September 13, 2012 Jennifer Prestigiacomo
article
Stage 2 meaningful use calls for encryption of data on end-user devices. With many clinicians, especially physicians, increasingly bringing their own BlackBerrys, iPhones, iPads, Android devices, and other handhelds, into patient care organizations for their personal clinical use, what some term the bring your own device (BYOD) movement, IT leaders could be faced with a challenging situation when it comes to securing these devices.
September 7, 2012 John DeGaspari
blog
How is the meaningful use Stage 2 final rule being received now that providers are taking a closer look at the mandates? In many ways the perception of the challenges has a lot to do with the provider’s resources and the progress it has already made.
August 30, 2012 Gabriel Perna and Mark Hagland
article
When it comes to the aftermath of the meaningful use Stage 2 final rule, released recently by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), EHR vendors find themselves relieved, but still very much under the gun. Even with the delay to the start of attestation, these EHR vendors, with large client bases, are acknowledging that time is of the essence.
August 30, 2012
news
According to a recent report from KLAS Research, an Orem, Utah research firm, most providers have not attested for meaningful use Stage 1, citing quality measures and reporting as their biggest challenges. This has led them to increasingly reach out to consultants for assistance, says the KLAS report, Rapid Growth of Meaningful Use Consulting: Why Providers Are Reaching Out.
August 29, 2012 Gabriel Perna
blog
After the CMS released the proposed rule for Stage 2 of meaningful use, it received a ton of pushback from providers on the patient engagement requirement, which asked for 10 percent of patients look at their data, download it, or transmit it to others through a portal. While it lowered the threshold by five percent, the point has been reinforced. Whether you like the patient engagement requirement or not, it’s time to push forward.
August 28, 2012 John DeGaspari
article
Initial reactions to the meaningful use Stage 2 final rule released last week by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have overall been fairly positive, but also point to significant challenges. While CMS has raised the bar in several important areas, it also showed some flexibility by lowering the thresholds and moderating reporting periods. Yet experts interviewed this week also note that the new mandates may pose special challenges for small, critical access hospitals and large medical groups.
August 28, 2012 Gabriel Perna
article
Across the industry, the responses to CMS’ Stage 2 Final Rule are coming into focus. The changes from the proposed rule to the final rule represent a compromise, lessening the burden on providers while establishing a clear path forward.
August 24, 2012 Gabriel Perna
article
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued the final rule for Stage 2 meaningful use under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act/Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (ARRA-HITECH) Act. The first reactions have begun to come in from various provider-based organizations, and the reaction to the Stage 2 final rule is mostly positive.
August 24, 2012 David Raths
blog
CMS followed Health IT Policy Committee in stressing the importance of making health information readily available to patients after a visit.
August 23, 2012
article
On Aug. 23, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the final rule for Stage 2 meaningful use under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act/Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (ARRA-HITECH) Act.
August 1, 2012 Mark Hagland
article
At Baptist Healthcare System, Louisville, Ky., CIO Jackie Lucas is defying conventional wisdom, and is about to attest to meaningful use for five hospitals in her system, working with an emergency department IS separate from her core EHR. Her verdict? It’s simply a myth that it can’t be done.
July 23, 2012 David Raths
article
The London 2012 Summer Olympics brings together people from around the world, which makes it a potential epicenter for an infectious disease outbreak. To better prepare to respond, Britain’s Health Protection Agency has made several enhancements to its syndromic surveillance systems, including a new emergency department syndromic surveillance system. U.S. systems are getting more sophisticated, too.
