tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87649392287888278162024-03-05T16:17:50.940-08:00Blokes Blog Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1211125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-15141806599514780542013-03-17T22:30:00.000-07:002013-09-27T12:02:40.010-07:00Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 18th March, 2013.<div class="MsoNormal">Here are a few I have come across the last week or so.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Note: Each link is followed by a title and a few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.</span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">General Comment</span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Other that the revelations from the Qld Health Payroll enquiry it has again been a reasonably quiet week on the surface - other than the Judith Sloan attack on DoHA! (see blog yesterday)</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Following Eric Browne’s and other comments last week it seems that there is something going on with the NPDR (</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">National Prescribing and Dispensing Repository) which may have all sorts of implications for the NEHRS as well as for standards setting. One gets the feeling the unified and rational architecture - such as it was with the NEHRS - is unravelling.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This will be an area to keep a close eye on.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My weekly visit to my NEHRS record was relatively fuss free - but the system is, as always, awfully slow.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/news/latest-news/guild-supports-decision-to-cancel-e-dispensing-ale">http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/news/latest-news/guild-supports-decision-to-cancel-e-dispensing-ale</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277511">Guild supports decision to cancel e-dispensing alerts</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="publishdate">13 March, 2013</span> <a href="http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/author/Paul%20Smith%20and%20Nick%20O%27Donoghue">Paul Smith and Nick O'Donoghue</a> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has backed a decision to switch off computer alerts telling doctors when patients have had prescriptions dispensed, if it encourages GPs to embrace e-health.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">The alerts, which were a feature of both eRx Script Exchange and MediSecure, have been stopped after concerns were raised that the alerts would impose a duty on GPs to chase up patients who had not had the prescriptions dispensed, by indemnity insurers and the Royal Australian College of General Practice (RACGP). </div><div class="MsoNormal">Dr Nathan Pinskier, an RACGP spokesperson, said the College feared the existence of the notifications extended doctors' duty of care to ensure patients were following their advice. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/plug-pulled-on-e-script-dispensing-alerts">http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/plug-pulled-on-e-script-dispensing-alerts</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277506">Plug pulled on e-dispensing alerts</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="publishdate">12 March, 2013</span> <a href="http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/author/Paul%20Smith">Paul Smith</a> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Computer alerts telling doctors when patients' medication has been dispensed have been switched off amid fears they impose a duty on GPs to chase up patients they believe are at risk.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The concerns — raised by indemnity insurers and the RACGP — centre on the two electronic prescribing systems, MediSecure and eRx, which are currently used by thousands of doctors.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">When pharmacies signed up to the systems dispense a script, a notification is issued and sent electronically to the prescribing GP.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/455956/queensland_health_payroll_inquiry_begins/">http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/455956/queensland_health_payroll_inquiry_begins/</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277523">Queensland Health payroll inquiry begins</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Witnesses have begun giving evidence to the Queensland Health Payroll System Commission of Inquiry</div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l6 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/author/1441059369/aap/articles">AAP</a> (CIO)</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l6 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">11 March, 2013 14:14</li></ul><div class="MsoNormal">An inquiry into Queensland Health's $1.2 billion payroll fiasco will examine whether there was a need to "cut corners" in the initial tendering process.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Witnesses began giving evidence to the Queensland Health Payroll System Commission of Inquiry in Brisbane on Monday.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thousands of public servants were underpaid, overpaid or unpaid after a flawed IBM computer system was introduced in March 2010 by the former government.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/it-pro/government-it/queensland-health-payroll-inquiry-begins-20130311-2fwda.html"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; mso-bookmark: _Toc351277516;">http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/it-pro/government-it/queensland-health-payroll-inquiry-begins-20130311-2fwda.html</span></span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277516"></a></span></h2><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277517">Queensland Health payroll inquiry begins</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>March 11, 2013 </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Nathan Paull</span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">An inquiry into Queensland Health's $1.2 billion payroll fiasco will look into whether IBM had an unfair advantage in bidding to supply a computer system that caused havoc in the state's healthcare system.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Former Accenture partner Marcos Salouk, whose company was initially the preferred vendor but lost out to IBM, told the inquiry he was "devastated" when his company lost the bid.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">He said he was surprised to hear IBM had won with a bid rumoured to be about $100 million below Accenture's and within the government's tight budget.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/456061/queensland_health_payroll_system_high_risk_/">http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/456061/queensland_health_payroll_system_high_risk_/</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277518">Queensland Health payroll system 'high risk'</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">More than 50,000 staff are believed to have been overpaid more than $90 million in the Queensland Health payroll bungle</div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/author/1441059369/aap/articles">AAP</a> (CIO)</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">12 March, 2013 14:14</li></ul><div class="MsoNormal">Queensland Health's failed $1.2 billion payroll system was so disastrous because of the complexity of what was required in such a short amount of time, an inquiry has heard.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Former Logica general manager Michael Duke told an inquiry in Brisbane the company only submitted a partial bid during the tendering process in 2007 and was unsuccessful.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Duke said Logica, which had already been operating financial systems for the government, only put in a partial bid because it saw the payroll system as a "large chunk of work" that was complex and "high risk".</div><div class="MsoNormal">He said the company wouldn't have been able to deliver government's plan to roll financial systems into its shared services program along with rostering and payroll, which were all to be implemented and maintained by one prime contractor.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/ibm-not-first-choice-payroll-inquiry-20130312-2fxu6.html">http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/ibm-not-first-choice-payroll-inquiry-20130312-2fxu6.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277514">IBM not first choice: payroll inquiry</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date March 12, 2013 - 5:35PM </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Nathan Paull</h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A private contractor led the process that gave global technology giant IBM the job of replacing Queensland Health’s payroll system, an inquiry has heard.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Darrin Bond, a former project director in the government’s IT arm CorpTech, says he was against using a prime contractor for the payroll system and eventually changed departments because of it.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mr Bond told the Queensland Health Payroll System Commission of Inquiry in Brisbane on Tuesday that it was a private contractor, Terry Burns, employed by CorpTech, who advocated giving a prime contractor control over the system’s finance, HR and payroll components.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/contract-signed-before-payroll-system-proven-to-work-20130313-2g05q.html">http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/contract-signed-before-payroll-system-proven-to-work-20130313-2g05q.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277510">Contract signed before payroll system proven to work</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date March 14, 2013 - 7:56AM </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Nathan Paull</span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Senior bureaucrats didn't check whether a proposed system would actually work before signing off on a contract to replace Queensland Health's payroll system, an inquiry has heard.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Darrin Bond, a former project director in the government's IT arm CorpTech, says a push for technology giant IBM to sign the contract meant the Queensland government didn't have time to properly assess the proposal.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">IBM's tender bid to run Queensland Health's complicated payroll system was about $100 million cheaper than its nearest rival.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/456291/queensland_health_inquiry_hood_admits_outside_contractor_bad_idea/">http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/456291/queensland_health_inquiry_hood_admits_outside_contractor_bad_idea/</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277507">Queensland Health inquiry: Hood admits outside contractor a bad idea</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Private contractor and former IBM boss Terry Burns' hand in IBM being selected to implement and maintain the system has been repeatedly called into question during an inquiry to determine what went wrong</div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/author/1441059369/aap/articles">AAP</a> (AAP)</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">14 March, 2013 10:09</li></ul><div class="MsoNormal">A senior public servant in charge of Queensland Health's failed payroll system has conceded an outside contractor shouldn't have led the tendering process.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Private contractor and former IBM boss Terry Burns' hand in IBM being selected to implement and maintain the system has been repeatedly called into question during an inquiry to determine what went wrong.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thousands of public servants were underpaid, overpaid or unpaid after IBM's flawed computer system was introduced in March 2010 by the former Labor government in a fiasco estimated to have cost taxpayers about $1.2 billion.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/scientists-used-iphone-to-diagnose-intestinal-worms/story-e6frgakx-1226596072026">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/scientists-used-iphone-to-diagnose-intestinal-worms/story-e6frgakx-1226596072026</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277515">Scientists used iPhone to diagnose intestinal worms</a></span> </h2><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">From:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">AFP </span></cite></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="datestamp">March 13, 2013</span> <span class="timestamp">6:58AM</span> </li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">SCIENTISTS used an iPhone and a camera lens to diagnose intestinal worms in rural Tanzania, a breakthrough that could help doctors treat patients infected with the parasites, a study said on Tuesday. