Health Management Technology articles from September 2004

Health Management Technology archives from September 2004

When bad things happen to good vendors.(From The Editor)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... Volcanic eruptions in the continental U.S. occur as frequently as I write favorable columns about vendors. It's not that I dislike vendors. It's that the majority are so commercial, and it's tough to move them off that product dime. ...

Report: medical mistakes linked to 195,000 deaths a year.(Patient Safety)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... In-hospital medical errors, on average, cost 195,000 lives and $6 billion a year, according to recent research by HealthGrades. The human resources consulting firm reviewed 37 million Medicare records from 2000 to 2002 from all 50 states and...

ENT docs admit to medical mistakes.(Patient Safety)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A physician-led survey indicates that nearly half of ear, nose and throat specialists have made a recent medical mistake or are aware of one firsthand. Dr. David Roberson, Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Disorders at...

EHRs gain ground with doctors.(Physician Practices)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Nearly four in 10 physicians have an EHR system in place or are implementing one, according to a recent member survey by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Of the respondents who have EHRs in place, 73 percent said such systems...

Patients benefit from care management.(Health Plans)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Care management (CM) programs can help patients manage chronic conditions and stave off problems that could result from unhealthy lifestyles. Recent research from human resources consulting firm Towers Perrin indicates that nearly three...

Senator earmarks $2.5 billion for regional networks.(IT Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., has proposed legislation, H.R. 4880, that earmarks more than $2.5 billion for regional health information networks, which will serve as the foundation for a National Health Information Infrastructure. Federal...

Brailer introduces 10-year healthcare IT initiative.(IT Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... HHS recently released the first outline of a 10-year healthcare IT initiative. The plan lays out broad steps toward a nationwide electronic health record system and health information infrastructure. The report, prepared by National Coordinator...

CHS makes Siemens primary vendor.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... CHS makes Siemens primary vendor. Buffalo, N.Y. based Catholic Health Systems (CHS) has signed a 10-year, $100 million strategic alliance with Siemens Medical Solutions. Siemens will provide diagnostic imaging and healthcare information...

Mayo goes paperless in Minnesota.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Mayo goes paperless in Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic says it now has 1.5 million outpatient records stored in its electronic health record system. The Rochester, Minn.-based healthcare provider has used its Mayo Integrated Clinical Systems (MICS)...

URAC reviews use of IOM quality aims.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... URAC reviews use of IOM quality aims. URAC will conduct an in depth review of how medical management organizations are promoting quality aims outlined in the IOM report "Crossing the Quality Chasm." Industry leaders in the disease management,...

Congress to weigh patient safety bill.(IT Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Congress must reconcile two versions of a patient safety bill passed in both houses when it returns to session this month. The Senate version of the bill, passed in late July, mandates interoperability standards for healthcare IT and lays the...

The best backup = no downtime.(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, CA, is truly the Hospital of Silicon Valley," where patients experience firsthand electronic medical records, wireless handheld devices and a hospital with 99 percent physician participation in CPOE. ...

If you're not coding, you're not billing: the world of codes and HIM alike represents a fast-moving landscape.(Claims & Coding)(Cover Story)
September 1, 2004... It may not generate the dramatic images of crash carts or surgical suites, but coding is essential to every healthcare organization for generating revenue. "If you're not coding, you're not billing," says Londa Bechert, R.H.I.A., director of...

Claims & coding hotlist.
September 1, 2004... Payers Amisys Synertech Inc. 2400 Thea Dr. Harrisburg, PA 17110 800-210-9756 Founded: 19/6 Target: Health plan payer market Product Name: AMISYS Advance Product: AMISYS Advance, for medium and large payers,...

Going global: AHIMA convention offers international perspective on health information management, along with the hottest HIM issues of the day.(AHIMA Preview)(American Health Information Management Association)
September 1, 2004... The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has put a new spin on think globally, act locally." The trade group's 76th National Convention and Exhibit runs Oct. 9-14, in conjunction with the 14th Congress of International...

