Medical content visualization.(New Products & Services)
February 1, 2007... Emageon has added new features to its Enterprise Visual Medical System (EVMS) version 5.30. The EVMS suite of products and services allows physicians and healthcare providers to manage clinical workflow and content management across the...

Expanded mobile cabinet line.(New Products & Services)
February 1, 2007... The Carepoint-RN Mobile Cabinet Line from McKesson has added a new software package enabling patient profile dispensing, centralized PIN management and medication tracking functions. The software package also integrates with a hospital's...

Improved Web application development.(New Products & Services)
February 1, 2007... The new version of CACHE 2007 post-relational database from InterSystems Corporation now includes InterSystems Zen for quickly building rich platform-independent Web applications, and Jalapeno for the elimination of object relational mapping...

DST Health Solutions.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Independence Blue Cross (IBC) of southern Pennsylvania, serving more than 3 million members, has chosen PowerAnalyzer for Benefits from DST Health Solutions. IBC is already using DST's PowerMHS software for healthcare administration. DST Health...

RF Technologies.(NewsMakers)(Michael E. DeBakey )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... In Houston, The Michael E. DeBakey Veteran Affairs Medical Center has selected RF Technologies' Safe Place Solutions to support wandering management and nurse assistance on its 118-acre campus.

RIS Concepts.(NewsMakers)(contracts of Huntsville Imaging Center and RIS Concepts)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... In Huntsville, Texas, the Huntsville Imaging Center has chosen RCI-RIS from Miami-based RIS Concepts for digital management of radiology workflow, following a 2-year selection process. Huntsville Imaging is a large multi-modality center...

EClinicalWorks.(NewsMakers)(contracts of Massachusetts Medical Society)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The Massachusetts Medical Society, with 18,500 members, has selected eClinicalWorks as one of four companies to provide Practice management and electronic medical records software to the organization's membership. Physicians who select...

Broadlane.(NewsMakers)(contracts of New Hanover Regional Medical Center and Broadlane )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... New Hanover Regional Medical Center, serving both North and South Carolina, has signed a 3-year agreement with Dallas-based Broadlane to provide group purchasing and custom and local contracting services.

Ovid.(NewsMakers)(services of Ovid Technologies Inc.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Ovid Technologies is providing its point-of-care information solution, ClinicalResources@Ovid, to the New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation (HHC). The solution gives the HHC facilities located throughout New York's five boroughs...

Thomson Micromedex.(NewsMakers)(contracts of BryanLGH Medical Center and Hilo Medical Center )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... BryanLGH Medical Center in Lincoln, Neb., and Hilo Medical Center in Hilo, Hawaii, have both implemented Lab Advisor, a component of the Micromedex Health and Disease Management Solutions from Thomson Micromedex, to add evidence-based medical...

MDdatacor Inc.(NewsMakers)(contracts of DoctorCare)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... DoctorCare, a physician-owned Medicare Advantage managed care health organization, has selected MDdatacor Inc. of Alpharetta, Ga. to develop its health information network, integrating data from claims, prescriptions and lab results with...

Courion Corp.(NewsMakers)(contracts of Catholic Healthcare West)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Catholic Healthcare West has deployed the Enterprise Provisioning Suite from Courion Corp., Framingham, Mass., for its healthcare system of 41 hospitals and medical centers and more than 44,000 users.

Wellsoft Corp.(NewsMakers)(contracts of Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. chose Wellsoft Corp.'s emergency department information system for its newly renovated $4 million ED. The solution tracks patients from triage to discharge, provides patient discharge...

CliniComp Intl.(NewsMakers)(contracts of Baptist Health South Florida with CliniComp International)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Baptist Health South Florida has selected the Essentris Perinatal Information system from CliniComp Intl. for three of its hospitals. This includes fetal surveillance and monitoring at South Miami Hospital, plus fetal surveillance and clinical...

Time for the patient safety movement to coalesce for greater effectiveness.(Thought Leaders)(Institute for Healthcare Improvement)
February 1, 2007... Much as we discovered the AIDS epidemic in 1981 and West Nile Virus in 2004, the medical profession and the population at large first discovered the epidemic of medical errors through an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report in 1999. It has become...