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Research published by the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene showed that it is possible to fashion a low-cost field microscope using an iPhone, double-sided tape, a flashlight, ordinary laboratory slides and an $8 cameral lens.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The researchers used their cobbled-together microscope to successfully determine the presence of eggs from hookworm and other parasites in the stool of infected children.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/government-it/government-it-projects-not-well-understood-20130311-2fvzb.html">http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/government-it/government-it-projects-not-well-understood-20130311-2fvzb.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277513">Government IT projects 'not well understood'</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date March 12, 2013 </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Trevor Clarke</span></h3><div class="lead" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Australia's new CIO Glenn Archer is proud of quiet achievers in IT departments.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Australian government's new chief information officer says government IT projects are ''not well understood'' by the wider community and their implementers deserve recognition.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Notwithstanding several documented IT stuff-ups in various government agencies over the past decade, including Victoria's <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/government-it/state-axes-280-it-jobs-20120508-1yb9p.html?rand=1363042929074" target="_blank">CenITex</a> and <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/queensland-health-payroll-inquiry-begins-20130311-2fwda.html?rand=1363043156931" target="_blank">Queensland's payroll debacle</a>, Australia's recently installed CIO, Glenn Archer, said ''IT departments or sections within departments'' were the quiet achievers in delivering services in a sector that spends over $6 billion a year in technology.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">''There is a great deal of interest in those IT projects that don't go quite according to plan but those that quietly function and deliver major business benefit often never get much mention,'' Mr Archer said, while acknowledging there were problem projects.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://ehealthspace.org/news/delving-quantified-self">http://ehealthspace.org/news/delving-quantified-self</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277498">Delving into the Quantified Self</a></span> </h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="submitted">Posted Tue, 12/03/2013 - 13:05 by Fran Molloy</span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Health informatics expert Professor Fernando Martin-Sanchez says that the future of health care will involve shared decision-making between patents and clinicians and will often rely on a range of personal health data patients will collect about themselves.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Martin-Sanchez is Professor and Chair of Health Informatics at the University of Melbourne Medical School and Head of Health and Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory of IBES (Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society) and will be speaking about his research at next week’s <a href="http://www.health-e-nation.com.au/" target="_blank">Health-e-nation</a> conference in Melbourne.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1215258?query=TOC">http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1215258?query=TOC</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277509">Protecting Patient Privacy and Data Security</a></span></h2><div class="authors" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Julie K. Taitsman, M.D., J.D., Christi Macrina Grimm, M.P.A., and Shantanu Agrawal, M.D.</span></div><div class="citationline" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="citation"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">N Engl J Med 2013; 368:977-979</span></span></div><div class="citationline" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/368/11/">March 14, 2013</a></span></div><div class="citationline" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="doi"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1215258</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">On December 4, 2012, two Australian radio DJs called London's King Edward VII's Hospital, identified themselves, in fake British accents, as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, and asked about a celebrity patient who had been admitted for pregnancy complications. A nurse, filling in at the reception desk in the early morning hours, answered the phone and, without attempting to verify the callers' identities, transferred them to the duty nurse caring for the Duchess of Cambridge. The duty nurse then provided them with confidential patient information.<span class="ref"><a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1215258?query=TOC#ref1">1</a></span> The Australian DJs broadcast the phone call, considering it a humorous prank, but as the world knows, it had disastrous consequences.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/ama-rejects-physicians-plea-for-pip-payments">http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/ama-rejects-physicians-plea-for-pip-payments</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277524">AMA rejects physicians’ plea for PIP payments</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">11th Mar 2013</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/author/570"><b>Helen Signy</b> </a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A CALL by physicians to have the same access to e-health PIP payments and incentives as GPs has been rejected by the AMA.</span></div><div class="p1" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Royal Australian College of Physicians (RACP) president Associate Professor Leslie Bolitho said last week e-health could not be successful unless all medical practitioners in Australia, including both GPs and specialist physicians, adopted e-health technologies.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div class="p1" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This would result in better patient outcomes, particularly for complex chronic patients who saw a multitude of healthcare providers, she said.</span></span></div><div class="p1" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/specialists-want-cut-of-e-health-cash">http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/specialists-want-cut-of-e-health-cash</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277505">Specialists want cut of e-health cash</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="publishdate">12 March, 2013</span> <a href="http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/author/Paul%20Smith">Paul Smith</a> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Specialist physicians are warning key clinical information will be missing from the government's e-health records system unless they get a cut of the Practice Incentive Program funds.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">There have been long-running concerns over whether private specialists will use the personally controlled e-health record system, given the low levels of computerisation in their practices.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Although GPs and practice managers <a href="http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/thousands-of-practices-to-miss-out-on-epip" target="_blank">have battled to meet the latest ePIP requirements</a>, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians said it wanted the system extended.</span></div><div class="p1" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.healthintersections.com.au/?p=1407">http://www.healthintersections.com.au/?p=1407</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277497">Question: FHIR and un-semantic interoperability</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Posted on March 12, 2013 by <a href="http://www.healthintersections.com.au/?author=1" title="Posts by Grahame Grieve">Grahame Grieve</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Question</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">:</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> I did not understand the blog post about un-semantic interoperability. Can you elaborate? Will FHIR provide any of this un-semantic interoperability?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Answer</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">:</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Well, the <a href="http://www.healthintersections.com.au/?p=155" target="_blank">original post on unsemantic interoperability</a> is just pointing out that many people mis-understand the nature of what semantic interoperability is trying to achieve:</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We’ve had semantic interoperability in healthcare since we started having healthcare. Since the beginning of healthcare (by whatever definition you can use), healthcare practitioners have exchanged data using spoken and written words, and the semantic meaning has been clear (well, as clear as it can be given that human knowledge is limited).</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">So whatever it is that we are doing, it’s not introducing semantic interoperability. In fact, what we are doing is introducing a new player into the mix: computers. And not, in actual fact, computers, but the notion that there is something to be gained by processing healthcare information by persons or devices who don’t properly understand it. So, in fact, what we are actually doing is seeking for unsemantic interoperability.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/a-few-seconds-can-save-patients-lives-20130310-2ftz7.html">http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/a-few-seconds-can-save-patients-lives-20130310-2ftz7.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277525">A few seconds can save patients' lives</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date March 11, 2013 </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Benjamin Preiss</span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Researchers at Victoria University are working on a new computer program they hope will save patients' lives by predicting their vital signs during surgery.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The researchers say the software could be installed in hospital operating theatres and intensive care units.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The PhysAnalyser program will give a 20-second prediction on patients' physiological signs such as heart and respiratory rates and blood pressure.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Professor Yanchun Zhang said the program conducted ''deep analysis'' on patient data. This would be used to predict risks for patients and ''visualise the future anomalies''.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/guy-sebastian-caught-out-by-stalled-patent-probe/story-fn4htb9o-1226594987626">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/guy-sebastian-caught-out-by-stalled-patent-probe/story-fn4htb9o-1226594987626</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277522">Guy Sebastian caught out by stalled patent probe</a></span> </h2><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">by:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Fran Foo</span></cite> </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">From:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/">The Australian</a> </span></cite></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="datestamp">March 12, 2013</span> <span class="timestamp">12:00AM</span> </li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">SINGER Guy Sebastian has weighed in on allegations of patent infringement by the Gillard government's National E-Health Transition Authority. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">MMRGlobal, the US firm investigating NEHTA for alleged patent infringements, was in talks with Sebastian's management team to fund his planned charitable foundation.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">However, discussions have hit a roadblock pending the outcome of the probe, which has been delayed by NEHTA's silence.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://ehealthspace.org/news/decision-support-may-be-new-e-medication-management-frontier">http://ehealthspace.org/news/decision-support-may-be-new-e-medication-management-frontier</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277500">Decision Support may be the new e-Medication Management Frontier</a></span> </h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="submitted">Posted Wed, 13/03/2013 - 15:33 by Fran Molloy</span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Electronic medication management has been adopted at health sites around Australia, but there’s still low clinician adoption of one of the system’s great advantages - decision support protocols.