Mary Mosquera
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT plans to conduct a nationwide survey of public opinion about electronic health information exchange and the privacy and security of personal data that is shared.
In launching NHIN Direct, a set of tools designed to make it easier for small providers to share electronic health information securely, health IT policymakers are forcing states to rethink their plans for rolling out health information services in their communities.
The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) said it believes the Interim Final Rule (IFR) on standards and certification might cause "unintended deceleration in the pace of adoption."
The Department of Veterans Affairs is at work on the next generation of VistA, its 20-plus year-old electronic medical record system, which is often praised by users but considered a headache to planners working to bring VA health systems fully into the Internet age.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has launched "NHIN Direct" as a simpler way for physicians and consumers to exchange health information than through implementation of the full-blown Nationwide Health Information Network.
The White House on Friday called for the creation of a government-wide task force to strengthen coordination of healthcare IT among federal agencies that hold key roles in carrying out the administration's plans for a digital healthcare system.
The Health and Human Services Department plans to survey 500 Medicare beneficiaries this fall about difficulties and benefits they may have experienced using personal health record (PHR) systems.
A Health and Human Services Department advisory panel has stepped up its efforts to identify standards and services that would open up the nationwide health information network to providers who need simple ways to share health data.
The Veterans Affairs Department has launched a competition among its employees to see who can come up with the best ideas for how to use health IT to improve the agency's healthcare practices and treatments.
The Federal Communications Commission wants to foster the use of wireless devices and applications in healthcare as part of a national broadband plan the agency expects to release next month, according to a senior FCC official.