FORT A.P. HILL, VA – The Boy Scouts of America, now celebrating their 100th anniversary this week, is now using wireless access and other forms of healthcare information technology for the first time at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. Using wireless devices in the medical centers and AT&T’s six Connection Zones throughout the Jamboree, medical professional such as EMTs can access an electronic medical record system in conjunction with a [...]
By Mike Miliard, The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) announced Tuesday the launch of CCHIT certified programs in three specialty areas for electronic health records. The new programs focus on behavioral health – both as an optional addition to ambulatory EHR certification and as a standalone behavioral bealth EHR used in other outpatient settings – dermatology, and long-term and post-acute care (which also includes optional add-on certifications for EHRs used [...]
Keeping a U.S. medical practice afloat in 2010 is still a struggle, according to new survey data collected by the Medical Group Management Association, or MGMA. However, the specific day-to-day challenges of running a practice have shifted somewhat when compared with similar MGMA surveys conduced in 2008 and 2009. MGMA collected responses from 1,798 medical group practices across the country for this year’s survey, dubbed “Medical Practice Today 2010: What [...]
By Mary Mosquera A Health and Human Services Department advisory panel has taken the first steps to enabling people who are enrolled in federal and state health and social services programs to easily find out if they are eligible for benefits from other programs. As part of its preliminary proposals, the panel at a July 19 meeting highlighted a minimal set of standards, services and data elements that would be [...]
Even with the recession winding down, times — and budgets — are tight. If your practice is strapped and you are considering letting staff go to stay in the black, look first at your nonstaff-related overhead. Staff reductions are hard on office morale and make physicians less efficient. Check out our relatively painless and much less disruptive suggestions for lowering your practice overhead. 1. Shop smarter for supplies: Are you [...]
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has released its long awaited interim final rule for electronic prescribing of controlled substances. The new rule became effective on June 1, 2010, and could be revised later on the basis of public comment. The current rule is based on proposals published in June 2008. “In general, we are pleased,” said Ronna Hauser, vice president of policy and regulatory affairs for the National Community Pharmacists [...]
Changes included in the final rules governing the meaningful use objectives for Medicare and Medicaid incentive programs for electronic health records (EHRs) will improve the odds that more providers can qualify for government stimulus funding. The final rules, released last week, include flexibility that will give eligible hospitals and health care professionals a better opportunity to qualify for incentive funding in the early years of the program, according to an [...]
The National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) today acknowledges and applauds the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) on its Final Rules announcement on “meaningful use” of an Electronic Health Record (EHR), including the adoption of NCPDP SCRIPT Standard for the secure, electronic transmission of prescriptions and prescription-related information. The Final Rule on Standards to meet Meaningful Use announced the NCPDP SCRIPT Standard Implementation Guide Version 8, Release [...]
By Neil Versel Hard to believe, but 52 percent of specialists and 50 percent of primary-care physicians claim to be using EMRs, up from 42 percent and 38 percent, respectively, two years earlier, a new survey indicates. The survey does not specify what EMR usage means. “While use of this technology will soon be mandated, these ‘early adopter’ levels suggest a desire for digital convenience at a time when patient [...]
More than 80 community colleges and universities this fall will begin training nearly 50,000 health IT workers as part of an HHS grant program that aims to help physicians and hospitals adopt electronic health records, ComputerWorld reports (Mearian, ComputerWorld, 7/16). Source of Funding HHS in April announced $144 million in grants to target health IT research and work force development. Funding was disbursed through the 2009 federal economic stimulus package [...]
As providers gear up to go after government incentive payments for meaningful use of electronic health records, there’s been a nagging fear that vendors won’t be able to increase staff and other resources quickly enough to meet demand. That’s a legitimate concern, says Charles Christian, director of information systems and CIO at Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Ind. “What others expected, we’re already seeing as their resources are strained,” he [...]
By John Moore Regional extension centers are gearing up fast to help healthcare providers quickly get up to speed on the newly released final rule on meaningful use. The Office of the National Coordinator has funded 60 centers nationwide, so far. Their role is to help providers implement electronic health records and achieve meaningful use. ONC began funding the centers in February, but their work has been hampered by the [...]
Last week Michael Kleinman, vice president for investor relations at WellPoint, Inc., put a label on the insurance industry consolidation that has been underway for years. The market is becoming an ‘oligopoly’, dominated by just a few companies, and healthcare reform may accelerate the process, he was quoted as saying in a recent Businessweek article. “There are going to be smaller insurers that are not going to be able to survive [...]
By Molly Merrill COLUMBIA, MO – Researchers from the University of Missouri are developing an electronic health record system aimed at meeting the needs of a population of older adults that’s expected to almost double in the next 20 years. According to the U.S. Administration on Aging, there will be about 72 million older adults living in the U.S. who will require care from a workforce that is already projected to [...]
On Tuesday, federal officials announced the release of the final rule defining how hospitals and health care providers can demonstrate “meaningful use” of electronic health records to qualify for federal incentive payments, Reuters reports (Lentz, Reuters, 7/13). Officials also released the final rule describing the required standards and certification criteria for EHR technology. The new regulation updates the interim final rule on EHR certification that ONC released in January (Mosquera, [...]
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