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“It can be hard to change the mindset of prescribers who are used to the old, linear way of writing scripts,” says Professor Ric Day, head of clinical pharmacology at the University of NSW and a key player in the adoption of electronic medication management at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Some systems have excellent shortcuts, such as ‘therapy bundles’ where a commonly-grouped medication list can be prescribed in one mouse-click.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/royal-adelaide-hospital-puts-x-rays-in-focus/story-fn4htb9o-1226594973838">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/royal-adelaide-hospital-puts-x-rays-in-focus/story-fn4htb9o-1226594973838</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277520">Royal Adelaide Hospital puts X-rays in focus</a></span> </h2><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">by:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">FRAN FOO</span></cite> </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">From:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/">The Australian</a> </span></cite></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="datestamp">March 12, 2013</span> <span class="timestamp">12:00AM</span> </li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">THE Royal Adelaide Hospital has taken steps to quickly identify radiation levels in an X-ray environment - an issue not easily tackled in the past - thanks to new technical smarts. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">With the hi-tech equipment, the X-ray radiation dose required for interventional X-ray procedures can be reduced by more than 70 per cent.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Philips' AlluraClarity intervention suite was the hospital's choice when it had to upgrade from its old system, according to intervention neuro-radiologist Dr Rebecca Scroop and campus clinical head of radiology Dr Mary Moss.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/cloud-computing/healthy-diagnosis-for-terry-white-chemists/story-fn8lu7wm-1226594976615">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/cloud-computing/healthy-diagnosis-for-terry-white-chemists/story-fn8lu7wm-1226594976615</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277521">Healthy diagnosis for Terry White Chemists</a></span> </h2><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">by:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Jennifer Foreshew</span></cite> </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">From:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/">The Australian</a> </span></cite></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="datestamp">March 12, 2013</span> <span class="timestamp">12:00AM</span> </li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">RETAIL pharmacy franchise Terry White Chemists was halfway through a long-term enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation project when it diagnosed a problem. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">To support the launch of its new website, the company required a quick and easy stock master data management solution.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Terry White Chemists, which was established in 1959, is one of Australia's top 20 retailers and claims a 9 per cent share of the pharmacy market, with more than 160 franchises nationwide.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/ama-calls-for-review-of-medicare-locals">http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/ama-calls-for-review-of-medicare-locals</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277519">AMA calls for review of Medicare Locals</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">12th Mar 2013</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/author/702"><b>Byron Kaye</b></a> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">THE AMA has given its strongest endorsement of Medicare Locals (MLs), calling on both political parties to commit to a pre-election review to ensure the new primary healthcare bodies have “substance, purpose, meaning and direction”.</span></div><div class="p1" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">With the Coalition seen as a strong chance to win the 14 September federal election, MLs are anxious about their future, following shadow health minister Peter Dutton’s labelling of the 61 bodies as wasteful bureaucracies.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div class="p1" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In an opinion piece in MO this week, AMA president Dr Steve Hambleton wrote while his organisation had initially opposed MLs, “trying to undo all the contracts and leases and management structures would be quite complex and expensive to accomplish in the first year of a Coalition government”.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/coalition-will-abolish-all-medicare-locals/story-fnhi8fqc-1226596742854">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/coalition-will-abolish-all-medicare-locals/story-fnhi8fqc-1226596742854</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277504">Coalition 'will abolish' all Medicare Locals</a></span> </h2><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo8; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">by:</span> S<cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">ean Parnell</span></cite> </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo8; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">From:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/">The Australian</a> </span></cite></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo8; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="datestamp">March 14, 2013</span> <span class="timestamp">12:00AM</span> </li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A COALITION government would run the ruler over primary healthcare, abolishing Medicare Locals in favour of new links between GPs and public hospitals as part of efforts to redirect hundreds of millions of dollars each year. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek warned the opposition not to try to replicate the slash-and-burn approach of conservative state governments, saying the Medical Local structure, introduced by Labor less than 12 months ago, was starting to show positive results for patients.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton said yesterday Medicare Locals had created about 3000 extra taxpayer-funded positions across Australia and "the guiding principle of the Coalition will be to take money away from bureaucratic wages and put it into frontline services".</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/3/11/politics/hackers-have-come-hackers-have-come">http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/3/11/politics/hackers-have-come-hackers-have-come</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277526">The hackers have come, the hackers have come</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="author"><a href="http://www.businessspectator.com.au/contributor/alan-kohler">Alan Kohler</a> 11/03/2013</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This morning’s revelations in the <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Financial Review</span></i> that the Reserve Bank of Australia has been repeatedly hacked means we can almost certainly now add Australia to the list of 141 countries that have been hacked by China’s Unit 61398.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">AFR</span></i> has reported that multiple computers within the RBA’s network have been compromised and that it had been infiltrated by a Chinese-developed malicious software, or ‘malware’ spy program, that was seeking intelligence on sensitive G20 negotiations.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Officials from the Reserve Bank’s risk management unit are quoted as saying in a previously unreported Freedom of Information document: “Bank assets could have been potentially compromised, leading to . . . information loss and reputation [damage].”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/fake-fingers-fool-the-boss-in-hospital-scam-20130314-2g1lk.html">http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/fake-fingers-fool-the-boss-in-hospital-scam-20130314-2g1lk.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277503">Fake fingers fool the boss in hospital scam</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date March 14, 2013 </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Five doctors at a Brazilian hospital have been suspended for allegedly covering for absentee colleagues by using fake silicone fingers to fool biometric machines.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Thaune Nunes Ferreira was arrested on Sunday for signing in six co-workers to the biometric employee attendance device at a hospital in Ferraz de Vasconcelos, Sao Paulo.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/rover-shows-mars-could-have-supported-life-20130313-2fzg4.html">http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/rover-shows-mars-could-have-supported-life-20130313-2fzg4.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277528">Rover shows Mars could have supported life</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date March 13, 2013 - 10:36AM </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Alicia Chang</span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">NASA's Curiosity rover has answered a key question about Mars: the red planet previously had some of the right ingredients needed to support primitive life.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The evidence comes from a chemical analysis by Curiosity, which last month flexed its robotic arm to <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/mars-rover-on-brink-of-drilling-breakthrough-20130116-2ct0s.html">drill into a fine-grained rock</a> and then test the powder.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If this water was around and you had been on the planet, you would have been able to drink it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">John Grotzinger, California Institute of Technology</span></cite> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Curiosity is the first spacecraft sent to Mars that could collect a sample from deep inside a rock, and scientist said they hit pay dirt with that first rock.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"We have found a habitable environment that is so benign and supportive of life that probably if this water was around and you had been on the planet, you would have been able to drink it," said chief scientist John Grotzinger of the California Institute of Technology.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/technology/sci-tech/god-particle-found-physicists-say-they-have-discovered-a-higgs-boson-20130315-2g481.html">http://www.theage.com.au/technology/sci-tech/god-particle-found-physicists-say-they-have-discovered-a-higgs-boson-20130315-2g481.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc351277529">'God particle' found: physicists say they have discovered a Higgs boson</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date March 15, 2013 - 5:44AM </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">John Heilprin</span></h3><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The search is all but over for the so-called God particle that is a crucial building block of the universe.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Physicists said on Thursday they believe they have discovered the sub-atomic particle predicted nearly half a century ago, which will go a long way toward explaining what gives electrons and all matter in the universe size and shape.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The elusive particle, called a Higgs boson, was predicted in 1964 to help fill in our understanding of the creation of the universe, which many theorise occurred in a massive explosion known as the Big Bang.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The particle was named for Peter Higgs, one of the physicists who proposed its existence, but it later became popularly known as the God particle.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Enjoy!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">David.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-25749603305711498132013-03-16T22:28:00.000-07:002013-09-27T12:02:40.030-07:00I Would Not Want To Be A Senior Officer In DoHA If Mr Abbott Wins The Election! Dead Ducks.<div class="MsoNormal">This article simply could not wait for the usual cycle of daily blogs.</div><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Nothing healthy about department of stuff-ups </span></h2><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">by:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">JUDITH SLOAN</span></cite> </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">From:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/">The Australian</a> </span></cite></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="datestamp">March 16, 2013</span> <span class="timestamp">12:00AM</span> </li></ul><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">HEALTH is an area the Labor Party thinks it owns. According to the polls, Labor has generally been judged the better manager of health (and education) than the Coalition. