Health Management Technology articles from November 2006

Health Management Technology archives from November 2006

Waiting on change.(Amy Finkelstein)
November 1, 2006... Rarely do I trust anyone who promises to "revolutionize" anything. As far as I can tell, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) economics professor Amy Finkelstein never claimed her work would revolutionize anything, but in reviewing her...

Nurses' input needed in IT selection, roll out.(IT Implementation Projects)
November 1, 2006... Involving nurses in IT selection and implementation may more than double the chance of improving the quality of care through IT utilization. That is one conclusion of Nurse Talk Tech, a survey of staff nurses and nurse managers across the...

Survey finds practices poised to make cuts.(Physician Practices)
November 1, 2006... Medicare's 5.1 percent reduction in physician reimbursements, scheduled to begin in January 2007, will force healthcare providers to reduce staff and possibly eliminate benefits. So says the results of a survey conducted by the Medical Group...

Doctors not using e-mail in practices.(Physician Practices)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... A recently released national study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) indicates only about one in four doctors have e-mail in their practices, an increase over previous years. Though the American Health Information Community...

Medicare data available to researchers.(Legislative Watch)
November 1, 2006... Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.), authors of last year's Medicare Value-Based Purchasing Act, have joined forces again to now sponsor the Medicare Data Access and Research Act (S. 3897), a proposed bill that would give...

ELINCS receives upgrade.(Briefly)
November 1, 2006... The EHR-Lab Interoperability and Connectivity Specification (ELINCS), which is based on HL-7 and which standardizes the coding and formatting of electronic data for transmission between clinical labs and electronic health records (EHRs), has...

Specialists support IT and P4P.(information technology)(pay-for-performance)(OTN)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Oncolologists represent one group of physicians ready to support adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs), in part because EMRs allow greater collection of data that is required for successful participation in pay-for-performance (P4P)...

Predicting likelihood of hospitalization.(Briefly)
November 1, 2006... Employers who want to reduce the cost of healthcare coverage may soon have a new tool in their belt--a "likelihood of hospitalization" (LOH) model based on predictive modeling from Boston-based DxCG. It can enable benefit managers to identify...

Health organizations commit to CORE rules.(Committee on Operating Rules for Information Exchange)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... By March 2007, dozens of health plans, clearinghouses and vendors who have agreed to follow the CAQH (Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare) Committee on Operating Rules for Information Exchange (CORE), will make it possible for physicians...

eHealth Initiative gives HIE progress a thumbs up.(healthcare information exchange)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The title says it all. eHealth Initiative's 2006 "Third Annual Survey of Health Information Exchange Activities at the State, Regional and Local Levels," released publicly in late September, is a virtual state-of-the-union report on healthcare...

HSAs not yet lighting up the sky.(health savings accounts)(Kaiser Family Foundation )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... A Kaiser Family Foundation study has reconfirmed what many already know: Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) aren't exploding on the consumerism horizon, and the numbers of consumers taking advantage of health savings accounts (HSAs) are...

Opportunity looms large for decision support.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Not even 70 percent of patients who leave physician offices with prescriptions in hand also leave with complete instructions on how to take their reeds--highlighting an enormous opportunity for clinical decision support and e-prescribing...

A new neighborhood for EBM.(California HealthCare Foundation)(Center for Medical Technology Policy)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The Blue Shield of California Foundation and the California HealthCare Foundation have joined hands--and funds--to breathe life into the Center for Medical Technology Policy (CMTP). The CMTP's objective is to design research projects that zero...

The fusion of PACS and RIS: for one Midwest imaging organization, integrating a new PACS into an existing RIS solves workflow issues while providing excellent ROI.(return on investment)(Radiology Information System)(Picture Archive Communication System)(Meridian Regional Imaging)(Cover story)
November 1, 2006... Today's providers of outpatient diagnostic imaging services face increasing challenges in managing information systems technology and costs, especially when considering rapid growth patterns, increasing cost containment pressure from insurance...

The multiple facets of PACS: today's PACS must not only deliver images and store them, but also lower the cost of doing business.(picture archiving and communications system)(Axcess Diagnostics )
November 1, 2006... Many healthcare facilities today grapple with the issue of replacing a legacy or older picture archiving and communications system (PACS). While reasons vary, it is not uncommon for early PACS adopters to eventually need more functions and...

Power to the people: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia creates a comprehensive Web-based health opportunity and gives members their own PHRs.(personal health record)
November 1, 2006... Staying competitive--it's a phrase that many hospitals and physician practices have recently begun to appreciate, and also one that many have begun to embrace with programs aimed at their ultimate end-users--patients. But not so with...

Bridging the gap: electronic encounter forms create a critical link between practice management and electronic medical records systems.(EMRs/EHRs)
November 1, 2006... When it comes to implementing electronic medical record (EMR) systems, cost is most often cited as the primary reason for slow adoption, particularly among smaller practices. However, cost isn't the only source of resistance; many are unsure of...

