Healthcare in the US has been going through tumultuous phase. The soaring costs and sub-par care has forced the government take curative measures. The American Recovery and Re-investment Act (ARRA), seeks to modernize the current system by perpetuating the use of health IT. “The current system is not efficient. We are spending more than $2 […]
The recent focus of the government is slowly shifting towards HIEs and interoperable systems as EMR adoption continues to rise. Many health IT experts argue that while EMR may have been the core of the health IT movement initially, its importance lies in building the support pillars for a new system that extends far beyond […]
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
It had been a while since my last visit to my primary care physician. I had actually missed my last two appointments for annual checkup. As soon as I entered the practice, I noticed some subtle changes. The reception area for one seemed much more organized, the place was quieter with the usual bustle amiss. […]
EMR documentation backed by clinical decision support becomes a necessity, given the demand of medical professionals looking to achieve quality care through efficient processes, while ensuring compliance with industry standards. While most physicians recognize its benefits, EMR adoption is still viewed with much skepticism. Today, the biggest impediment to EMR adoption is not the cost […]
Providing quality healthcare is one of the greatest challenges faced by the government today. With the public health department relying on local hospitals to provide information on various diseases like influenza, asthma, diabetes, and cholera etc, and due to the sheer effort involved with locating such information, the process was highly cumbersome and time consuming. […]
Doug Fridsma and I were asked to brief the HIT Policy Committee about the current activities of the HIT Standards Committee, ensuring coordination as we all work to finalize Meaningful Use Stage 2. We used this presentation, which covers three major themes: *Meaningful Use Stage 2 gap analysis work *The Standards Summer Camp Activities *The […]
This eBook, in collaboration with Care Logistics, details how hospitals and health systems can facilitate more effective decision-making by operationalizing elevated awareness.
I keep getting lots of inquires from physicians and EHR vendors about meeting EP Meaningful Use measure #15: Protect Electronic Health Information. The measure is met by conducting a security risk analysis and implementing new security updates and corrective actions when a deficiency is identified. Some think there is a requirement to have a third party come in an perform the analysis. False. Some think they need to spend money on interactive software to meet this measure. False.
The CMS EHR Incentive Programs are now in full swing and numerous eligible professionals have already received substantial Stage 1 payments. HIT adoption, fueled by rewarding the meaningful use of certified EHR technology, is moving forward as planned. However, there are still a few outstanding items that can cause difficulty for some EPs, especially specialists. […]
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. That’s the predicament many providers find themselves in with the two current CMS eRx initiatives. The 2008 MIPPA (Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act ) legislation authorized CMS to provide incentives of up to 2 % of generated Medicare Part B payments for providers that met […]
As anticipated the HIT Policy Committee voted on June 8, 2011 to recommend delay in Stage 2 Meaningful Use requirements for one year. This delay will only directly affect Eligible Professionals and Eligible Hospitals that will qualify for the CMS EHR incentives in 2011. Those groups were on a tight timeline that required meeting Stage 2 […]
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
The promise of electronic health records (EHR) seems clear: The digital records of everything from prescriptions to CT scans could raise the quality and lower the cost of healthcare. Fulfilling this promise is likely to become more urgent as healthcare reform brings 35 million more Americans into the health insurance fold, all needing care. Some […]