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One of the worrying recent trends for Labor is that this ascendancy has been significantly whittled away. Labor now holds only a slim lead - down to four points -- as the better manager of health. (The gap for education is five points.) One of the more interesting aspects of government involvement in, and funding of, health is that monumental stuff-ups often go under the radar. There are programs that cost hundreds of millions, even billions, but which never generate the anticipated benefits. In some cases, they never generate any benefits. And then there are the forecasting errors of the Department of Health and Ageing that have led to extreme shortages of doctors followed by extreme surpluses.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">More generally, we have a federal department - the largest "policy" department with 5500 workers - the head of which seems unable to really explain what her staff do or account for the results of their busyness.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Take the example of electronic health, one of the centrepieces of the health and hospital reforms, as a classic example of a stuff-up. Through the years, hundreds of millions have been poured into various e-health initiatives, with virtually nothing to show for the spending. The most recent program is the Personally Controlled e-Health Records system, which went live in July last year. At this stage, nearly nine months on, only 56,000 individuals have registered to obtain a record. And fewer than 1 per cent of doctors have signed up. The whole scheme, with a budget of more than $1 billion, looks like being a complete operational and financial fiasco.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We should not be entirely surprised. Having spent billions trying to digitise the National Health System records in Britain, the government essentially gave up several years ago. While relatively simple features of patient records - X-ray and pathology results, medications - can be recorded relatively easily electronically, there are other aspects of patient case notes that are not so amenable. Moreover, issues of confidentiality and access are critical in terms of ensuring patient safety and engendering confidence. Were an unauthorised person given access to records, changes could be made that could prove detrimental, if not fatal, to patients. In other words, the goal of achieving universal and comprehensive electronic medical records is unrealistic at this stage. But this has not prevented the federal government wasting billions of dollars finding this out.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">….. (Workforce stuff ups omitted)</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">While e-health and medical workforce planning are examples of specific stuff-ups, at a broader level the whole Department of Health and Ageing is really a massive catastrophe, engaged in multiple, pointless and unaccountable activities while not running one hospital or other health service.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Take this explanation from the department secretary: "We have a budget structure and this includes the definition of subprogram. Then we have another level under this - several other levels. These groupings of things which kind of make logical sense, but are not reconcilable with the budget documents. So there are particular initiatives, some of which do line up, but mostly they do not." Are you following?</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">She continued: "So this is the workings and this is down to in some cases projects and in some cases thematic elements but is not consistent with universally, and in fact very often, the budget structure which is what we have in IT systems which enable us to produce information." As Manuel from Fawlty Towers would have said: Que?</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On the face of it, it would appear that even the head of the department finds it hard to explain what activities are undertaken in her department, why they are undertaken and how they line up with each other. But, never fear, if only they had a better computer system.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"Let me tell you, the Department of Finance said recently that they wanted us to account down to these levels of detail, and our chief financial officer had a great deal of fun explaining to them that, actually, if they wanted that they were going to have to build us a new computer system - which we would quite like, can I say."</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Fun? When you are dealing with taxpayer monies that run into the billions? I can think of other nouns, such as disgrace and waste.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Much much more here:</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/nothing-healthy-about-department-of-stuff-ups/story-fnbkvnk7-1226598388233">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/nothing-healthy-about-department-of-stuff-ups/story-fnbkvnk7-1226598388233</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">This really is an astonishing blast at DoHA. I wonder what part the shadow Ministers played?<br />Clearly it is going to be on for one and all as we get closer to the election. </div><div class="MsoNormal">David.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-73792715230822643122013-03-16T22:00:00.000-07:002013-09-27T12:02:40.049-07:00Looks Like MMRGlobal Is Not Being Taken Very Seriously By Many In The US - Including The Government.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">I saw an e-mail that was sent out by the Office Of the (US) National Co-Ordinator for Health IT a day or so ago.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Here is a link where you can subscribe to the weekly e-mail.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.healthit.gov/">http://www.healthit.gov/</a> (at the top of the menu)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">In that e-mail - at the bottom there was a discussion of the PHRs that are available.</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Maintain Your Medical Record</span></h2><h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">How can eHealth tools help me manage my personal medical and health records?</span></h3><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Keeping track of medical records can difficult if your health information is in multiple places or in a format (such as paper) that is difficult to use. This challenge gets harder when working with several doctors to address several health concerns. Your doctor and other health care providers maintain their own medical records about you. But many patients see advantages in also maintaining their own personal health records to record past appointments, test results, prescriptions, and more. Today, many apps and online services exist to make the job of organizing this information easier. And in some cases, these tools also help patients and family caregivers share information among doctors and other family members so everyone is on the same page.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">A personal health record (PHR) is similar to the electronic health record (EHR) that your doctor might keep, except that you to store your most important health information and control who has access to it. Most PHRs require you to add your own information by scanning documents or typing in information. Many PHRs give you the option of adding information you think is relevant but that your doctor may not have, like information about your over-the-counter medications, exercise habits or sleep schedule. For the most part, these PHRs don’t connect to an employer, health system, or insurer. These systems are typically web based, and available for free or for a small subscription fee.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Lots more here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.healthit.gov/patients-families/maintain-your-medical-record">http://www.healthit.gov/patients-families/maintain-your-medical-record</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Key to me was the section at the bottom of the page:</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: center;"><b>Personal Health Records and eHealth Hubs</b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/healthvault/">Microsoft Health Vault</a> <span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">A free <abbr title="personal health record">PHR</abbr> system that integrates with multiple web sites and personal health devices.<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="https://healthmanager.webmd.com/manager/default.aspx?secure=1">WebMD Health Manager</a> <span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">A free standalone <abbr title="personal health record">PHR</abbr> system with some options for sharing information with doctors and others.<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.passportmd.com/">MyMediConnect</a> <span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">A free standalone <abbr title="personal health record">PHR</abbr> system with some options for sharing information with doctors and others.<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: center;"><b>eHealth Hubs </b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Unlike full-fledged <abbr title="personal health record">PHR</abbr>s, these sites are focused more on health tracking tools, but include some <abbr title="personal health record">PHR</abbr> features such as record upload and sharing tools.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://thecarrot.com/">TheCarrot.com</a> <span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">A personal health hub including multiple health trackers and some app/device integration. Includes some medication management and other <abbr title="personal health record">PHR</abbr> functions.<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://rememberitnow.com/">RememberItNow</a> <span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">A personal health hub with multiple health trackers, a strong focus on medication management, and some capacity to record medical history.<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: center;"><b>PHR and Medical Record Information for Consumers</b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: center;"><b>Consumer Guides to <abbr title="personal health record">PHR</abbr>s</b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.myphr.com/">my<abbr title="personal health record">PHR</abbr></a> <span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">A site specifically about PHRs, including an extensive guide to the systems available today. Sponsored by the American Health Information Management Association.<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">----- End Extract.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The bottom line of all this to me is to make it clear that whatever MMRGlobal might claim to own in the way of patents there is not a great deal of evidence that the US Government, Microsoft and so on have either heard of or care at all regarding such claims.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">It seems highly unlikely the MS, Google (previously) and the others listed did not firstly check and secondly noticed and decided they were free to proceed.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">I think all this has been an amusing distraction and that the best thing DoHA / NEHTA can do is advise MMRGlobal that they believe their claims are simply nonsense and are unenforceable given the number of years PHRs have been around and in use.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Wikipedia makes the age of the concept and implementations clear!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">-----</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“The term “personal health record” is not new. The earliest mention of the term was in an article indexed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed" title="PubMed"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">PubMed</span></a> dated June 1978,<sup id="cite_ref-FIRST_2-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_health_record#cite_note-FIRST-2"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">[2]</span></a></sup> and even earlier in 1956 reference is made to a personal health log.<sup id="cite_ref-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_health_record#cite_note-3"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">[3]</span></a></sup> However, most scientific articles written about PHRs have been published since 2000.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The term "PHR" has been applied to both paper-based and computerized systems; current usage usually implies an electronic application used to collect and store health data. In recent years, several formal definitions of the term have been proposed by various organizations.