Health Management Technology articles from January 2009

Health Management Technology archives from January 2009

Changing of the guard.(From the Editor)(Tom Daschle)
January 1, 2009... Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle will succeed Mike Leavitt as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The two could not be more ideologically opposed; however, we hope that Daschle's appointment will not...

America to lose primary care physicians.(Shrinking Physician Base)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Large numbers of caregivers plan to slash their workload or quit the profession altogether, so says a recent survey mailed to 270,000 primary care physicians and 50,000 specialists. The Physicians' Foundation conducted the survey, which...

CMS saves money: issues improper payment Rates.(Healthcare and Government)(United States. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... According to the recently released U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) fiscal year (FY) 2008 financial report, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reduced its rate of improper Medicare fee-for-service (FFS)...

Stark laws initiator blasts CMS.(The Federal Landscape)(Pete Stark of House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee)(Kerry Weems)(United States. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
January 1, 2009... Rep. Pete Stark, chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, wrote to Acting Administrator Kerry Weems of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) admonishing the agency's inadequate oversight of Plan D bids and other...

Microsoft tests homecare devices.(Health Monitoring)(Microsoft Corp.'s HealthVault)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... A pilot underway at the Cleveland Clinic is testing the patient-controlled data exchange between Microsoft's HealthVault, a suite of widely-used digital medical devices, and eCleveland Clinic MyChart, Cleveland Clinic's personal health record...

Health information sources of the young.(Internet and Portals)(survey of online health care information services)(Survey)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... An online survey of 1,600 teens and young adults aged 13 to 24 asking how they are accessing health information online reveals that young people frequently turn to the Web for reliable, easily understood information on health and wellness....

Social Security seeking help with EHRs.(IT Implementation Projects)(health insurance industry uses electronic data for claims)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The Social Security Administration (SSA) sought input last month for developing a system that automatically pulls data from electronic health records (EHR) to increase disability claims processing efficiency. The SSA requested suggestions for...

IT winners and losers in 2009.(The Healthcare CIO)
January 1, 2009... I was recently asked to predict IT Winners and Losers in 2009. Rather than name individual companies, I'd like to highlight categories: Winners Electronic Health Record (EHR) vendors, especially Web-based applications: The Obama...

Squeezing more from IT.(The Healthcare CFO)(Viewpoint essay)
January 1, 2009... Cash is king, as the saying goes, so then cash flow is the lifeblood of the kingdom. When I started in my position as CFO almost eight years ago, one of my first critical system assessments was directed at our accounting software. The...

Riding the painted ponies: when good workflow goes bad, healthcare environments feel like carnival rides. Fortunately, there are solutions.(PHRs/EHRs/EMRs)(Organization overview)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Being the second oldest hospital in Minnesota, the staff at Lakeview understands the need to evolve in order to provide the highest possible level of healthcare to our patients. Over the past few years, Lakeview has...

Identity in the palm of your hand: when a single biometric authentication device can ensure patient safety, prevent fraud and improve billing, it's worth considering.(Authentication/biometrics: Case History)(ValleyCare Health System's chief executive officer Marcy Feit)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Driven by legislation and government policy makers, patient safety has motivated healthcare organizations large and small around the nation since the mid-1990s. From preventing medication and surgical errors to...

Fewer stacks, fewer gaps: there's a lot to be gained--and saved--by streamlining paper-based workflows and processes.(Document Mgt/Imaging: Case History)(St. Vincent's Health System )(Organization overview)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Effectively delivering applications in healthcare means connecting people with processes and information--bridging the information gap. One of the major considerations in doing this is how those applications reach...

Disease management mobilized: mobile collaborative care solutions are utilizing cell phones for just-in-time interventions, improving outcomes for the chronically ill and containing costs.(Health Plans and Technology)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With the growth of medical costs exceeding the nation's overall inflation rate, healthcare providers, employers and insurers are stepping up their efforts to contain costs by maximizing the effectiveness of disease...

Rapid response, better outcomes: a Texas VA improves ICU outcomes with an automated clinical data surveillance application.(Patient Safety: Case History)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The case for implementing rapid response teams (RRT) remains in question since 2005, when the results of the MERIT trial were published. Nevertheless, the non-profit Institute for Healthcare Improvement has...

Large-display Digital Voice recorders.(Products and Services)
January 1, 2009... The new line of Digital Voice Tracers from Royal Philips Electronics includes five new models and available features such as large LCD screens, 2GB of storage capacity, high-sensitivity microphones for high-quality stereo recording, as well as...

"Snapshot" patient data.(Products and Services)(Clinical Integration Networks of America Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The CINA Clinical Data Repository (CDR) is an integrated database of both clinical and administrative data that allows users to standardize data from multiple data sources and across multiple practice settings. The vendor's Quality Suite of...

Inventory management program.(Products and Services)(MediNotes Clinician Supply Chain Manager)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The MediNotes Clinician Supply Chain Manager (SCM) is a Web-based inventory management program that can save physician practices thousands of dollars by electronically tracking and ordering needed medical supplies and inventory. The program...