Revolutionizing radiology with images on demand: three SANs and a PACS provide Colorado healthcare system physicians with easy access to radiological images, as well as quick disaster recovery.(Data storage: case history )
September 1, 2004... Exempla Healthcare began serving patients in 1998, but our roots go back much farther. We were formed by joining two of Colorado's oldest hospitals: St. Joseph Hospital, founded in 1873 in Denver, and Wheat Ridge-based Lutheran Medical Center,...

The HIPAA prescription for healthcare--why isn't it working?(HIPAA)
September 1, 2004... When the late Arthur Ashe was forced by a healthcare worker's newspaper leak to publicly admit in 1992 that he was HIV-positive, he opened a healthcare industry Pandora's box. One would hope Ashe was comforted by the ensuing public outcry,...

Lasting impressions: distributed printing helps southern IDN streamline process and save dollars.(Document management: case history)
September 1, 2004... Today's businesses are becoming increasingly separated geographically, but connected technologically. With this trend comes the challenge of aligning technology between locations, and connecting people, workflows and assets within those...

Wireless-enabled PDA.(PDAs & Handhelds)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Pocket PC e800 is a PDA designed for those who desire a compact device to store data and stay connected to the Internet or a LAN. Featuring a 4-inch TFT transflective color display with a pixel resolution of 240 by 320, it includes built in...

Rugged tablet.(PDAs & Handhelds)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Hammerhead RT800 is a tablet PC designed for users who require rugged attributes in a light device. Features include molded rubber bumpers for shock absorption, a magnesium housing for optimal strength, and imperviousness to liquids, dirt...

Next-generation slate tablet.(PDAs & Handhelds)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Weighing less than 3 pounds, the M1400 tablet PC offers improvements in viewability, audio, wireless connectivity, security and power management. It utilizes an Intel Pentium M 1.1 GHz ULV Centrino processor and integrated Bluetooth technology...

Durable minitablet.(PDAs & Handhelds)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The TX is a small, rugged tablet PC designed to withstand 3-foot drops onto hard surfaces, as well as vibration and infiltration by liquids or dust. Measuring 10.63 inches wide by 7.24 inches deep by 1.65 inches high and weighing less than 4...

Customizable notebook.(PDAs & Handhelds)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Powered by an Intel Pentium M processor, the LifeBook E8000 notebook PC allows users to customize their notebooks with different configurations. They can choose a 15-inch XGA TFT LCD display for business use or a 15-inch SXGA+ high-resolution...

Variable-speed PDA.(PDAs & Handhelds)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Axim X30 incorporates an Intel PXA270 processor that can be used with one of two processor speeds-312 MHz or 624 MHz-depending on the user's choice. Utilizing a removable, rechargeable lithium ion battery, the PDA also includes 32/64 MB...

Nurses feel right at home with healthcare: notebook PC makes patient visits easy for Alabama home health agency nurses.(PDAs & handhelds: case history)
September 1, 2004... When home healthcare nurses travel often long distances to visit patients, they don't need to be impaired by faulty information technology that prevents them from doing their jobs, so using a reliable mobile computer is key to providing...

Creating a health-conscious community: Montana health system uses interactive customer relationship management strategies to increase women's participation in heart disease program.(Customer Relationship Management)
September 1, 2004... Building and maintaining patient relationships in a large metropolitan area is daunting enough for a healthcare organization. Accomplishing these tasks in a widely dispersed, largely rural region is another challenge altogether. The solution...

The health plan as a change agent: Aetna uses EBM, data analysis and a moderated, personal touch to effect changes and improvements in physicians' treatment plans.(Health Plans & Technology)
September 1, 2004... What is it, exactly, that compels physicians to change--to alter practice patterns, use a handheld or deploy an electronic health record (EHR)? The pundits of healthcare IT have speculated for years, because they know that no professional group...

Pursuing perfection: Minnesota healthcare organization uses EBM and process re-engineering to successfully apply best practices to the treatment of depression.(Evidence-Based Medicine)
September 1, 2004... The Vanderbilt Center for Evidence-based Medicine conducted a yearlong study of 89 health plans in 2003. It found that only 55 percent of physicians follow best practice guidelines. Lack of knowledge about best practices is not the fundamental...

