September 17, 2013 Mark Hagland
blog
In an era in which commemorative weeks and months are everywhere and happening during any given week, does it make sense to celebrate something like the “National Health IT Week”? Actually, it does. Here’s why…
September 17, 2013 Rajiv Leventhal
news
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Board of Governors has approved 71 awards, totaling more than $114 million over three years, to fund comparative clinical effectiveness research designed to answer questions most important to patients and those who care for them.
September 16, 2013 Rajiv Leventhal
news
Supporting the growing trend toward patient engagement, a recent survey from the N.Y.-based health IT services vendor Accenture found that many U.S. consumers (41 percent) would be willing to switch doctors to gain online access to their own electronic medical records (EMR).
September 15, 2013 Mark Hagland
article
This summer, a group of healthcare researchers published a research article that evaluated the effects of standardized vascular health checks on health outcomes, for patients in six European countries. The implications for electronic health record-facilitated chronic care management and preventive health care in the U.S. are clear.
September 14, 2013 Mark Hagland
article
The issue of unnecessary elective early-term deliveries of babies is receiving increasing attention in patient care organizations nationwide. One patient care organization in which active work to make such changes has been taking place is the four-hospital, Springfield-based Baystate Health. There, the medical director of obstetrics, the chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology, and the organization’s clinical research director, are engaged in groundbreaking work in this very important area.
September 13, 2013 Gabriel Perna
news
The use of electronic health records (EHRs) in a clinical setting led to a decrease in emergency room visits and hospitalizations for patients with diabetes, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found.
September 13, 2013 Gabriel Perna
news
A bill was introduced this week in Congress that would permit in-state license Medicare providers to utilize telemedicine services for Medicare beneficiaries elsewhere. The “Telemedicine for Medicare Act of 2013,” was introduced by Reps. Devin Nunes (R-CA 22) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ 6).
September 12, 2013 Rajiv Leventhal
blog
As we progress to the new healthcare, keeping people healthy will force healthcare providers to do things such as prevent hospital readmissions, or keep people from needing a hospital stay at all. And that will happen only if providers have some insight into what patients are doing at home.
September 12, 2013 Rajiv Leventhal
news
In 2010, only 17 percent of residential care communities in the U.S. used electronic health records (EHRs), according to a National Center for Health Statistics data brief. Residential care communities, as defined in the brief, includes assisted-living facilities and similar residential care communities (personal care homes, adult care homes, board care homes, and adult foster care).
September 11, 2013 Gabriel Perna
article
Jonathan Teich, M.D., is in a unique position to comment on the intersection of IT and physician workflow. In this Q&A with HCI’s Associate Editor, Gabriel Perna, Dr. Teich shares his thoughts on health IT, specifically clinical decision support (CDS) systems, and how they fit into the workflow of a clinician.
September 11, 2013 Gabriel Perna
news
A Middletown, Ct.-based primary care system, Community Health Center Inc., is expanding its telehealth program for underserved patients across state lines to Delaware, the provider announced this week.
September 10, 2013 Rajiv Leventhal
article
While the timing of Stage 2 of meaningful use has been a hot topic lately, there are tools and technology to help providers automate meaningful use so that practices of all sizes are ready for this huge next step. George Washington Medical Faculty Associates has found one solution to help them with the tedious tasks involved with meaningful use reporting.