Health Management Technology articles from January 2004

Health Management Technology archives from January 2004

Thought leadership.(From The Editor)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... Thought leadership is a topic dear to my heart. I grew to love it during my days as a PR hack in a company dedicated to being a thought leader in its sector. Today, the concept of thought leadership works its way into half of the discussions I...

Providers should adopt EMRs.(Patient safety)(Electronic Medical Records)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has again taken steps that may increase government involvement in, and over sight of, everyday healthcare delivery. In its November 2003 report, "Patient Safety: Achieving a New Standard of Care," IOM encourages...

Medicare reform bill gives nod to IT initiatives.(Medicare and IT)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The recently passed Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 lends support to national healthcare IT initiatives, but not in mandate form. The reform bill does outline standards for voluntary e-prescribing, but it...

CMS launches disease management project.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Diabetex/XLHealth)(HeartPartners )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has selected three organizations to participate in a disease management pilot project to improve care for chronically ill patients with heart problems and diabetes. Up to 30,000 Medicare...

New tool offers patient education on the Web.(Regent Inc)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Nashville-based Regent Inc. and Discovery Communications Inc. recently launched Discovery Hospital, an Internet-based provider of patient educational resources. The product provides licensing of Web content to hospitals, including more than...

HIMSS honors docs' EHR use.(Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society)(Electronic Health Record)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) awarded three primary care practices with the inaugural 2003 HIMSS Primary Care Davies Award of Excellence. The winners are: Cooper Pediatrics, Duluth, Ga.; Evans Medical Group,...

Report: docs find benefits in online communication.(Physician Practices)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... In response to increasing patient interest in online communication, many physicians are overcoming their resistance to it, according to recent research by First Consulting Group. Physicians and physician practice staff use e-mail contact...

AAFP-EHR vendor partnership brings member discounts.(Electronic Health Records)(American Academy of Family Physicians)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and leading EHR vendors will offer AAFP members discounted products and services through a newly formed alliance. Partner vendors are A4 Health Systems, GE Medical Systems Information...

Feds urge HHS to adopt ICD-10 code sets.(Coding)(Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... NCVHS recently voted to recommend that HHS adopt ICD-10 code sets. Under the proposal, ICD 10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes would become the HIPAA standards, replacing current use of ICD-9-CM, Volumes 1, 2 and 3. "Migration to ICD 10 is necessary...

End-users: four benefits: countless: Clinical information systems aren't limited to documentation in acute care hospitals. Four end-users of EDIS, bar coding, oncology and patient tracking IT share insights on the benefits and challenges of stretching CIS to its limits.(Clinical Information Systems)
January 1, 2004... Technology Streamlines ER Carol Hendrian, R.N., went out on maternity leave. A month after she returned to her job, she was rolling out the first components of the ibex PulseCheck emergency department information system. As director of...

The technology-enhanced surgery department: renowned Texas cancer center uses perioperative software to boost its billing and revenue collection, and to make real-time patient information an enterprise capability.(Surgical Information Systems)
January 1, 2004... Look closely at the surgery department of any major hospital and you'll find financial and information management challenges unlike those seen by other departments. At the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, we have found...

Optimizing the supply chain: a common materials management platform standarizes products, improves payment controls and enhances decision support for a Minnesota IDN.(Enterprise resource planning: case history; integrated delivery network)
January 1, 2004... Leaders in the healthcare industry face enormous pressures to improve quality of care and access to care in an environment of declining reimband climbing expenses. When reducing staff is not a viable cost-cutting option, healthcare...

Sustainable solutions for practice profitability: too often, IT solutions for group practices generate, at best a quick fix. Forward-thinking group practice managers will evaluate technology for its capacity to enhance long-term profitability.(Physician Practice Management)
January 1, 2004... Finding ways to make a medical practice more profitable seems to be an ongoing battle for practice managers. While the effort seems never-ending, so, too, does the array of products, services and consultants that promise to find the solution....

The health plan of tomorrow: the increased role of consumers, along with increased healthcare costs, will compel health plans to use technology so everyone in the equation comes out a winner.(Managed Care)
January 1, 2004... Ready or not, the age of consumerism has descended upon healthcare. With health insurance premiums rising an average of 11 percent annually, most employers are shifting more costs to employees. Some are dropping benefits altogether. As they...

From opaque to crystal clear: national health plan arms its members with sophisticated decision support tools to help them compare and contrast hospital performance for surgeries and treatment of serious medical conditions.(Decision Support)
January 1, 2004... Say what you will about copays and coinsurance. Those $25 and $50 items that employees kibitz about in the cafeteria don't count for much once you've had a penetrating look inside a four-day, $63,597 inpatient procedure. More and more,...