<sup id="cite_ref-CFH_4-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_health_record#cite_note-CFH-4"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">[4]</span></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_health_record#cite_note-AHIMA-5"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">[5]</span></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_health_record#cite_note-AHIP-6"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">[6]</span></a>”</sup></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><sup><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">-----</span></sup></div><ul><li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span class="citation">"Recordkeeping systems: personal health records". <i>J Am Med Rec Assoc.</i> <b>55</b> (12): 42. Dec 1984. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed_Identifier" title="PubMed Identifier">PMID</a> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10310901">10310901</a>.</span> </li><li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="citation"><a href="http://www.munnecke.com/papers/D03.doc">"Concepts of the Health Vault"</a>.</span> 1999 Paper by Tom Munnecke describing an architecture for the Personal Health Record </li><li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span class="citation">"[Personal medical records and identification card, synchronized information systems] [Personal medical records and identification card, synchronized information systems]" (in French). <i>Rev Infirm.</i> (106): 45–6. Dec 2004. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed_Identifier" title="PubMed Identifier">PMID</a> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15672518">15672518</a>.</span> </li><li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span class="citation">Swain, M; Lawn, B (Apr 2005). "Information prescriptions (Ix): bringing internet-based health content into the treatment process; patients to your site". <i>Internet Healthc Strateg.</i> <b>7</b> (4): 4–8. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_object_identifier" title="Digital object identifier">doi</a>:<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2F0148-9062%2876%2991830-1">10.1016/0148-9062(76)91830-1</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed_Identifier" title="PubMed Identifier">PMID</a> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15929640">15929640</a>.</span> </li><li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span class="citation">"Report on attitudes about personal health records". <i>Internet Healthc Strateg.</i> <b>6</b> (9): 10–1. Sep 2004. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed_Identifier" title="PubMed Identifier"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">PMID</span></a> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15526437"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">15526437</span></a>.</span></span></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Full article here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_health_record">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_health_record</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Back to sleep now!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-27726687388432337892013-03-15T22:00:00.000-07:002013-09-27T12:02:40.080-07:00Weekly Overseas Health IT Links - 16th March, 2013.<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Here are a few I have come across last week. </span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Note: Each link is followed by a title and few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/himss-conference-president-clinton-health-care-reform-45816-1.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/himss-conference-president-clinton-health-care-reform-45816-1.html</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670848">President Clinton at HIMSS13: Fundamental Health Reform Must Continue</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/cgi-bin/udt/fdc.collector?client_id=healthdatamanagement&form_id=maileditform&link_id=13"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Joseph Goedert</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">MAR 7, 2013 1:22pm ET</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The jokes were sparse as a somber former President Bill Clinton took on the ills of the health care system during his HIMSS13 keynote speech, and urged his information technology audience to accelerate their work to support improvements.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The politics and social impact of the health reform law have yet to be fully determined, Clinton noted, because that depends on how fully the law is implemented and many contentious issues have not yet been resolved. The politics of reform continue to resonate deep, he reminded. Health care reform politically killed supporting congressional candidates in 2010, then the politics changed and reform politically killed candidates opposed to the law in 2012.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/HIMSS13-ONC-HIT-safety-plan-45809-1.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/HIMSS13-ONC-HIT-safety-plan-45809-1.html</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670850">ONC Sets Early Summer for Release of HIT Safety Plan</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/cgi-bin/udt/fdc.collector?client_id=healthdatamanagement&form_id=maileditform&link_id=13"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Joseph Goedert</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">MAR 6, 2013 1:59pm ET</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology anticipates releasing a final health information technology safety plan by early summer, officials announced on March 5 at HIMSS13 in New Orleans.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">ONC released a draft plan in December and accepted public comment until February 4. The draft followed an Institute of Medicine report that ONC commissioned that highlighted the need for better understanding of the HIT impacts on safety, as well as shared responsibilities among all stakeholders to improve safety, Jodi Daniel, director of the ONC office of policy and planning, said during an educational session.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/mostashari-we-are-committed-it"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/mostashari-we-are-committed-it</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670847">Mostashari: 'We are committed to IT'</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Bernie Monegain, Editor</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">03/07/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The day after President Bill Clinton told the HIMSS13 audience that the healthcare system was broken, but could be fixed, ONC chief </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/directory/mostashari-farzad" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Farzad Mostashari</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">, MD, offered a personal example of that broken system: his Mom. Mostashari launched his own keynote on Thursday morning by describing what his mother endured when she was admitted to the hospital for routine knee surgery.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Healthcare is broken not just when it comes to costs of healthcare," he said. "Healthcare is broken as a system, as a lack of systems."</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/article/hl7-announces-plans-freely-available-ip-and-future-membership-model"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/article/hl7-announces-plans-freely-available-ip-and-future-membership-model</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670851">HL7 Announces Plans for Freely Available IP and Future Membership Model</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">March 7, 2013 <span class="submitted">by John DeGaspari </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Health IT Standards Leader Reveals Details of Move ?to Make Standards and Other Selected IP Freely Available </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Health Level Seven International (HL7), announced a plan to make much of its intellectual property (IP) freely available under licensing terms, which it says will ensure that all stakeholders have equal access to its HIT standards. The policy is effective as of April 1, 2013 and includes all currently published standards, implementation guides and other select IP as determined on a case-by-case basis.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“By making our standards freely available, we hope to accelerate the evolution of healthcare information exchange at the very basic levels, and ultimately to impact wellness and healthcare delivery on a global scale” said Charles Jaffe, M.D., Ph.D. and CEO of HL7. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2013/himss13-mostashari-says-data-incentives-matter.aspx"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2013/himss13-mostashari-says-data-incentives-matter.aspx</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Friday, March 08, 2013</span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670858">HIMSS13: Mostashari Says Data & Incentives Matter</a></span></span></h2><div class="byline" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">by Kate Ackerman, iHealthBeat Managing Editor </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">NEW ORLEANS -- National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari may have had one of the busiest schedules at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's annual conference this year. It's not unusual for federal health officials to stop by HIMSS and other big conferences for just mere hours on the day of their big speech, but Mostashari made a week of it. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">He helped kick off the conference on Monday with an Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT Town Hall, sat in the front row for acting CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner's speech, held a press conference with reporters and was seen roaming the mile-long exhibit hall and observing the Interoperability Showcase in action, not to mention stopping by HIStalkaplooza at Rock 'n' Bowl. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">On Thursday -- the final day of HIMSS13 -- Mostashari took the stage to deliver his keynote, and he had a lot to say after spending nearly a week at the Earnest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670859">Big Data Helps Kaiser Close Healthcare Gaps</a></span> </span></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Analytics from massive clinical data repository are central to closing gaps in care, HIMSS attendees told.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">By Neil Versel, </span></span></span><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">InformationWeek </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />March 07, 2013<br />URL: </span></span></span><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/electronic-medical-records/big-data-helps-kaiser-close-healthcare-g/240150269"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/electronic-medical-records/big-data-helps-kaiser-close-healthcare-g/240150269</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">One benefit of Kaiser Permanente spending an estimated $6 billion for an </span></span><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/electronic-medical-records/kaiser-permanente-finishes-emr-rollout/223500016"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">integrated electronic health records (EHR) system</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"> to serve 9 million people across eight regions from coast to coast is it that has amassed a vast repository of clinical data. That storehouse also contains information from a patient portal, ancillary systems, smart medical devices and even home-based patient monitoring systems. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">All those terabytes of electronic data now are helping to fuel a massive analytics operation, part of an overall organizational goal of improving care and reining in costs. "It's all about the data and information, not the electronic health record," Carol Cain, senior director of clinical information services for the </span></span></span><a href="http://kpcmi.org/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kaiser Permanente Care Management Institute</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">, said this week at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference in New Orleans. </span></span></span><a href="http://adserver.adtechus.com/?adlink/5242/1257926/0/16/AdId=-3;BnId=0;itime=792779754;key=240150269+healthcare+/healthcare/electronic-medical-records/big-data-helps-kaiser;" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><img alt="AdTech Ad" border="0" height="1" src="file:///C:\Users\David\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif" width="1" /></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/03/the-robot-will-see-you-now/309216/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/03/the-robot-will-see-you-now/309216/</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670860">The Robot Will See You Now</a></span></span></h2><div class="blurb" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">IBM's Watson—the same machine that beat Ken Jennings at <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Jeopardy</span></i>—is now churning through case histories at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, learning to make diagnoses and treatment recommendations. This is one in a series of developments suggesting that technology may be about to disrupt health care in the same way it has disrupted so many other industries. Are doctors necessary? Just how far might the automation of medicine go?