Meaningful Use
Tom Carter, a vice president at Kaiser Permanente, penned an opinion piece last week, discussing the benefits of EMRs. Carter's argument, however, is touting EMRs' business case for businesses - not healthcare providers.
Right people, right processes, right change management and right technology - these are the "four buckets" that one expert says her list of top 10 internal factors for implementing an EHR fall into. Without all the components, she says, it is very difficult for organizations to succeed.
Identity management in healthcare was a hot topic at the Smart Card Alliance 9th Annual Smart Cards in Government Conference held last week in Washington. Controlling access to healthcare records, particularly when it comes to consent, was an issue recognized by experts as requiring more innovation.
BridgeFront, a company that provides online education for healthcare, government, business and education, and OCHIN, an Oregon-based health IT service organization for community-based clinics, together will develop a library of more than 50 online courses to address the challenges of complying with meaningful use criteria.
HIMSS Analytics released data last week from its survey of 687 hospitals that reveals almost 25 percent are meeting 10 or more of the 14 mandatory Stage 1 meaningful use criteria requirements. That’s great news.
Top of mind for healthcare organizations aiming to achieve meaningful use is quality reporting, according to a new survey from healthcare consulting firm Beacon Partners.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded nearly $8 million for existing Community Health Center Cooperative Agreements, which will provide additional technical assistance and encourage the use of health IT for the organizations that support community health centers.
David Blumenthal, MD, head of ONC, was on hand last week to help announce the launch of EHRevent.org, a safety reporting system that will let healthcare providers report problems in the implementation and use of EHRs. It will serve as a tracking system so the industry can identify trends and react quickly.
Dell's profits more than doubled in the third quarter and its revenue was up 19 percent, thanks in part to continued growth of the computer maker's healthcare operations.
Vangent has been awarded a $3.3 million contract with the Indian Health Service (IHS) to support meaningful use interoperability deployment. Its Health Information Exchange Open Source (HIEOS) technology will help IHS meet requirements for EHR certification.