All-in-one LCD desktop.(Products and Services)(Sony Vaio VGC-LTB8E HD PC/TV of Sony Electronics Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Sony Vaio VGC-LTB8E HD PC/TV incorporates an elegant floating glass form in a 22-inch widescreen display with 1680 x 1050 HD resolution and a slim profile. The all-in-one desktop features a DVR with a massive 1TB...

NextGen Healthcare.(NewsMakers)(Monarch HealthCare selected NextGen Healthcare's medical practice software)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Monarch HealthCare selected NextGen Healthcare's suite of enterprise software solutions to enhance the quality of care its member physicians provide. The products selected for implementation into Monarch member practices include the vendor's...

TriZetto Group.(NewsMakers)(Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City)(Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island)(TriZetto Group Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) are using the real-time patient liability and point-of-service claims adjudication software, Provider POS Direct, from TriZetto Group Inc. The...

Cardiac Science.(NewsMakers)(Russell 3000 Index selected Cardiac Science Corp.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The Russell 3000 Index selected Cardiac Science Corp. to be included among its performance list of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies. The index is constructed to provide a comprehensive, unbiased and stable barometer of the broad market and is...

Eclipsys.(NewsMakers)(Eclipsys Corp. completed its acquisition of MediNotes)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Eclipsys Corp. completed its acquisition of MediNotes, making the physician practice information solutions company a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eclipsys. The terms of the merger call for Eclipsys to pay a total of approximately $45 million in...

GE Healthcare worldwide.(NewsMakers)(Marion General Hospital contracts with GE Healthcare)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Marion General Hospital, a 165-bed hospital in Marion, Ohio, signed a 7-year agreement for remote hosting services for GE Healthcare's Centricity Enterprise Solution. As part of the agreement, GE Healthcare will provide Marion General with the...

Cisco systems.(NewsMakers)(Mayo Clinic uses Cisco Unified Wireless Network)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Mayo Clinic has deployed a Cisco Unified Wireless Network to improve patient care. The network encompasses more than 3,000 Cisco access points, 4400 Series controllers and the Wireless Services Module for the Catalyst 6500. Once up and running,...

Capsule.(NewsMakers)(B. Braun Medical Inc. partnered with Capsule )(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... B. Braun Medical Inc. and Capsule partnered to connect B. Braun's Outlook Safety Infusion System into clinical information systems (CIS), adding their system to the growing list of medical device drivers that Capsule supports. The DataCaptor...

Nuance Communications.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Speech solutions supplier Nuance Communications Inc. announced the 17 recipients of the 2008 eScription Million Dollar Savings and Productivity Awards presented at eScription's annual user meeting in Boston. Each year, eScription recognizes...

Greencastle Consulting.(NewsMakers)(contract with Memorial Hospital)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Project management and consulting services firm Greencastle Consulting began close-out of its engagement focused on integrating Riddle Memorial Hospital into Main Line Health System. While some systems integration and other transition-related...

Salar Inc.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The George Washington University Hospital selected Salar Inc. to revolutionize the hospital's paper-based clinical documentation process. Under a multi-year licensing agreement, GW Hospital will license Salar's TeamNotes and TeamQuery for its...

Epocrates Inc.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals and consumers, including more than 50,000 U.S. physicians, have downloaded the Epocrates drug and formulary reference application to an Apple iPhone or iPod touch device in only four months. The...

Alegent Health.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Alegent Health is expanding critical care services to its rural regional hospitals. A USDA Rural Development Grant was awarded to Alegent Health eICU personnel and rural hospital administrators to enable regional community hospitals to access...

Axios Systems.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Seven Seas Technologies, a technology infrastructure solutions company, and its partner Axios Systems, an IT Service Management (ITSM) solutions provider, are striving to help Kenyan companies become more efficient through the implementation of...

Medicity.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Focused on restoring the state's healthcare infrastructure post-Hurricane Katrina, Information & Quality Healthcare (IQH), the Medicare quality improvement organization for Mississippi, selected Medicity Inc. to connect the Mississippi Coastal...

Novo Innovations.(NewsMakers)(contract with Lakeland Regional Health System )(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Lakeland Regional Health System (LRHS) of St. Joseph, Mich., and Novo Innovations announced a multi-year contract. LRHS deployed Novo's agent-based healthcare exchange platform to approximately 70 affiliated physicians representing 12 practices...

Dell.(NewsMakers)(internet access services)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Dell, Intel and Motion Computing are launching a new service to assess, design and validate the quality and coverage of wireless networks called the Mobile Point of Care (MPOC) Wireless Assessment. The service is a customizable network design...

ePrescribing: ready for prime time. But is your government?(Thought Leaders)
January 1, 2009... Ordering cheeseburgers at fast-food joints triggers more technology than getting a prescription written for Vicodin. Crazy? It's also true. That was part of the U.S. Senate testimony offered by my colleague, Laura Adams, president and CEO of...