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Medical Transcription: Proven Accelerator of EHR Adoption

By ahdi The recently enacted Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) of 2009 represents an important first step towards achieving the vision of a nationwide, fully interoperable electronic health record (EHR) system. However, the gap between that vision and current reality remains wide. Many healthcare providers still use paper records. Other providers have tried to implement EHR systems, but unfortunately, many such projects have failed. [...]

 

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Medical billers worried about ICD-10, HITECH Act

By Anne Zieger Want to know what’s on medical billers’ minds? Largely, they’re in a stir over the implementation of ICD-10 5010 and compliance with the new HITECH Act, according to speakers at a national conference for the industry. Panel members speaking at a session of the National Conference of the Healthcare Billing and Management Association note that while CMS has vowed that it won’t relax its ICD-10 deadline, it [...]

 

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Will HITECH portion of stimulus strengthen HIPAA?

By Anne Zieger It’s only been a few days since the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology issued a report explaining how it would meet new HIPAA privacy and security rules specified in the stimulus package. Experts argue whether the new report, which spells out plans for complying with a stimulus act section known as High Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH), actually says anything [...]

 

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Secretary Sebelius Releases $27.8 Million in Recovery Act Funds to Expand the Use of Health Information Technology

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced awards totaling $27.8 million to health center-controlled networks and large multi-site health centers to implement electronic health records (EHR) and other health information technology (HIT) innovations. The funds are part of the $2 billion allotted to HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to expand health care services to low-income and uninsured individuals through [...]

 

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AMA Adopts Policies on EHR Subsidies, Security, Open-Source Systems

This week, the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates adopted new policies regarding health IT security breaches, government subsidies for electronic health records and open-source EHR systems, Modern Healthcare reports (Robeznieks, Modern Healthcare, 6/17). The group announced the new guidelines during its annual meeting in Chicago (HealthDay News/Modern Medicine, 6/16). Security Breaches The new AMA policy offers guidance for health care providers in the event that someone gains unauthorized access [...]

 

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Blumenthal Pledges EHR Support for Small Physician Practices

On Wednesday, National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal said the federal government would pay special attention to individual physicians and small group practices as it works to implement the health IT provisions of the federal economic stimulus package, CongressDaily reports. Blumenthal testified before the House Small Business Regulations and Healthcare Subcommittee along with pediatricians, optometrists and other health care providers concerned about being left out of federal health IT [...]

 

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First Lady announces $851M in grants for community health centers

JMolly Merrill, Associate Editor First Lady Michelle Obama announced the release of $851 million in grants to Community Health Centers on Monday. The Recovery Act Capital Improvement Program (CIP) grants will support the construction, repair and renovation of more than 1,500 health center sites nationwide. More than 650 centers will use the funds to purchase new equipment or health information technology systems, and nearly 400 health centers will adopt and [...]

 

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Blumenthal: More research needed on health IT effectiveness

By Neil Versel Acknowledging that the body of scientific evidence on the efficacy of health IT still is rather scant, national health IT coordinator Dr. David Blumenthal is anticipating a flood of new research as a result of the federal stimulus that encourages wide adoption of electronic health records. To date, most of the research has focused on health IT in specific environments, such as a single hospital, physician office [...]

 

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Disruptive Change Predicted for Health IT Market

By: Roy Mark While the Obama administration’s drive to dramatically increase health IT spending portends a financial bonanza for vendors, the boom will not come without risks, says Input. The U.S. health IT market is set for disruptive change, predicts a report by Input released Sept. 10. The key drivers of the change will occur “as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and national health care legislation increase the need [...]

 

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Blumenthal: States Must Design Health Data Exchange Blueprint

On Monday, National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal said state governments will provide the foundation for establishing a nationwide health information exchange infrastructure, Government Health IT reports. Blumenthal spoke during the Medicaid Management Information Systems Conference in Chicago. He said he hopes “in the very near future” to announce an initiative designed to help states create health data exchanges. Funding for the project would come from the $300 million [...]

 

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Kentucky Creates Electronic Health Information Office

On Friday, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) announced the creation of a new office designed to serve as a single point of contact for state and federal agencies working on health IT initiatives, the AP/Lexington Herald-Leader reports (AP/Lexington Herald-Leader, 8/17). The Governor’s Office of Electronic Health Information will be housed within the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The federal stimulus package requires states to create such a department [...]

 

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EHR adoption still a top concern for physician practices

Bernie Monegain, Editor EHR adoption and finances remain the top challenges facing medical practices, according to a new survey from the Medical Group Management Association. For the second year in a row, medical practice professionals sounded off to the MGMA about a variety of challenges faced while safeguarding their practices’ financial solvency. The 2009 survey “Medical practice today: What members have to say” reveals the three top challenges of running [...]

 

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Healthcare IT is the means, but not the end, says Blumenthal

Diana Manos, Senior Editor Getting healthcare IT up and running in doctors’ offices is not the main objective behind the incentives provided by the federal government under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to David Blumenthal, MD, national coordinator of health information technology. Improving health is. At the 17th Annnual National HIPAA Summit held Sept. 15-18 in Washington, D.C., Blumenthal called the HITECH Act — included in ARRA — [...]

 

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Opinion: Some Stimulus Funding Should Be Directed Toward NHIN

In a Federal Computer Week opinion piece, John Loonsk — chief medical officer of CGI, and former director of interoperability and standards at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and former associate director of informatics at CDC — argues that federal stimulus funding should be directed specifically to the Nationwide Health Information Network. He writes that “without any specific stimulus funding for NHIN, we run the risk [...]

 

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ONC Offers Guidance on Grants for Health IT Extension Centers

On Thursday, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT hosted a Web briefing on its plans to distribute nearly $600 million in grants intended to help build a national network of health IT training centers, Government Health IT reports. More than 1,200 interested parties logged in to partake in the 90-minute Web conference. Grant Program Goals Farzad Mostashari, ONC senior adviser, said the government will award grants of [...]