Healthcare | InformationWeek Blog

Blumenthal: Patient Care, Not Tech, Will Drive Meaningful Use

mwagner@techweb.com — Nov 19, 2009 11:57 AM

National health IT coordinator Dr. David Blumenthal dropped a big hint about upcoming criteria for giving out e-health records grants. He advised healthcare IT managers to focus on "goals of care" rather than technology.

Reporting Health IT Security Compliance Gets Easier

mmcgee@techweb.com — Nov 16, 2009 03:15 PM

The Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) has unveiled a new program that helps streamline how healthcare organizations report to their business associates their status of compliance to security regulations such as HIPAA and others.

Blumenthal: Tear Down E-Health Barriers

mwagner@techweb.com — Nov 16, 2009 02:29 PM

The U.S.'s top e-health official urged healthcare organizations to tear down the barriers to effective exchange of e-health records in a message to healthcare providers.

Tech Pros Want Security, Healthcare, Green Certifications

mmcgee@techweb.com — Nov 4, 2009 01:37 PM

Techies are seeking professional certifications in emerging areas like healthcare and green IT, and especially old standbys like IT security, according to a new survey.

Are Healthcare IT Grants Worth The Hassle?

mwagner@techweb.com — Nov 4, 2009 11:36 AM

While the U.S. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) promises big bucks to healthcare providers that implement effective IT solutions, healthcare providers wonder whether IT adoption is worth the effort. Speaking at a two-day hearing of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, healthcare providers said healthcare IT is a good idea in theory, but current proposals have many problems.

E-Health Privacy Regulations Draw Congressional Fire

mwagner@techweb.com — Nov 2, 2009 02:13 PM

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued an interim final rule to beef up penalties for violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA), as several Congressmen criticize the agency for leaving dangerous loopholes in the law.

New iPhone App Gives 24x7 Swine Flu Coverage

mmcgee@techweb.com — Oct 28, 2009 12:45 PM

Swine flu is permeating everywhere these days--not just the virus, but news about it. But if you're still not getting your fill of H1N1, Harvard Medical School has released a new iPhone app that provides real-time updates while you're on the move.

H1N1 A National Emergency: Bring On The E-Records!

mmcgee@techweb.com — Oct 26, 2009 02:57 PM

President Obama has declared a national emergency in respect to H1N1. This gives hospitals more leeway in setting up emergency operations to respond to the rising swine flu pandemic. Wouldn't e-medical records systems come in handy now?

Hospitals Serving Poor Lag In Healthcare IT

mwagner@techweb.com — Oct 26, 2009 01:03 PM

It's no surprise that hospitals which serve predominantly poor patients are lagging in implementing healthcare IT. However, it's a cause for concern that the federal stimulus program might not be up to the task of closing that gap, according to federally supported researchers.

Boston Hospital Bans Facebook

mwagner@techweb.com — Oct 15, 2009 02:55 PM

New England Baptist Hospital banned Facebook and other social media, citing privacy concerns over employees revealing too much information about patients in their online posts, and complaints about employees wasting time online. The ban will remain in place until the hospital can come up with a social media policy, according to reports.

Healthcare Reform Bill Means HIPAA Changes, Too

mmcgee@techweb.com — Oct 13, 2009 04:59 PM

The healthcare reform bill that passed a key Senate committee today contains several health IT related provisions. Among them are new rules regarding HIPAA, including a proposals allowing the periodic update of HIPAA standards, and fines to health plans that don't comply to HIPAA "operating rules" by April 2014.

Hospital Hires 'Scribes' To Help Docs With E-Records

mwagner@techweb.com — Oct 8, 2009 02:38 PM

The University of Virginia has hired "scribes" with laptop computers to follow doctors around as they treat patients, updating electronic medical records as they go. The antique-sounding position is one example of the steps hospitals are taking as they struggle to adopt e-health records.

Old Media, Not Internet, Driving Healthcare Debate: White House Advisor

mwagner@techweb.com — Oct 8, 2009 12:20 PM

The healthcare debate in the America has been driven by cable news and other old media, rather than new technologies, according to White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod, adding that cable news networks focused on a small number of angry people at town hall meetings in August, and ignored the larger debate.

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Oct 8, 2009 12:20 PM

Think You Have Swine Flu? Take A New Online Test

mmcgee@techweb.com — Oct 7, 2009 03:58 PM

You've got a cough and a fever--and haven't had your flu shot yet. Could you possibly have H1N1? Microsoft has launched a new website to help you assess whether you've got swine flu.

Ex-Googler Launches Startup To Deliver Personalized Health Advice

mwagner@techweb.com — Oct 7, 2009 11:36 AM

The former head of the Google Health team has launched a startup designed to allow people to get personalized medical advice on the Internet, based on their own e-health records. If it catches on, the service will accelerate the trend of people using Internet research to take charge of their own healthcare. That trend is both a help and a hindrance to healthcare providers, depending on the kind of information patients find online, and what the patients do with that information.