Technology-driven outcomes: information technology will play a significant role in identifying those interventions that generate best outcomes.(Disease Management)
January 1, 2004... The disease management (DM) industry has come a long way in a short time. Early on, the major focus of DM was on the general practice guidelines for chronic conditions of interest, with the majority of effort placed on patient compliance with...

The show of shows: HIMMS 2004 offers the industry's best mix of healthcare IT solutions.(HIMSS 2004 Exhibitor Showcase)
January 1, 2004... When it comes to healthcare IT trade shows, none compares to HIMSS, seemingly the one show each year that vendors, endusers, media and other attendees prize above all others in the industry. This year's conference, Feb. 22-26 in Orlando,...

Cutting the cord: caregivers at a California community hospital improve their bedside efficiency by embracing switch to mobile, wireless devices.(What works: wireless)
January 1, 2004... Deploying any network in a healthcare setting brings with it a unique challenge: Patient care cannot be disrupted. This can be complicated in areas such as the emergency department of ICU. As wireless technology has matured, wireless...

POC clinical software.(New Products & Services)(Point of Care )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... MediLinks PDA is a browser-based version of MediLinks designed for small handheld devices such as PDAs. It allows caregivers to chart and document patient treatment at the point of care, manage physician orders and patient lists, send e-mail...

Snap-on tablet keyboard.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Motion Hardtop Keyboard gives slate tablet PC users the option of a thin, light, snap-on keyboard for desktop-like data entry. When a keyboard is desired, it snaps onto the front of any M1200 or M1300 Tablet PC and connects via a USB cable....

Desktop patient management.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The latest version of iCare Desktop features additions and enhancements to better the efficiency and workflow of care managers of patients with chronic illnesses. It provides secure access to a series of features and reports designed to...

Mobile solutions assembler.(New Products & Services)(Countermind LLC)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Requiring no coding experience, the Mobile Intelligence (MI) Application Assembler enables IT administrators to develop, manage and deploy enterprise-grade mobile and wireless solutions. It utilizes a graphical user interface to model business...

Web-based CIS access.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... MData Desktop, a Web-based extension of MData Enterprise System, offers clinicians real-time remote access to patient information from their office or home, on any desktop or tablet PC. It resides on the hospital's network and can be accessed...

Improved EMR for practices.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... SpringCharts 5.0 adds features to the point-and-click EMR designed for small and medium-size physician practices. It offers automated backup of patient data via an on-screen button that allows the user to choose the backup medium and location....

Enhanced SSL VPN.(New Products & Services)(Software Solutions Laboratory )(Virtual Private Network)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The SureWare A-Gate AG-600's enhanced feature set offers a remote-access appliance providing secure, full client/server access to company applications and resources. It permits access to e-mail and other Web-enabled or Windows Terminal Services...

Risk management tool.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Able to integrate with existing workflow systems and programs, RPNavigator is a data-driven, risk management tool developed as a next-generation solution for helping health plan management and employers better understand and forecast resource...

Transaction processing update.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Transform 7.0 is the latest release of the document imaging, automated data capture and transaction processing software. It incorporates many security related enhancements to manage and control access to data processed and stored in the...

Upgraded LIS performance.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Harvest LIS 5.5 adds advanced levels of process automation to address both the workflow and profitability issues facing laboratories. It offers flexible, lab-defined order-splitting rules to automatically segregate procedures requiring unique...

Home care scanning solution.(New Products & Services)(Scanbuy Inc)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... ScanTime uses bar coding technology that automates record-keeping for home healthcare workers to track attendance, service and supplies by importing an existing database to generate bar code labels using a regular laser printer. Instead of...

Digital ID card system.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Minimizing the time and costs associated with deployinq and maintaining trusted digital identities, ActivCard Identity Management System Enterprise 3.5 software manages multifunction smart cards, including the data, applets, PKI certificates...

Amisys Synertech.(News Makers)(Amisys Synertech Inc)(Verilet Inc)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Amisys Synertech Inc. and Verilet Inc. announced a joint marketing and sales effort. Under the agreement, Verilet's primary product, @bovehealth, will be sold by Amisys Synertech as the preferred front-end user interface for Amisys Synertech's...

Eclipsys.(News Makers)(Athens Regional Medical Center)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Athens Regional Medical Center, Athens, Ga., has deployed the SunriseXA advanced clinical and workflow modules from Eclipsys Corp. SunriseXA is an integrated solution built on the Microsoft .NET framework, and it gives physicians immediate,...

ZixCorp.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Group Health Inc., a statewide not-for-profit health insurer in New York, signed an agreement with ZixCorp to expand its current ZixCorp PocketScript e-prescribing program to 5,000 affiliated physicians. The e-prescribing system allows...