</span></span></span></div><h5 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">By <span class="author">Jonathan Cohn</span></span></span></span></h5><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span class="smallcaps"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Harley lukov didn’t need</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> a miracle. He just needed the right diagnosis. Lukov, a 62-year-old from central New Jersey, had stopped smoking 10 years earlier—fulfilling a promise he’d made to his daughter, after she gave birth to his first grandchild. But decades of cigarettes had taken their toll. Lukov had adenocarcinoma, a common cancer of the lung, and it had spread to his liver. The oncologist ordered a biopsy, testing a surgically removed sample of the tumor to search for particular “driver” mutations. A driver mutation is a specific genetic defect that causes cells to reproduce uncontrollably, interfering with bodily functions and devouring organs. Think of an on/off switch stuck in the “on” direction. With lung cancer, doctors typically test for mutations called EGFR and ALK, in part because those two respond well to specially targeted treatments. But the tests are a long shot: although EGFR and ALK are the two driver mutations doctors typically see with lung cancer, even they are relatively uncommon. When Lukov’s cancer tested negative for both, the oncologist prepared to start a standard chemotherapy regimen—even though it meant the side effects would be worse and the prospects of success slimmer than might be expected using a targeted agent.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/home-bp-monitoring-leads-better-patient-outcomes/2013-03-07"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/home-bp-monitoring-leads-better-patient-outcomes/2013-03-07</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670862">Home BP monitoring leads to better patient outcomes</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">March 7, 2013 | By Ashley Gold</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Home monitoring can help lower blood pressure, according to a </span></span></span><a href="http://circoutcomes.ahajournals.org/content/early/2013/03/05/CIRCOUTCOMES.112.968172.abstract" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">study</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> by researchers from Kaiser Permanente Colorado in Denver published online this week in <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes</span></i>.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The home monitoring, which was pharmacist-led and enabled by Heart360, the American Heart Association's web-based tool for tracking heart health, was tested in 10 Kaiser clinics. Nearly 350 patients with blood pressure above the recommended levels participated, and although there were no "statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics" between the tested groups, the home monitoring group, at six months, was significantly closer to reaching their BP goal than a usual care group.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/HIMSS13-ONC-HIE-RFI-45810-1.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/HIMSS13-ONC-HIE-RFI-45810-1.html</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670864">HHS Wants Input on Speeding Health Information Exchange Adoption</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/cgi-bin/udt/fdc.collector?client_id=healthdatamanagement&form_id=maileditform&link_id=13"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Joseph Goedert</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">MAR 6, 2013 2:05pm ET</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a request for information as it considers policy moves to further accelerate interoperability and health information exchange beyond initiatives previously launched under the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Comments due by April 21. Adoption of basic electronic health records systems has steadily risen under the meaningful use program. An estimated 40 percent of physicians were using the software in 2012, and HHS expects that to top 50 percent during 2013. Now, the goal is to accelerate health information exchange.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/44-of-hospitals-had-ehrs-in-2012.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/44-of-hospitals-had-ehrs-in-2012.html</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670865">44% of Hospitals Had EHRs in 2012</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span class="author">Written by Bob Herman | </span><span class="createdate">March 06, 2013 </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Adoption of basic electronic health record systems in acute-care hospitals has more than tripled since 2009, as roughly 44.4 percent of hospitals had a basic EHR system in 2012 compared with 12.2 percent in 2009, according to new reports from the federal government. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology released two briefs on the status of EHRs among acute-care hospitals in the United States. The </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/oncdatabrief9final.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">first brief</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> (pdf) covered overall hospital adoption of EHR systems, while the </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/oncdatabrief10final.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">second brief</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> (pdf) covered how hospitals were meeting meaningful use objectives.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/science/unreported-side-effects-of-drugs-found-using-internet-data-study-finds.html?_r=0"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/science/unreported-side-effects-of-drugs-found-using-internet-data-study-finds.html?_r=0</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670866">Unreported Side Effects of Drugs Are Found Using Internet Search Data, Study Finds</a></span></span></h2><h6 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By </span></span><a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_markoff/index.html" title="More Articles by JOHN MARKOFF"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">JOHN MARKOFF</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></h6><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Using data drawn from queries entered into Google, Microsoft and Yahoo search engines, scientists at Microsoft, Stanford and Columbia University have for the first time been able to detect evidence of unreported prescription drug side effects before they were found by the </span></span></span><a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/f/food_and_drug_administration/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about the U.S. Food And Drug Administration."><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Food and Drug Administration</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">’s warning system. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Using automated software tools to examine queries by six million Internet users taken from Web search logs in 2010, the researchers looked for searches relating to an antidepressant, paroxetine, and a cholesterol lowering drug, pravastatin. They were able to find evidence that the combination of the two drugs caused high blood sugar. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://jamia.bmj.com/content/early/2013/02/05/amiajnl-2012-001482.abstract" title="Abstract of study"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The study,</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> which was reported in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association on Wednesday, is based on data-mining techniques similar to those employed by services like Google Flu Trends, which has been used to give early warning of the prevalence of the sickness to the public. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2013/himss13-federal-officials-stress-commitment-to-health-it.aspx"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2013/himss13-federal-officials-stress-commitment-to-health-it.aspx</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Thursday, March 07, 2013</span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670873">HIMSS13: Federal Officials Stress Commitment to Health IT</a></span></span></h2><div class="byline" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">by Kate Ackerman, iHealthBeat Managing Editor </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">NEW ORLEANS -- The heavy hitters in the federal health care world were out in full force at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's annual conference on Wednesday. Despite </span></span></span><a href="http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2013/himss13-sequester-will-affect-medicare-ehr-pay-onc-budget.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">this week's news</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> about federal budget cuts under the sequester, federal officials made it clear that their support for health IT is unwavering. In fact, they're ready to step it up a notch.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">During a speech at HIMSS13, acting CMS Administrator Marilynn Tavenner said, "I am truly committed to health IT as a platform and strategy" to transform health care delivery. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">She added that the health care system cannot lower costs and improve quality "if we don't have an electronic ability to understand what's going on."</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/TEC-289831/How-Tablets-are-Influencing-Healthcare"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/TEC-289831/How-Tablets-are-Influencing-Healthcare</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670874">How Tablets are Influencing Healthcare</a></span></span></h2><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i>Scott Mace, for HealthLeaders Media</i> , March 6, 2013 </span></span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This article appears in the January/February 2013 issue of </span></i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/magazine.cfm" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">HealthLeaders</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> magazine.</span></i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Like a surging tide, the next wave of technology has landed in hospitals, changing the nature of healthcare delivery. Tablet computers are overturning concepts of how clinicians will use technology, raising work-life balance issues, and having a beneficial impact on hospital IT budgets. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Tablet computers have gone from relative obscurity to something approximating the appearance of stethoscopes: Nearly every doctor has one. What's different with this generation of technology is that demand is coming from clinicians rather than being rolled out by IT departments.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Certainly the iOS devices from Apple are very popular among physicians," says Ferdinand Velasco, MD, chief health information officer at Texas Health Resources, an Arlington-based system that includes 25 hospitals, more than 21,100 employees, 5,500 physicians with staff privileges, and 3,800 licensed hospital beds.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130305/NEWS/303059941/cms-launches-ehealth-website"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130305/NEWS/303059941/cms-launches-ehealth-website</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670875">CMS launches eHealth website</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Site will offer central repository for information on health IT programs</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span class="mhtags">By </span></span></span><a href="mailto:rdaly@modernhealthcare.com"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Rich Daly</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Posted: March 5, 2013 - 12:45 pm ET</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The CMS launched the eHealth initiative this week as a central repository for information on the federal government's digital record-keeping and electronic prescribing initiatives.