Electronic Health Records (EHR, EMR)
When in the realm of healthcare privacy and security, electronic health records may facilitate easier data exchange and data viewing, but the systems' audit trails make catching unauthorized viewers all the more simple, too.
Three recent deaths at the Memphis VA Medical Center emergency department could probably have been prevented with better communication, digital documentation and better layout of the emergency department, according to an investigation by the Veterans Administration Inspector General.
As healthcare facilities launch their own patient portals, technology is only the first step. Administrators are learning that decisions need to be made on everything from patient login protocols to support for patient record revisions.
Thousands of clinical providers and provider organizations across the country will gain free access to what athenahealth executives describe as "a safe, privileged environment in which they can easily submit patient safety concerns and findings as well as share best practices to enhance safety and improve care."
With mHealth becoming the norm instead of the exception, a panel at Partners HealthCare's 10th Annual Connected Health Symposium concluded that EHR vendors will have to find a way to modify their products to focus on data that the patient and his or her care team want, or they'll become obsolete.
Every country, every government, every population is participating in a global trial and error when it comes to improving health outcomes. As it finds uptake around the world, health information technology is central to this care revolution, with nations learning from each others' struggles and successes.
Mobile personal health records may be on the uptick in the near future. But before consumers are able to access PHRs at their fingertips from virtually any location, there are some big barriers standing in the way, according to new research by Frost and Sullivan.
The 16-day government shutdown that ended Oct. 17 brought the work of the Office of the National Coordinator to a screeching halt, with cancelled meetings of high-level federal advisory committees and workgroups. But with the end of the shutdown, all hands are on deck and ready to work, according to ONC officials.
Healthgrades' new report reveals how hospital selection can dramatically affect patient outcomes. The study, released Oct. 22, shows that individuals are far more likely to die or suffer complications at hospitals receiving the lowest Healthgrades rating.
Best practices are all well and good, but sometimes it's instructive to take a look at worst practices -- the mistakes everyone should be sure to avoid. When it comes to meaningful use audits, there's simply too much at stake.