MEDecision.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Top Down Systems Corp. (TDSC) in Rockville, Md., has formed a strategic alliance with MEDecision to integrate TDSC's Client Letter with MEDecision's Integrated Medical Management. This will allow users to produce high-volume batch documents as...

VitalWorks.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... VitalWorks Inc., Ridgefield, Conn., said it would acquire AMICAS Inc., a developer of Web-based diagnostic image management software solutions. The acquisition adds picture archiving and communications systems to VitalWorks' line of services.

Neoforma.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Supply chain management solutions giant Neoforma Inc., San Jose, Calif., terminated its proposed acquisition of substantially all of the assets of the health and life sciences business of I-many.

MedPlus.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale, Ariz., has selected ChartMaxx from MedPlus as its enterprisewide electronic patient record solution. CharrMaxx will help the hospital accelerate turnaround time for chart completion, introduce electronic...

NetScreen Technologies.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Sunnyvale, Calif.-based NetScreen Technologies Inc. has completed its acquisition of Neoteris Inc. NetScreen will sell Neoteris secure access solutions, including Neoteris Secure Access Appliances, clientless SSL VPN remote access products that...

Lawson Software.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) will implement Lawson Financials, Procurement, Human Resources, Service Process Optimization and Enterprise Performance Management applications from Lawson Software. The apps will allow CHI to share data among...

Misys Healthcare.(News Makers)(West Valley Hospital Medical Center)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Misys Laboratory and Misys Pharmacy solutions are fully operational at West Valley Hospital Medical Center, a Vanguard Health System facility in Goodyear, Ariz., according to Misys Healthcare Systems. The clinical solutions capture and transmit...

QuadraMed.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Northeast Medical Center Hospital, Humble, Texas, selected QuaraMed Affinity HIS as its new enterprise healthcare information system. Affinity offers integrated clinical, financial and patient information. Northeast Hospital expects the...

Axolotl.(News Makers)(St. Elizabeth's Medical Center)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, a Kentucky-based member of Catholic Healthcare Partners (CHP), won a first place CHP award for achieving significant quality improvement and cost savings with Axolotl's Elysium Clinical Messaging solution. St....

PracticeXPert.(News Makers)(National Healthcare Management Services Inc)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... PracticeXPert Inc. has completed its acquisition of National Healthcare Management Services Inc. (NCMS) of Buckhannon, W.V. NCMS provides medical billing, practice management and transcription services to physician practices and dental offices...

Lumenos.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Lumenos is the preferred consumer-driven healthcare provider of the HealthShare/Texas Hospital Association. The Lumenos program allows an employer to make an annual allocation to each participating employee's health savings account (HSA). The...

Siemens Medical Solutions.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Baptist Health System of Birmingham, Ala., recently became Siemens Medical Solutions' largest customer to go live with Soarian, Siemens' new generation healthcare information solution. Patient information from Baptist Health System's 10 acute...

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

Emageon.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Emageon will manage medical image visualization and workflow integration through the healthcare facilities at Meriter Hospital in Madison, Wis. The new system supports medical image sources across the enterprise and will integrate with...

Eastman Kodak.(News Makers)(Algotec Systems Ltd)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Eastman Kodak Co. completed is acquisition of Algotec Systems Ltd., a developer of advanced picture archiving and communication systems. Now a wholly owned Kodak subsidiary, Israel-based Algotec will continue to support development of PACS...

GE Medical Systems Information Technologies.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... GE Medical Systems Information Technologies signed an agreement with Oregon Health and Sciences University to provide its Centricity Pharmacy Information system to the 420-bed, Portland, Ore.-based academic medical center.

Greenway Medical Technology.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Sales for Greenway Medical Technology's Prime Suite, an integrated clinical financial and administrative software solution for medical practices, increased 240 percent within one year as of November 2003. Additionally, the company's client base...

ProVation.(News Makers)(St. Anthony's Medical Center)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... St. Anthony's Medical Center in St. Louis chose ProVation MD Gastroenterology and ProVation RN software platform, by Minneapolis-based ProVation Medical Inc., for clinical procedure documentation and coding compliance. The 821-bed facility, a...

McKesson Information Solutions.(News Makers)(Saint Agnes Medical Center of Fresno)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Saint Agnes Medical Center of Fresno, Calif., implemented Horizon Clinicals from McKesson Information Solutions. The system provides more than 1,500 authorized users, including 250 physicians, anytime anywhere Web-based access to comprehensive...

Widening the reach of evidence-based medicine.(Thought Leaders)
January 1, 2004... There's no question that everyone wins--patients, providers, health insurers and employers--when caregivers practice evidence-based medicine (EBM). Yet, consider these statistics: * A June 2003 New England Journal of Medicine study of more...