Physician uptake of smartphones grows by leaps

Physician adoption of smartphones is experiencing exponential growth, according to "Point of Care Communications for Physicians," a new study from Spyglass Consulting Group.

The study shows significant trends on how physicians across the United States are adopting mobile communications at point of care to improve communications and collaboration, streamline productivity, and enhance patient care and safety.

Posted on 23 July 2010 | 7:19 am

CMS, ONC take pounding at congressional hearing on meaningful use

Federal officials responsible for writing the meaningful use rule defended it before a wary congressional panel on Tuesday, that had questions for most every facet of the rule.

Posted on 21 July 2010 | 7:30 am

'Most Wired Hospitals' for 2010 named

The Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking study, conducted annually by Hospitals and Health Networks, has named the "Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems" for 2010. The survey included new questions about meaningful use.

Posted on 15 July 2010 | 10:22 am

Healthcare CIOs offer first take on final rule

Healthcare CIOs received the final rule on meaningful use July 13 mostly with a sigh of relief. They felt their concerns had been taken into account, they said, and they especially appreciated the rule's greater flexibility.

Posted on 14 July 2010 | 7:27 am

Flexibility built into final rule on meaningful use

Federal officials released the final rule on meaningful use Tuesday, which will allow physicians and hospitals to qualify for thousands of dollars in stimulus funding incentives for the adoption of electronic health records.

The 864-page final rule, several weeks late from its anticipated delivery before June 21, outlines the specific qualifications providers must meet to achieve the meaningful use of electronic health records.

Posted on 13 July 2010 | 8:41 am

Meaningful use objectives: eligible professionals, hospitals

Summary overview of meaningful use objectives - core set

Core objectives comprise basic functions that enable EHRs to support improved health care. As a start, these include the tasks essential to creating any medical record, including the entry of basic data: patients’ vital signs and demographics, active medications and allergies, up-to-date problem lists of current and active diagnoses, and smoking status.

Posted on 13 July 2010 | 8:02 am

Meaningful use: the final rule

Federal officials have announced they will release the long-awaited final rule on meaningful use Tuesday morning.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator will host a Washington, D.C. media briefing to announce the final rules on meaningful use and standards and certification under the HITECH Act’s electronic health records incentive program at 10 a.m.

Posted on 12 July 2010 | 1:22 pm

TriZetto teams with founders of value-based insurance design

The TriZetto Group Inc. announced this week a partnership with professors who founded the value-based insurance design movement to develop chronic-condition templates as options for healthcare payer customers of TriZetto’s Value-Based Benefits Solution.

The initial set of templates will be automated through the Value-Based Benefits Solution and enable innovative benefit designs for health plan members who have diabetes, coronary artery disease, asthma, a smoking habit or depression, based on the professors' templates of proven best clinical practices.

Posted on 8 July 2010 | 7:55 am

Vendors abound, but serious options are lacking in HIE market

A new KLAS report, which examines the health information exchange purchase plans of nearly 100 healthcare organizations, has found that, despite a crowded market, very few companies so far have consistently earned the confidence of providers.

Whether connecting hospitals or linking to community physicians, healthcare providers considered 38 unique vendors in their search for health information exchange (HIE) technology, according to the KLAS report. Amid that crowded market, however, only five companies were considered in more than 10 percent of buying decisions.

Posted on 7 July 2010 | 7:15 am

Broadband investments to boost 900 healthcare facilities

President Obama announced Friday a $795 million government program to develop broadband access in rural parts of the country. Among the beneficiaries will be 900 healthcare facilities.

The investment will support 66 new Recovery Act broadband projects nationwide that, according to the grantees, will not only directly create approximately 5,000 jobs up front, but will also help spur economic development in some of the nation's hardest-hit communities, helping create jobs for years to come. 

Posted on 2 July 2010 | 7:43 am