Smarter surgical decisions supported by data: Mississippi hospital uses IT to gets its arms around surgical scheduling, inventory control, documentation and staff utilization.(Surgical information systems: case history)
September 1, 2004... There is the forest, and then there are the trees. At Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, Miss., a 425-bed medical/surgical community hospital, senior management is doing its best to lose sight of neither. In a quest to make Memorial an info...

Keys to successful CPOE implementation: Connecticut hospital maintains a constant focus on improved patient safety as its top reason for implementing CPOE.(CPOE: case history)(Computerized physician order entry)
September 1, 2004... Some healthcare organizations embarked on computerized physician order entry (CPOE) in response to the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) shocking numbers about annual deaths from medical errors. Others forged ahead when The Leapfrog Group...

Building in for access and usability: North Carolina health system achieves multiple data access and report management goals with IT.(Data/report management: case history)
September 1, 2004... As the CIO of an academic hospital network responsible for the well-being of more than 31,000 inpatient admissions and 700,000 outpatient visits each year, J.P. Kichak understands the need for information control and availability. He also...

Practice management software.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... MED/FM version 6.0 financial management software for medical practices and billing services, features a new statement process, HIPAA privacy notes a document attachment module and enhanced transcription and anesthesia modules. Its new statement...

Rules-based data capture.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... With its rules based architecture, Taskmaster version 6 provides users with control over the data capture process, enabling the business process from scanning and recognition to validation and export, without scripting. The rules are predefined...

Wireless medication management.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Wireless connectivity applications for the Medley Medication Safety System link the system's infusion-delivery devices with a hospital information system to automatically transmit clinical device data and create real time IV management. Drug...

Bedside e-prescribing application.(New Products & Services)
September 1, 2004... When used with a wireless handheld device or a Web browser, CarePoint version 4.2 offers prescription analysis reporting and enhanced device messaging at the point of care for physicians. Features include: simple "two-click" e-prescribing or a...

Equipment, people locater.(New Products & Services)
September 1, 2004... The COMLinx Local Positioning Module (LPM) uses a badge that, when attached to equipment or used by caregivers, can help to locate people and items in the hospital. Coded signals are transmitted via radio frequency, infrared and low-frequency...

Next-generation PMS.(New Products & Services)
September 1, 2004... Designed to perform in a high-volume patient environment, MEDfx is practice management software that is scalable from a single physician up to a multilocation practice, community health center or multipractice enterprise An XML-based...

Upgraded browser-based CIS.(New Products & Services)
September 1, 2004... Version 1.2 of the PrognoCIS System, a comprehensive and customizable browser-based clinical information system, offers many module enhancements. The Computerized Physician Order Entry module, which alerts physicians and staff to potentially...

BAM-based transaction processing.(New Products & Services)
September 1, 2004... Transaction Insight is a transaction-processing application designed to reduce operating expenses and improve the first-pass rate for payers, and to contribute to accelerated revenue cycles and collections for providers. It uses business...

Automated accident reporting.(New Products & Services)
September 1, 2004... The Accident/Incident Reporting module is designed to enable caregivers to capture all information needed to complete and track required documentation and notifications for accidents or incidents that have occurred at their healthcare facility....

Enterprise ILM device.(New Products & Services)
September 1, 2004... The StreamLine SL8500 modular library system is an information lifecycle management product that offers consolidation capabilities, high availability, performance and scalability while minimizing its footprint in the data center. Its...

Instant nurse call communication.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... An addition to the handsfree, voice-controlled Vocera Communications System, the Nurse Call Integration Module interfaces with nurse call systems, enabling caregivers to instantly receive patient bedside notifications even if they are in a...

PC-to-disk-server conversion.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Addressing the needs of small organizations, installed SANmelody soft-I ware on a PC converts the latter into a networked disk server, the disk space of which can be shared by multiple application servers over a LAN. The software can divide a...

Secure enterprise access.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Designed to allow organizations to reduce help desk costs from password resets, improve enterprise security and increase user productivity, RSA Sign-On Manager utilizes enterprise single sign-on to manage multiple logins to applications after a...

