Blogs

I wouldn't blame you if you were taken aback by the statistics seen earlier this month regarding hospital readmissions. Medical systems are supposed to be lowering readmissions in an effort to improve clinician accountability and patient safety all while cutting costs, and the statistics have told us that most have failed to do that. But taking a deeper look beyond the numbers will show you that the future is not so grim.

Even smaller hospitals are starting to use electronic surveillance to access critical data in their EHRs and know whether or not best-practice care procedures are being delivered while patients are still in the hospital.

The announcement from HHS on August 6 that Farzad Mostashari, M.D. was preparing to leave his position as National Coordinator for Health IT this fall was very surprising. What's important now is for the next National Coordinator to be as strategic and persuasive a leader as he has been.

A sometimes-heated discussion taking place in New York City around introducing a physician pay-for-performance program into that city’s immense public hospital system speaks to the broader debate around how best to transform U.S. healthcare

Take your cell phone out of your pocket, stare at it, and put it back. It doesn’t really matter what kind of phone it is, whether it was a smartphone, a dumb phone, or a phone that has an average IQ, that little thing is going to change how patients engage with their healthcare provider. I’ve seen the proof.

"We're excited to have you here to interview for this chance-of-a-lifetime CIO position. And by the way, nice suit!" said Mr./Ms Person In Charge of Hiring. "Thanks, I made it myself!" said You. No you did not. And while I'm making educated guesses, I'll bet you didn't cut your own hair for your interview, did you? And chances are very, very good that you didn't decide to whip up a little something special and cobble those shiny new shoes that you're sporting on your big day, either. Are you seeing where this is going Mr./Ms. DIY Résumé Writer?

Microsoft has been getting its share of bad press lately after poor quarterly results and more details on a planned reorganization. Many are saying that Microsoft can’t sustain its dominance with Windows and Office as PC sales stall. It is interesting to speculate as to what healthcare might look like post-Microsoft, given the dominance of PC applications in healthcare. Or, will Microsoft be successful in transforming itself, and all this speculation be for naught?

How prepared is your provider organization against cyber threats? A recent special report, “Cyber Security and Investigations,” released by Kroll Inc., a New York-based corporate investigation and risk assessment firm, points to often-overlooked areas of data security, and offers practical tips for bolstering security in those areas.

The July 16 announcement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that nine of the 32 patient care organizations participating in the Pioneer ACO Shared Savings Program were leaving the Pioneer program, with two of them leaving the Medicare Shared Savings Program altogether, was cause for reflective pause. But is the glass half-empty or half-full in this case?