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Archived NewsArchivesCMS Holds Inaugural National E-Prescribing Conference
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| Dave Roberts, MPA, FHIMSS |
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s (HIMSS) new E-Prescribing Technology Showcase was a highlight of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) inaugural National E-Prescribing Conference on October 7, 2008, in Boston, MA.
“HIMSS E-Prescribing Technology Showcase is another outstanding example that highlights how the private sector can respond quickly to federal policy changes with compliant-ready technological solutions,” stated David Roberts, MPA, FHIMSS, HIMSS Vice President of Government Relations. “Moreover, stakeholders will learn how to earn new incentives from Medicare, optimize e-prescribing for their businesses, and solve their most challenging privacy, security, and risk managemet problems. The featured solutions will include e-prescribing, decision support, electronic health records, and more.”
Both the CMS conference and the HIMSS showcase focused on the new incentives payable under the Medicare program beginning January 1, 2009, and other ways of accelerating the adoption of e-prescribing. Beginning in 2009 until 2013, Medicare will provide incentive payments to eligible providers who e-prescribe.
For more information, log onto: http://press.himss.org/article_print.cfm?article_id=5136.
Congressman Stark Introduces Health e-Information Act
September 16, 2008
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| Congressman Fortney (“Pete”) Stark (D-CA) |
Fortney (“Pete”) Stark (D-CA), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health and one of the kidney patient advocates in the US House of Representatives, has introduced the Health-e Information Technology Act of 2008 (H.R. 6898).
The proposed legislation would provide financial incentives through the Medicare program to doctors and hospitals that adopt and use an electronic medical records system certified to meet standards for interoperability, security, and clinical utility. Physicians who elect to install and use an approved system are eligible for incentive payments of up to $40,000 over a five-year period. Hospitals will be eligible for payments of up to several million dollars.
As introduced, H.R. 6898 would codify the Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (NCHIT) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and create a Health IT [HIT] Advisory Committee. The NCHIT would be responsible for making recommendations to the HHS Secretary for issuing standards in areas such as interoperability, privacy/security, and maximizing the clinical utility of HIT.
In its early, unmarked-up form, the act would establish a number of new strong privacy and security protections.
National Quality Forum Endorses National Standards For Health Information Technology
August 27, 2008
The National Quality Forum (NQF) has endorsed nine new national voluntary consensus standards for HIT aimed at improving quality and efficiency and reducing errors and unnecessary treatment in the healthcare system. The structural measures were fashioned to help providers access the efficiency and standardization of current HIT systems and identify areas where additional HIT tools can be utilized.
The nine standards are included in the following areas:
- E-prescribing;
- Electronic health record (EHR) interoperability;
- Care management;
- Quality registries; and
- Medical home.
NQF said that adoption of HIT by clinicians has reduced medical errors by increasing access to information leading to improved response times, eliminating repetitive testing, and providing clinical decision-support tools to facilitate evidence-based care. Evidence has shown a decrease in medication errors by up to 20% and a decrease in per admission costs by more than 12% when HIT is used.
“If we hope to achieve high-quality, patient-centered care, we need interoperable HIT that can help us share information electronically and track patients throughout the delivery system—all of which can reduce errors and overuse and increased measurement across the continuum of care,” stated Janet Corrigan, NQF President and Chief Executive Officer. “These newly endorsed measures can provide important information on effective use of [HIT] for both early adopters of HIT and those who are just beginning to implement HIT systems.”
For more information, visit: www.qualityforum.org.
Improved HIT Will Empower Patients, Purdue Dean Says
July 1, 2008
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| Jeffrey S. Vitter |
More improved HIT will enable patients to make more informed decisions about their healthcare, according to Jeffrey S. Vitter, Dean of the College of Science at Purdue University. Vitter, who oversees the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security, known as one of the world's leading centers in information security, added that patients find the healthcare system, which many view as ailing, difficult to navigate.
"[IT] greatly increases the transparency of medical informatics and healthcare systems so that people can understand what is involved in their care," Vitter explained. "This helps them to make better decisions regarding costs and take ownership of their own healthcare. What that means in terms of IT is that we need systems that let people access more information and store it securely so that [they] can have confidence that their proprietary data will stay private."
Vitter also stressed the importance of the consumer being able to make informed decisions.
"We can develop IT techniques for patients to make decisions, but, for them to use the information effectively, they need to really understand what the data means," he added. "Not all people have the same background and, thus, we need to provide effective educational opportunities."
Using his crystal ball, Vitter predicted a bright future for personalized medicine with improved IT and interoperability.
"In order for personalized medicine to be successful, multiple healthcare providers at different locations will need to access information in a patient's records," he remarked. "This is an enormous challenge because there is no universal network for healthcare in the country."
Google Goes Online With Storing Personal Health Records
May 20, 2008
Google, the online search giant, has launched Google Health, giving online users instant electronic access to their health histories. At the same time, privacy concerns were triggered.
The website, www.google.com/health, lets users upload and store medical records from a number of sources. Among the healthcare entities working with Google Health are the American Heart Association, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the Cleveland Clinic, CVS Caremark, Quest Diagnostics, and Walgreens.
Google said that users can now enter their personal records on a site protected by an individual password. Information can be viewed from any geographic location. Google added that the access would be particularly useful if a patient becomes ill or is injured while away from his/her primary care physician.
Other features aimed at helping patients manage their own healthcare include a link to locate doctors by specialization or location, and a "virtual pillbox" notifying patients when they need to take medications, with a warning of possible drug interactions.
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