IT Industry Supports Healthcare Reform But Is Divided Over Details

mmcgee@techweb.com — Oct 7, 2009 08:19 AM

As President Obama and Congress hash out healthcare legislation, the IT industry has its own views about healthcare reform. That includes the industry overall supporting a public option to lower healthcare costs, but at the same time worrying that reform will grow government too large, according to a new survey.

Will Consumers Pay-Out-Of-Pocket For Online Healthcare?

mmcgee@techweb.com — Oct 5, 2009 04:03 PM

If you suspect your extra-cranky baby has an ear infection on a Saturday afternoon, but his doctor isn't back in the office till Monday, a walk-in clinic--like the kind springing up in places such as retail pharmacy chains--can be a convenient place to get the ear checked. But if it's the middle of the night, what do you do?

Electronic Medical Alerts Don't Guarantee Timely Response

mwagner@techweb.com — Oct 2, 2009 11:37 AM

Electronic medical alerts are a significant improvement over paper-based systems, but doctors often still ignore warnings they should pay attention to, according to a recent study. Even when notified electronically, doctors sometimes ignore test results that show the patient might have a serious problem.

Tenacity Matters In E-Medical Record Projects

mmcgee@techweb.com — Sep 30, 2009 04:08 PM

E-medical record projects aren't for the faint of heart. The conviction of a strong leadership team and a solid vision of the project's goals are keys to successful deployments. Just ask the folks involved with the EMR rollout at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Vermont.

Wireless Technologies Help With Alzheimer's Care

mwagner@techweb.com — Sep 29, 2009 12:02 PM

As the Alzheimer's spreads, healthcare companies are developing wireless technologies to help caregivers look after their charges. The technologies monitor people with Alzheimer's to make sure they're not in trouble, with a particular focus on making sure that patients don't wander off.

Diagnosing IT Problems In Healthcare

mmcgee@techweb.com — Sep 29, 2009 10:57 AM

The ability to quickly trouble-shoot network and other IT infrastructure problems escalates as a top priority as healthcare providers replace paper patient records with electronic ones. It's bad enough when billing systems are down, but a hitch with a server running clinical systems could translate to delays in care if doctors can't access patients' medical records.

Getting A Grip On Health And Wellness Via The Web

mmcgee@techweb.com — Sep 28, 2009 04:10 PM

Open enrollment season starts soon and unfortunately for many organizations, that'll mean informing employees that they've got higher healthcare co-pays and deductibles starting in January. But for some employers, this year's open enrollment season brings some innovative twists to their benefits offerings, thanks to the web.

Dell's Acquisition Of Perot Helps Healthcare Push

mmcgee@techweb.com — Sep 21, 2009 02:39 PM

Dell's $3.9 billion acquisition of Perot Systems will help fortify Dell's pursuit of new customers in the healthcare industry, a sector that's been getting a lot of attention from Dell--and its competitors--in recent months.

iPhone, Twitter Fight Swine Flu

mwagner@techweb.com — Sep 17, 2009 01:27 PM

The NBC Nightly News did a report about how the iPhone, Twitter, and Google are being used in the fight against swine flu and other diseases. The technology includes an iPhone app from Children's Hospital in Boston, and tools to use Google Searches and Twitter messages to map outbreaks.

Health IT Is Part Of Senate Committee's New Healthcare Reform Bill

mmcgee@techweb.com — Sep 16, 2009 05:41 PM

The Senate Finance Committee today released a mark-up version of its new healthcare reform bill. The America�s Healthy Future Act has several technology provisions, including a proposal for bonus payments related to health IT programs.

Vendor Offers 'No Excuses' Guarantee For Docs To Get Fed's Rewards

mmcgee@techweb.com — Sep 15, 2009 03:49 PM

The federal government's definition for "meaningful use" of health IT won't be finalized for several months. But that's not stopping EMR software and business services provider Athenahealth from guaranteeing clients that they'll be getting their health IT stimulus checks from the feds.

Hospitals Are Helping Docs Defray EMR Costs, Challenges

mmcgee@techweb.com — Sep 14, 2009 02:54 PM

Are hospital-sponsored e-medical records the best way to get lots of doctors using these systems in their offices quickly and affordably?

Getting Your Hands On ARRA Cash

mwagner@techweb.com — Sep 11, 2009 11:55 AM

The coordinators for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 have a lot of money to give out--$44 billion to be precise--and healthcare IT managers can improve their odds of getting it by making their applications broad and simple, according to the chairman of the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel.

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Sep 11, 2009 11:55 AM

PlainView Systems Launches Medical Marijuana Marketplace

mwagner@techweb.com — Sep 9, 2009 11:50 AM

It's a long way from Cheech & Chong. PlainView Systems launched its Compassionate Care Marketplace, a secure system to allow suppliers of medical marijuana to buy weed, with full accounting of the transaction for state and municipal compliance.

Survey Reveals Healthcare CIOs Are Seeking Tech Talent

mmcgee@techweb.com — Sep 9, 2009 11:45 AM

The healthcare industry plans to increase IT hiring about 5% in the fourth quarter, according to a new report. The figure might not appear to be blockbuster, but it's above the national average. Overall, CIOs across many industries plan to add zero tech people to their staffs in the near term.