February 5, 2013 Ted Reynolds and Chris Miller, CTG Health Solutions
article
The meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs), healthcare reform and ongoing pressure to improve clinical and financial performance will drive six trends that we expect will impact providers in 2013, say two executives at CTG Health Solutions
February 3, 2013 Mark Hagland
blog
CIOs, CMIOs and other healthcare leaders have a real opportunity to help shape community-wide healthcare delivery performance improvement initiatives: just ask Jane Brock, M.D., of the Colorado Foundation for Medical Care, that state's QIO.
February 3, 2013 Mark Hagland
article
Jane Brock, M.D., the chief medical officer of the Colorado Foundation for Medical Care, that state's Medicare quality improvement organization, discusses recent research-driven learnings around what makes for successful forays into improving care transitions-and the IT leveraging that will need to take place in communities nationwide.
January 30, 2013 Mark Hagland
article
Leaders at the American Health Quality Association recently showcased the release of an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that documented an impressive decline in avoidable hospitalizations and readmissions among Medicare patients in communities in which Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) have coordinated interventions that engaged whole communities in care improvement.
January 29, 2013 Mark Hagland
article
Earlier this month, the Health Research Institute at PriceWaterhouseCoopers consulting firm released a new report, “Top health industry issues of 2013: Picking up the pace on health reform.” PWC’s John Edwards, director of the consulting firm’s healthcare advisory division, shares his perspectives on the most pressing challenges facing healthcare IT leaders right now. Here’s a hint: think data and information systems, not IT per se.
January 22, 2013 Jeff Smith, Assistant Director of Advocacy at CHIME
article
The Federal Health IT Policy Committee has been working for months on developing measures and objectives for Stage 3 Meaningful Use and in November they shared those thoughts with the wider health IT community of stakeholders for input. Recently, CHIME submitted a response to the HIT Policy Committee, urging caution about the assumed pace and practicality of those Stage 3 measures.
January 22, 2013 Mark Hagland
blog
HIMSS Analytics' recent press release on the acceleration in the pace of EHR adoption is encouraging, but then again, the numbers could be read in different ways, depending on one's perspective
January 22, 2013 Mark Hagland
news
In a speech with a strong focus on unity among Americans and with a heavy emphasis on social progress, President Barack Obama briefly mentioned healthcare in his second inaugural address in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 21.
January 17, 2013 Gabriel Perna
news
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released an update to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), aiming to better protect patient privacy and safeguard patients' health information in the digital age, according to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
January 15, 2013 Jeff Smith, Assistant Director of Advocacy at CHIME
article
According to officials at CMS, December was the single largest monthly payout of EHR incentives in the program’s history. Roughly $1.2 billion went to eligible hospitals and eligible physicians in December, bringing the total estimated payout to $10.3 billion. The bulk of the payments went to EHs, who received $1 billion in Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments. EPs received $175 million in Medicare payments and $80 million in Medicaid payments.
January 15, 2013 Rajiv Leventhal
news
The adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) by family physicians has doubled since 2005, exceeds other office-based physicians as a group and is likely to surpass 80 percent by 2013, according to a study published in the January/February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
January 14, 2013 Rajiv Leventhal
news
Under the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans will gain access to affordable health coverage through Affordable Insurance Exchanges (also known as health insurance marketplaces) and improvements in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in 2014. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced a proposed rule that promotes consistent policies and processes for eligibility notices and appeals in Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Exchanges, and give states more flexibility when operating their Medicaid programs.