Transcription Mgt. for HIM depts.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Available for health information management (HIM) departments, the Axolotl Transcription Management System (ATMS) is a comprehensive solution designed to meet the needs of small healthcare organizations and large health networks in managing...

Enhanced patient education.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Improvements to the comprehensive information database of Krames On-Demand, which gives healthcare practitioners instant access to more than 3,500 print-on-demand patient education HealthSheets in 34 specialty areas, include the addition of...

Mobile computing management.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Mobility XE is the latest version of the mobility management platform designed to meet the needs of enterprise IT managers supporting mobile-device users. Features include: improved scalability through the creation of server pools and the use...

Secure file transfer app.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... CyberFusion version 5.5 is secure file transfer software designed to allow healthcare organizations to comply with HIPAA requirements when electronically sending confidential files such as patient information and medical records. It addresses...

Claims benchmarking tool.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Claims Analysis Report benchmarks a health plan sponsor's claims experience against a large national healthcare database to gauge how a company's health plan compares to similar companies. It identifies areas where claims deviated from...

JCAHO removes bar coding from patient safety goals.(Bar Coding)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has struck a bar coding pro vision from its 2005 National Patient Safety Goals. The organization, which issued its official list in late July, removed a proposal...

VeriChip implant under review for U.S. hospital use.(RFID Technology)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... An implant the size of a rice grain could significantly impact the way hospitals view and keep patient records. A letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicated that a radio frequency identification (RFID) implantable tag,...

HealthRamp.(News Makers)(Osier Medical)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... New York-based HealthRamp has signed an agreement to provide its CarePoint suite of technologies to Osier Medical, a multispecialty group practice serving Brevard County, Fla. Prior to implementation, HealthRamp will integrate Oder's...

Eldorado Computing Inc.(News Makers)(Claimsnet)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Claimsnet has formed a strategic partnership with Eldorado Computing Inc. (ECI). Under the terms of the agreement, ECI will market Claimsnet as one of its preferred Internet based claims clearinghouse solutions to its 150 healthcare payer...

RelayHealth Corp.(News Makers)(CareGroup Healthcare System )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Massachusetts-based CareGroup Healthcare System has licensed RelayHealth Corp.'s RelayHealth webVisit service to enable patients to securely communicate online about non-urgent medical issues with CareGroup physicians and office staff.

BNX Systems.(News Makers)(Contra Costa County (Calif.) Health Services Department)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Contra Costa County (Calif.) Health Services Department will implement BNX Systems' BNX Authenticated Sign-On. Contra Costa County Health Services will use the solution to manage system access and authentication for more than 2,500 users,...

Omnicell Inc.(News Makers)(University Hospitals of Cleveland )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Mountain View, Calif-based Omnicell Inc. will provide medication dispensing and delivery, systems to University Hospitals of Cleveland (UHC). UHC is the tertiary hub of University Hospitals Health Systems, an integrated delivery network serving...

McKesson Corp.(News Makers)(Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has signed a five-year licensing agreement with McKesson Corp. to use the company's InterQual Criteria sets and software. The agreement includes InterQual criteria for acute care, rehabilitation, subacute and...

EDS.(News Makers)(Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts)(Software)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) recently launched BlueLinks, a Web-based solution developed by EDS. The solution allows BCBSMA business customers to manage and update health insurance over the Internet in real time.

Enterprise Performance System Inc.(News Makers)(Porter Memorial Health System)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Porter Memorial Health System has purchased Enterprise Performance System Inc.'s full suite of decision support applications. The modules include Enterprise Budget Manager, Capital Budget Manager, Product Line Analyst, Enterprise Cost Manager...

Healthcare Management System Inc.(News Makers)(Memorial Hospital of Carbon County)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Memorial Hospital of Carbon County, Rawlins, Wyo., has selected Healthcare Management System Inc.'s integrated hospital IT system, including Clinical View, Pharmacy, Electronic Medication Administration Record, Laboratory, Radiology, Patient...

Cedara Software Corp.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Toronto-based Cedara Software Corp. has signed an agreement with Hitachi Medical Corp. to supply a portion of its medical imaging technologies to Hitachi.