Sustain the gain: midwest healthcare system achieves demonstrated efficiency and quality improvements with an automated bed management system coupled with wholly redesigned internal processes for using it.(Capacity Management: Case History)(OSF Saint Francis Medical Center)
November 1, 2006... Oftentimes, a phrase like, "... and patient care improved dramatically" is sandwiched into the recounting of a healthcare organization's positive experience with information technology, but without much to justify its presence. Making a real...

An enterprising answer: midwest academic medical center streamlines patient transport with IVR technology.(Capacity Management: Case History)
November 1, 2006... For healthcare providers, capacity management means more than just managing patients in beds; it can also mean managing patients in transit. For large healthcare organizations with substantial campuses and multiple buildings, the efficient...

Receiving is believing; ROI is the best kind of lab result. Lab managers who lobby for increased lab IT should know what types of return on investment to expect from an organization's financial investment.(Laboratory Information Systems)
November 1, 2006... While laboratory information systems (LIS) vary in scope and functionality, for the most part, an LIS should generate a return on investment (ROI) for the purchaser by saving time, reducing costs, minimizing errors and increasing revenue. But,...

Banking on safety. Detroit Medical Center fast tracks adoption of CPOE, EMR and other allied systems.(Computerized Physician Order Entry)
November 1, 2006... In a strategic move to improve patient safety and stave off competition from other healthcare systems in southeast Michigan, Detroit Medical Center (DMC) has been aggressively updating its clinical systems. In April and September, DMC rolled...

Web-based EMR.(New Products & Services)(athenaClinicals)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... athenaClinicals is the newest member of athenaHealth's family of Web-based revenue cycle and practice management services. It features a fully hosted EMR that includes a full online health record with problem and medication lists, social and...

Electronic charge capture upgrade.(New Products & Services)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... MedAptus upgraded its electronic charge capture software with Version 7.0, designed to expand the functionality of the company's point-of-care technology and enhance revenue-cycle management. The upgrade adds Physician Workstation, a Web-based...

Mobile bed tracking.(New Products & Services)(Tele-Tracking Technologies)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... BedTracking mobile is Tele-Tracking Technologies' latest hand-held patient flow automation product designed to help prevent patient flow problems and enhance bed turnover in emergency rooms and throughout hospitals. The hand-held mobile device...

Pen-sized scanner.(New Products & Services)(Planon System Solutions Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Planon's DocuPen RC 800 is a lightweight hand-held 24-bit color scanner that scans full-page (8") black and white or color documents, including graphics and photos, at 100 to 400 dpi in as little as four seconds. It features a dual-roller...

Dual-sided ID card printer.(New Products & Services)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The Zebra P430i is a plastic card printer/encoder that can print in full color to both sides of a card. It features a patented card feeder system that uses the weight of the card stack to ensure accurate feeding, and can print up to 220 cards...

Revenue cycle management solution.(New Products & Services)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Navicure's Advanced NPI Manager is an automated Web-based revenue cycle management solution that helps healthcare providers and billing institutions meet the May 2007 deadline for a National Provider Identifier (NPI) even if their current...

Kronos.(NewsMakers)
November 1, 2006... Catholic Health East has selected Kronos Inc. to provide workforce performance management technology, geared to helping managers meet monthly productivity and labor utilization goals.

GE Healthcare.(NewsMakers)
November 1, 2006... Tulane University School of Medicine selected Centricity Business Advantage from GE Heahhcare. The contract is for a fully outsourced revenue cycle management service.

Portico Systems.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey has selected the Portico NPI Solution to assist with its compliance with the national provider identifier final rule, a HIPAA requirement.

ECIN.(Kingsbrook-Jewish Medical Center)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... In Brooklyn, N.Y., Kingsbrook-Jewish Medical Center will deploy the Utilization Management and Discharge Planning case management technology from ECIN to try to reduce avoidable inpatient days, prevent claims denials and streamline the process...

Dynamic Imaging.(Orange Regional Medical Center)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown, N.Y. has implemented IntegradWeb PACS from Dynamic Imaging, Allendale, N.J. Orange Regional's facilities generate more than 200,000 imaging exams per year across a network that includes 450...

Navicure.(Holy Redeemer Health System)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Two Pennsylvania-based healthcare organizations, Holy Redeemer Health System and Mercy Health System, have signed contracts with Navicure, Atlanta, for Web-based revenue cycle management services for physician practices. Holy Redeemer Physician...

Galvanon.(Princeton HealthCare System)(Virginia Hospital Center)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Two healthcare organizations, Princeton, N.J.-based Princeton HealthCare System and Arlington, Va.-based Virginia Hospital Center, have signed contracts with Galvanon, of Maitland, Fla., for the use of Galvanon's MediKiosk. The product is a...

The Haelan Group.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The State of Indiana has chosen One Care Street, a predictive modeling and health coaching system from The Haelan Group to improve the health of more than 32,000 state insured employees and spouses.

Digitech Computer Inc.(NewsMakers)(ATS Medical Services contract)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... ATS Medical Services, in Rockford, Ill., signed a contract with Digitech Computer Inc. for billing services on ambulance transports, including dispatch software and billing and collections services.

Carefx.(NewsMakers)(Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network uses Fusion)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Allentown, Penn.'s Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, one of the largest and oldest licensed teaching hospitals in Pennsylvania, has deployed Fusion from Carefx Corp. to provide physicians, coders and support staff with access to vital...