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The page provides a central location to search the </span></span></span><a href="http://www.cms.gov/eHealth/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">CMS site</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> for details of the major digital health initiatives, including the $22 billion electronic health-record incentive program, the hospital inpatient quality reporting system and the e-prescription incentive program.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“CMS is committed to helping healthcare providers deliver better patient care by simplifying the use of electronic standards and encouraging the adoption of health information technology,” Robert Tagalicod, director of the Office of E-Health Standards and Services at CMS, </span></span></span><a href="http://blog.cms.gov/2013/03/04/welcome-to-the-cms-ehealth-blog/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">wrote on the eHealth blog.</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/mostashari-sequestration-will-be-difficult-meaningful-use-program/2013-03-06"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/mostashari-sequestration-will-be-difficult-meaningful-use-program/2013-03-06</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670876">Mostashari: Sequestration will be difficult for Meaningful Use program</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">March 6, 2013 | By Dan Bowman</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sequestration, </span></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/healthcare-groups-have-one-month-avert-2-medicare-cuts/2013-02-28" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">set to begin April 1</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">, will prove to be a painful blow to the Meaningful Use Medicare incentive program, National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari said Wednesday, speaking to members of the press at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's annual meeting in New Orleans. Medicare reimbursements are set to be reduced by 2 percent, a total that, according to Mostashari, will take roughly $3 million away from ONC's budget.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.govhealthit.com/news/pros-and-cons-app-economy"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.govhealthit.com/news/pros-and-cons-app-economy</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670884">Pros and cons of the app economy</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Tom Sullivan, Editor</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Privacy and security realities hit David Collins hard. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Looking forward to cracking 1,000 Twitter followers at HIMSS13, the senior director of mHIMSS had 967 – until, that is, his account was compromised.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“I got hacked and I can’t get back in,” Collins said during the </span></span></span><a href="http://www.himssconference.org/Education/EventDetail.aspx?ItemNumber=1184"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Preparing for an OCR Audit</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> session here at </span></span></span><a href="http://www.himssconference.org/index.aspx"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">HIMSS13</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">. “I have to open a new account so I’m starting to take this personally.”</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Collins’ own experience highlighted the lack of privacy and security policies and technologies in the new world of applications, healthcare and otherwise. An even bigger barrier, and one particular to health apps, Collins added, is a general lack of funding for investing in mHealth technologies.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/HIMSS13-CCHIT-HIE-certification-45796-1.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/HIMSS13-CCHIT-HIE-certification-45796-1.html</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670885">CCHIT Readying Health Information Exchange Certification</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/cgi-bin/udt/fdc.collector?client_id=healthdatamanagement&form_id=maileditform&link_id=13"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Joseph Goedert</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">MAR 4, 2013 7:01pm ET</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology will pilot test a certification program for health information exchanges.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">CCHIT is a veteran certifier of electronic health records software that meet certain best practice measures; it also is one of a handful of federally-deemed companies that certify EHRs for supporting meaningful use criteria.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/poll-patients-should-be-allowed-make-ehr-updates-not-have-full-access/2013-03-05"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/poll-patients-should-be-allowed-make-ehr-updates-not-have-full-access/2013-03-05</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670888">Poll: Patients should be allowed to make EHR updates, but not have full access</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">March 5, 2013 | By Susan D. Hall</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Most U.S. doctors believe patients should be able to update their electronic health records, but only 31 percent say patients should have access to their full health record, according to a new </span></span></span><a href="http://www.accenture.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/Accenture-Patient-Access-to-Electronic-Health-Records-What-Does-the-Doctor-Order.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">poll</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> by Accenture.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">While the survey results were largely consistent across 3,700 doctors surveyed by Accenture in eight countries, including Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Singapore, Spain and the United States--U.S. physicians were the most open to patients updating their own records.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The U.S. physicians said patients should be able to add into their records demographic information (95 percent), family medical history (88 percent), medications (86 percent) and allergies (85 percent). And 81 percent said patients should be able to add some clinical updates, such as new symptoms and self-measured metrics, including blood pressure and glucose levels. Forty-seven percent, however, believe patients should not be able to update their lab test results.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2013/himss13-other-industries-it-use-offers-lessons-for-health-care.aspx"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2013/himss13-other-industries-it-use-offers-lessons-for-health-care.aspx</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Tuesday, March 05, 2013</span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670895">HIMSS13: Other Industries' IT Use Offers Lessons for Health Care</a></span></span></h2><div class="byline" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">by Kate Ackerman, iHealthBeat Managing Editor </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">NEW ORLEANS -- The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's annual conference kicked off in New Orleans on Monday with a bang, as a high-school marching band treated attendees to some early-morning music. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Soon after the impromptu concert, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu (D) took the stage to welcome HIMSS13 attendees back to New Orleans; the city served as host to the 2007 HIMSS conference, just 20 months after Hurricane Katrina had a devastating effect on the city. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Landrieu highlighted the progress and recovery New Orleans has made over the last few years, but he also acknowledged that New Orleans and other cities across the U.S. face challenges related to health care. He urged conference attendees to "find a way through technology to bend the cost curve" in health care.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/print/TEC-289789/87-of-Physicians-Say-Quantity-of-EHR-Alerts-Excessive"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/print/TEC-289789/87-of-Physicians-Say-Quantity-of-EHR-Alerts-Excessive</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670897">87% of Physicians Say Quantity of EHR Alerts 'Excessive'</a></span></span></h2><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Chelsea Rice, for HealthLeaders Media</span></i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> , March 5, 2013 </span></span></span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Electronic health records systems are the latest source of information overload.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Nearly one-third of physicians miss electronic notifications of test results in electronic health record systems, according to a research letter published this week in <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">JAMA</span></i>. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Of the 2,590 primary care providers surveyed in the Department of Veterans Affairs by the researchers, 86.9% perceived the quantity of EHR alerts to be excessive, and 69.6% said they received more alerts than they could effectively manage. More than half (55%) of surveyed physicians said current EHR systems made it possible to miss the alerts.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"What stood out was information overload and the easier the systems were to use, you tended to miss [fewer] test results." said Hardeep Singh, MD, MPH, the study's lead author, from the Houston VA Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1656409"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1656409</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670899">An Automated Intervention With Stepped Increases in Support to Increase Uptake of Colorectal Cancer Screening<span class="titleseparator">: </span><span class="subtitle">A Randomized Trial</span></a></span> </span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span class="authornames">Beverly B. Green, MD, MPH; Ching-Yun Wang, PhD; Melissa L. Anderson, MS; Jessica Chubak, PhD, MBHL; Richard T. Meenan, PhD; Sally W. Vernon, PhD; and Sharon Fuller, BA</span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Ann Intern Med</span></i>. <span class="day">5 </span><span class="month">March </span><span class="year">2013</span>;158(5_Part_1):301-311 </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.medpagetoday.com/PracticeManagement/InformationTechnology/37653"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.medpagetoday.com/PracticeManagement/InformationTechnology/37653</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670900">If Practices Don't Change, EHRs Lose Money</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By David Pittman, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Published: March 04, 2013</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The average physician lost nearly $44,000 over 5 years implementing an electronic health record system, a large pilot study found, but the technology itself was just part of the reason.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Just 27% of practices achieved a positive 5-year return on investment -- a number that would rise to 41% with the addition of federal incentives to use EHRs, the study in the March issue of <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Health Affairs</span></i> stated.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But the vast majority of practices lost money because they failed to make operational changes to realize the benefits of EHRs such as ditching paper medical records after adoption, Julia Adler-Milstein, PhD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues wrote.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/print/TEC-289787/EHR-a-MoneyLoser-for-Most-Physicians"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/print/TEC-289787/EHR-a-MoneyLoser-for-Most-Physicians</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670898">EHR a Money-Loser for Most Physicians</a></span></span></h2><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media</span></i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> , March 5, 2013 </span></span></span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Adopting electronic health records appears to be a money-losing proposition for most physicians, especially specialists and those in smaller physician groups.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The average physician would lose $43,743 over five years after adopting EHRs and only 27% of physicians would profit through the transition away from paper records without federal financial aid. And even when the $44,000 in meaningful use incentives are added to the pot, only 41% of physicians would be in the black, according to the study published this month in </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthaffairs.org/" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Health Affairs</span></b></i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The study examined data gleaned from 49 community practices of varying sizes and specialties that were part of the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative, an EHR pilot project. Meaningful use incentives were not in place for the period examined by the study. However, the study authors added the value of the meaningful use incentives on top of their initial projections.