[A.sup.4] Health Systems.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Genesis Physicians Group, a North Texas independent physician association with more than 1,400 members, has signed a value-added services agreement that will provide its physicians with preferred pricing on [A.sup.4] Health Systems software and...

CPU Medical Management Systems Inc.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... San Diego based CPU Medical Management Systems Inc. has reacquired its managed care information system product, MED/MC, from Florida-based cHDL.

Enterasys.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Westerly Hospital, a Rhode Island community hospital, has deployed a complete Enterasys enterprise Secure Networks solution.

Lawson Software.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Mount Carmel, a central Ohio health system, has implemented Lawson Software's Surgical Instrument Management solution to automate management of its instruments and trays. Mount Carmel, a member of Trinity Health, operates three hospitals,...

HDM Corp.(News Makers)(Healthcare )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... United Healthcare has contracted with HDM Corp. to offer a direct connection for providers to submit electronic claims. Under the terms of the agreement, providers who use HDM's electronic claims transaction software, Qwik+FILE, can submit...

Kryptiq Corp.(News Makers)(CareCatalyst software)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Four medical providers have purchased CareCatalyst, by Kryptiq Corp., to deliver secure, online services to more than 100,000 primary care patients. CareCatalyst is an integrated Web portal that gives patients access to medical information...

Siemens Medical Solutions.(News Makers)(HipGraphics inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... HipGraphics inc. and Siemens Medical Solutions have entered an exclusive agreement for further development of syngo InSpace, an interactive, 3-D medical imaging application.

ZixCorp.(News Makers)(Baycare Health Partners Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Baycare Health Partners Inc. will support the adoption of ZixCorp's PocketScript e-prescribing technology offered through the eRx Collaborative, a program founded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusets and Tufts Health Plan. The eRx...

ProxyMed.(News Makers)(PlanVista Solutions)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... PlanVista Solutions, a subsidiary of ProxyMed, has entered into an agreement with Gilsbar Inc., a Covington, La.-based third-party administrator, to provide network access and claims repricing for certain Gilsbar clients.

IntelliCare Inc.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... McLaren Regional Medical Center, a 458-bed teaching hospital in Flint, Mich., has agreed to outsource its medical contact center operations to IntelliCare Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, the company will help McLaren provide all hours...

Misys.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Texas Health Resources (THR) has signed a multimillion-dollar agreement in extend the Misys Radiology Information System (RIS). Currently installed in three acute care facilities, the RIS will be deployed to nine additional hospitals and...

SCC Soft Computer.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Continuum Health Partners has selected SCC Soft Computer for its laboratory information software systems line and enhanced suite of management, consulting and educational services for its five major healthcare facilities. The New York-based...

Plexis Healthcare Systems.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski has appointed Plexis Healthcare Systems CEO Jorge Yant to serve as a member of the Oregon Health Policy Commission. Yant joins 13 other members on the commission, a policy-making body and primary advisory committee to...

InSiteOne Inc.(News Makers)(Force 3 Inc)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A strategic alliance has been signed between Force 3 Inc. and InSiteOne Inc. to provide joint products and services to the healthcare community. The alliance allows Force 3 and InSiteOne to provide network assessments, security, image storage...

Allscripts Healthcare Solutions.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Murfreesboro Medical Clinic, Murfreesboro, Tenn., has implemented TouchWorks EMR system from Allscripts Healthcare Solutions. Utilizing the Internet-based architecture of the EMR, physicians, nurses and staff will be able to retrieve patient...

Provation Medical.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Colorado-based Golden Ridge Surgery Center has selected ProVation Medical's ProVation MD clinical procedure documentation and coding compliance software for use in both orthopedics and pain management cases. Driven by deep medical content, the...

Making the EMR user-friendly enough to use.(Thought Leaders)
September 1, 2004... Physicians are sometimes unfairly labeled as being wary adopters of technology, most recently in slower-than-anticipated adoption of wireless mobile devices in the clinical setting. Wireless devices clearly hold huge potential for the delivery...