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A new KLAS report reveals that physicians who are choosing an EMR system within the next two years are considering a larger pool of software vendors. That’s made possible because the market has grown so much.

I know that health care providers are concerned about implementing new health information technology and finding professionals who can operate and maintain such systems. I know many clinicians are unsure how they will develop or strengthen their skill set to incorporate using health IT efficiently and effectively without jeopardizing their communication with patients during a clinical visit.

As researchers gear up to focus on the issue of HIT security, a recent HIMSS study shows that the problem remains significant in hospitals.

In the April issue of Health Affairs, David Brailer, MD, former head of ONC, conducted an informative Q&A with current ONC chief, David Blumenthal, MD. It was a nice blending of the beginning of ONC and its vision, and the build out of that vision. Brailer, who has walked the walk of Blumenthal, asked insightful questions.

Many providers have noted in various surveys and many speakers at conferences have said the federal incentives will not drive EHR adoption because there is no business case to implement EHRs.

Critics of the federal stimulus grants for EHR adoption say the federal government is throwing money at health IT and won't be getting anything in return for it.  Whether you believe money should be going into an EHR adoption initiative, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT is making sure that stakeholders get a return on investment.

Over the past 5 years, I worked with HITSP and the HIT Standards Committee to select standards for exchanging clinical summaries. But what exactly is a clinical summary?

Healthcare systems around the world have been scrambling to come up with ways to leverage mobile technologies in order to reduce healthcare costs, especially those stemming from chronic disease management.

While a recent survey indicates that HIT adoption is steadily growing among small physician practices, it also highlights the concerns and confusion that policymakers need to address in order to keep the sector moving forward.

EHRs can help prevent, minimize or mitigate diagnostic errors, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In their paper - "Can Electronic Clinical Documentation Help Prevent Diagnostic Errors?" - Gordon D. Schiff, MD, and David W. Bates, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health note that this benefit is a "key selling point" for EHRs.