U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Sept. 2 that Cincinnati and Detroit are the two final pilot communities selected under the new Beacon Community Program that is using health IT to help tackle leading health problems in communities across the U.S.
UnitedHealth Group will invest $10 million to help California’s critical access hospitals improve their health IT systems and adopt EHRs.
Caspio has made available new chart applications to create visual web-based charts and dashboards for any database and assist users' understanding of large data sets.
Maine’s HealthInfoNet has selected Orion Health as the primary technology provider for its statewide health information exchange (HIE).
Using readily available computer programs such as Microsoft Excel, researchers can quickly generate valuable gene signatures for predicting breast cancer without specialized software or extensive bioinformatics training, according to an article published online Sept. 1 in Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research.
Greenway Medical Technologies has added four health information exchange (HIE) programs, independent physician associations (IPAs) and regional medical centers to its client roster using PrimeSuite, the company’s EHR practice management and interoperability system, to connect group practices using clinical, financial and administrative functions.
Iasis Healthcare, which operates 16 healthcare facilities across six states, has selected QuadraMed's coding, compliance and reporting technologies to improve coding practices and transition to the ICD-10 code sets in 2013.
The FDA has cleared Haldor Advanced Technologies’ ORLocate, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) system that accounts for items used during surgery to reduce incidence of surgical items left inside patients.
The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) has released the names of 19 medical groups and organized systems of care that will be participating in its ACO Development Collaborative to assist member organizations in becoming successful accountable care organizations (ACOs).
Ebix, a supplier of e-commerce services to the insurance industry, has signed a merger agreement to acquire Atlanta-based A.D.A.M., on a debt-free basis for aggregate merger consideration of $66 million.
Weno Healthcare has submitted its application to become an Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) authorized certification and testing body (ATCB) in an effort to increase overall adoption for certified EHR technology.
Vision Facilities Management has started a new two-way communication interface with ECRI Institute to improve the ability of hospital staff to manage medical device safety alerts and recalls.
St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington, W.Va., has selected Wolters Kluwer Health’s ProVation Order Sets, powered by UpToDate Decision Support, as its electronic order set technology.
Welch Allyn has lanched Connex Electronic Vitals Documentation System to capture and transmit patient data to EMRs to provide clinicians in non-critical settings with access to vital signs.
HealthInfoNet, the nonprofit organization managing the health information exchange (HIE) for the state of Maine, is partnering with medical terminology management company Health Language to assist in the transition from a two-year demonstration project to a full statewide HIE implementation.
Sage North America’s Sage Healthcare Division has released two new products: Sage Intergy version 6.10 and the Sage Intergy Meaningful Use Edition.
The adoption of basic or comprehensive EHR systems by U.S. hospitals increased from 8.7 percent in 2008 to 11.9 percent in 2009, but only 2 percent of hospitals met the federal meaningful use standards needed to qualify for government financial incentives, according to an article published Aug. 26 in an advance online edition of Health Affairs.
The TriZetto Group has acquired all of the voting stock of Tela Sourcing, a business process outsourcing services company based in Baltimore.
GE Healthcare is donating its Centricity Advance EMR platform to the University of Texas at Austin for educational purposes.
IT-based programs can improve cardiovascular disease management and patient empowerment, but must be accompanied by supportive social and political environments and active patient and clinician engagement, according to an article published online Aug. 24 in PLoS Medicine.
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Medical imaging overutilization--a growing concern in the U.S.--exposes patients to unnecessary radiation, while also adding to rising healthcare costs, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in Radiology. In an interview, William R. Hendee, PhD, lead author, reviewed various methods by which medical imaging could be curtailed.
Dedicated contrast-enhanced (CE) breast CT delivered significantly improved conspicuity of malignant breast lesions, including ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), compared with unenhanced breast CT and mammography, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology.
CT, ultrasound and MRI have helped shift biopsy techniques away from more invasive approaches toward image-guided percutaneous techniques, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology. The trend toward less-invasive approaches translates into enhanced safety and efficiency and could lead to more interaction between patients and radiologists.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) EHR incentive payments are not considered reimbursement for money expended on EHR technology, but are intended to offset the cost associated with adoption and ongoing meaningful use, according to CMS during an Aug. 12 webinar.
Funding incentives for EHR use is the main goal of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) meaningful use initiative, and there are incentive programs for both hospitals and eligible professionals, according to Elizabeth Holland, health insurance specialist at the Department of Health and Human Services, who spoke during a CMS-sponsored webinar Aug. 8.
Stage 1 requirements for meaningful use incentives aim to strike a balance between the overall goal of EHR use and widespread adoption, while avoiding added work, said Jonathan Teich, MD, PhD, chief medical informatics officer at Elsevier Health Services, during a HIMSS webinar titled “Meaningful Use: Safety and Quality of Care.”