PHNS.(NewsMakers)(Tuolumne General Hospital signs PHNS, for management)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Tuolumne General Hospital in Sonora, Calif. signed an agreement with PHNS, a healthcare IT and business process services company in Dallas, to manage all aspects of the hospital's revenue cycle, including admissions, registration, medical...

Seneca Data.(NewsMakers)(VHA Empire State contract)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... VHA Empire State has signed with Seneca Data to provide computer systems and IT products for the organization's membership. VHA Empire State is a regional alliance that provides chain management services for local healthcare members.

api Software.(NewsMakers)
November 1, 2006... OSF Healthcare System (OSF), Peoria, Ill. has selected the Payrollmation time and attendance system from api Software Inc., Hartford, Wis. OSF will use the software to streamline a complex time and attendance process for 13,000 employees at six...

HealthHelp.(NewsMakers)(Thomas Jefferson University Hospital partnership)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The Thomas Jefferson University Hospital of Philadelphia, Penn. (TJUH) is partnering with Houston-based HealthHelp, a nationally known radiology benefit management company, to provide subspecialty-trained radiologist consultations with...

Owens & Minor.(NewsMakers)(Cleveland Clinic Health System contract)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Under a three-year agreement with Owens & Minor, of Mechanicsville, Va., the Cleveland Clinic Health System will implement the company's Qsight clinical-inventory management tool throughout its hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio and Florida. Qsight...

Siemens.(NewsMakers)(Baptist Saint Anthony Health System contract with Siemens Medical Solutions)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Baptist Saint Anthony (BSA) Health System in Amarillo, Texas, has signed a multiyear agreement with Siemens Medical Solutions for outsourcing and consulting services, especially focused on its use of Siemens' INVISION. BSA employs more than 500...

IMCO Technologies.(NewsMakers)(Gothenberg Memorial Hospital contract)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Gothenburg Memorial Hospital, Gothenberg, Neb., has selected the IMCO Teleradiology System from IMCO Technologies, Pewaukee, Wis. The system will include bidirectional capability between the hospital and a remotely located radiology group.

IBM.(NewsMakers)(St. Louis Area Regional Response System contract)
November 1, 2006... The St. Louis Area Regional Response System (STARRS) has selected IBM to provide a new real-time patient tracking system intended to improve response times in an emergency. The system replaces a 30-year-old radio system. The new system is up...

PAR3 Communications.(NewsMakers)(Keystone Mercy Health Plan contract)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Keystone Mercy Health Plan, Pennsylvania's largest medical assistance (Medicaid) managed care health plan, has chosen PAR3 Communications to survey at-risk patients for the purposes of reducing unnecessary emergency department (ED) visits and...

Health Dialog Services Corp.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The State Health Plan of North Carolina has selected Health Dialog Services Corp., Boston, to provide "whole-person care management services" for more than 490,000 state employees, teachers, retirees and dependents. This will include support...

Omnicell.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Decatur Memorial Hospital, a 350-bed independent hospital in Decatur, Ill., installed patient safety technology from Omnicell Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., to reduce medication errors, improve patient satisfaction and decrease pharmacy...

MEDSEEK.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... MEDSEEK is developing a physician portal for Kingman Regional Medical Center, Kingman, Ariz., a 213-bed facility, to give physicians access to clinical data from multiple and disparate systems including lab results, patient records, cardiology...

Dynamic Healthcare Systems.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Hometown Health Plan has selected the HCC Quick Assessment solution from Dynamic Healthcare Systems, Irving, Calif. HCC Quick Assessment aims to help Medicare Advantage plans to identify missing and miscoded ICD-9 codes that have not been...

WebVMC.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... East Alabama Medical Center, a regional referral center that services a five-county market, will partner with WebVMC, Atlanta, for telehealth and telemedicine services for its home care services patients. The vendor's Web-based system offers...

Royal Philips Electronics.(NewsMakers)(Los Angeles County Harbor at the University of California Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Olive View Medical Centers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The Los Angeles County Harbor at the University of California Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Olive View Medical Centers selected Royal Philips Electronics' Medical Systems division's advanced cardiology information management system,...

Broadlane.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... UMass Memorial Health Care has chosen Broadlane to provide supply chain services via a five-year contract. Broadlane will supply the healthcare system, including five acute care hospitals, with supply chain services for consumable supplies and...

Thomson Micromedex.(NewsMakers)(Lab Advisor, an integrated component of the Micromedex Health and Disease Management Solution)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... BryanLGH Medical Center in Lincoln, Neb., and Hilo Medical Center in Hilo, Hawaii, have implemented Lab Advisor, an integrated component of the Micromedex Health and Disease Management Solution from Thomson Micromedex, a Thomson healthcare...

On the road to the EHR, keep sight of the legal health record.(Thought Leaders)
November 1, 2006... As a young man, I was on an aircraft carrier that tested the first "do everything" fighter aircraft, the F111. For the Navy, it was to be a carrier-launched fighter to protect the fleet; for the Air Force, a long-range tactical aircraft....