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/six-hit-heavy-hitters-announce-interoperability-organization"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/six-hit-heavy-hitters-announce-interoperability-organization</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670901">Six HIT heavy-hitters announce interoperability organization</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Mike Miliard, Managing Editor</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">03/04/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Big news was made at HIMSS13 on Monday when, in an unprecedented collaboration, some health IT heavy-hitters joined forces in an effort to push the needle on interoperability. </span></span></span></div><div class="p2" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In announcing the launch of the CommonWell Health Alliance, executives from Cerner, McKesson, Allscripts, athenahealth, Greenway and RelayHealth touted what they say is a first-of-its-kind organization: a collaboration of rival vendors, uniting to enable care integration and data liquidity. </span></span></span></div><div class="p2" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">At a press conference Monday morning, McKesson chairman and CEO John Hammergren said the independent, not-for-profit organization represents an "industry-led approach" to one of the thorniest problems in health IT. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/when-it-comes-ehrs-installation-does-not-equal-implementation"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/when-it-comes-ehrs-installation-does-not-equal-implementation</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670902">When it comes to EHRs, 'Installation does not equal implementation'</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Diana Manos, Senior Editor</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">03/03/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div class="p1" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">When it comes to your organization successfully adopting electronic health records, it's not just a matter of "going live" with the technology, says Don Harrison, co-leader of the Sunday workshop titled "Solving the Healthcare IT Adoption Dilemma," at the 2013 HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition.</span></span></span></div><div class="p1" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Installation does not equal implementation," says Harrison, founder and CEO of Implementation Management Associates, Inc. Many organizations want to purchase the best technology, but fail to take into account the most important factor for success–human behavior. </span></span></span></div><div class="p1" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If an organization wants to get an exponential return on investment, at the fastest speed possible, they need to shift their thinking from focusing only on time and budget to focusing on human behavior and how to reinforce it, Harrison says. This will involve breaking away from annual, semi-annual or even quarterly reviews linked to financial rewards. Behavioral standards need to be set up, measured, and managers need to reinforce the desired behavior regularly.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/HIMSS13-Kaiser-nurses-key-to-EHRs-45782-1.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/HIMSS13-Kaiser-nurses-key-to-EHRs-45782-1.html</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670903">Kaiser EHR Success Tip: Listen to Nurses</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span class="article-meta-name">Gary Baldwin</span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">MAR 3, 2013 6:47pm ET</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">With its 36 hospitals all at top-rung Stage 7 on the HIMSS EHR adoption scale, Kaiser Permanente knows a thing or two about electronic records. And while having visionaries at the top who champion I.T. is an important part of the program, listening to clinicians in the trenches—particularly nurses—is critical to growth and user acceptance, said Ann O’Brien, R.N., national director clinical informatics, at Kaiser. Speaking before several hundred nurses at the HIMSS Nursing I.T. Symposium in New Orleans on Sunday, March 3, O’Brien noted how in the day to day operation of a hospital, nurses function as a type of “information integrator,” meaning they must pull information from a variety of sources, some digital, some human, in the formulation and delivery of the care plan.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Aside from having nurses in high-level I.T. management roles, Kaiser has taken steps to assure nurse feedback about the way its EHR functions. Nurses were surveyed about their most pressing needs, and the majority said they wanted to quickly access Kaiser’s EHR as they made their rounds. “Nurses would log on 80 to 100 times a day,” O’Brien says.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/03/01/low-income-patients-often-have-trouble-reaching-doctor-via-email"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/03/01/low-income-patients-often-have-trouble-reaching-doctor-via-email</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670904">Low-Income Patients Often Have Trouble Reaching Doctor Via Email</a></span></span></h2><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Health clinics in poorer communities less likely to offer services such as electronic communication</span></span></span></h3><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">March 1, 2013 </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">FRIDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Many low-income patients want to communicate electronically with their doctors but can't because the clinics they use generally do not offer such services, a new study finds.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">An increasing number of health care systems provide online services to patients in order to manage care outside of office visits, and this includes enabling patients to communicate electronically with health care providers.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But this is not available to many poorer patients, according to the study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/electronic-prescribing-surges-45788-1.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/electronic-prescribing-surges-45788-1.html</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670905">Following Government OK, E-Prescribing of Controlled Substances Surges</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/cgi-bin/udt/fdc.collector?client_id=healthdatamanagement&form_id=maileditform&link_id=13"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Joseph Goedert</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">MAR 3, 2013 7:02pm ET</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Electronic prescribing software vendor DrFirst, which integrates with many inpatient and ambulatory clinical information systems, reports strong growth in e-prescribing of controlled substances during 2012 after the federal government approved the practice.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.rand.org/blog/2013/02/the-delayed-promise-of-health-care-it.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.rand.org/blog/2013/02/the-delayed-promise-of-health-care-it.html</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670912">The Delayed Promise of Health-Care IT</a></span></span></h2><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="page-content"></a>by </span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.rand.org/about/people/k/kellermann_arthur.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Arthur L. Kellermann</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">, </span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.rand.org/about/people/j/jones_spencer_s.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Spencer S. Jones</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 26, 2013</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Because information technology (IT) has so quickly transformed people's daily lives, we tend to forget how much things have changed from the not-so-distant past. Today, millions of people around the world regularly shop online; download entire movies, books, and other media onto wireless devices; bank at ATMs wherever they choose; and self-book entire trips and check themselves in at airports electronically. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But there is one sector of our lives where adoption of information technology has lagged conspicuously: health care. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Some parts of the world are doing better than others in this respect. Researchers from the Commonwealth Fund </span></span></span><a href="http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Publications/In-the-Literature/2012/Nov/Survey-of-Primary-Care-Doctors.aspx"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">recently reported</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> that some high-income countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, have made great strides in encouraging the use of electronic medical records (EMR) among primary-care physicians. Indeed, in those countries, the practice is now nearly universal. Yet some other high-income countries, such as the United States and Canada, are not keeping up. EMR usage in America, the home of Apple and Google, stands at only 69%. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></span></span></div><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"></span> <br /><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Enjoy!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">David.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-82399154943120924412013-03-14T22:00:00.000-07:002013-09-27T12:02:40.113-07:00The RAND Corporation Offers A View Of the Future Of Health IT. We Need To Work At It.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This appeared a little while ago.</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670912">The Delayed Promise of Health-Care IT</a></span></h2><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="page-content"></a>by </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="http://www.rand.org/about/people/k/kellermann_arthur.html">Arthur L. Kellermann</a>, </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="http://www.rand.org/about/people/j/jones_spencer_s.html">Spencer S. Jones</a></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">February 26, 2013</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Because information technology (IT) has so quickly transformed people's daily lives, we tend to forget how much things have changed from the not-so-distant past. Today, millions of people around the world regularly shop online; download entire movies, books, and other media onto wireless devices; bank at ATMs wherever they choose; and self-book entire trips and check themselves in at airports electronically. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But there is one sector of our lives where adoption of information technology has lagged conspicuously: health care. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Some parts of the world are doing better than others in this respect. Researchers from the Commonwealth Fund </span><a href="http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Publications/In-the-Literature/2012/Nov/Survey-of-Primary-Care-Doctors.aspx"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">recently reported</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> that some high-income countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, have made great strides in encouraging the use of electronic medical records (EMR) among primary-care physicians. Indeed, in those countries, the practice is now nearly universal. Yet some other high-income countries, such as the United States and Canada, are not keeping up. EMR usage in America, the home of Apple and Google, stands at only 69%. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The situation in the US is particularly glaring, given that health care accounts for a bigger share of GDP than manufacturing, retail, finance, or insurance. Moreover, most health IT systems in use in America today are designed primarily to facilitate efficient billing, rather than efficient care, putting the business interests of hospitals and clinics ahead of the needs of doctors and patients. That is why many Americans can easily go online and check the health of their bank account, but cannot check the results of their most recent lab work. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Another difference between IT in US health care and in other industries is the former's lack of interoperability. In other words, a hospital's IT system often cannot “talk” to others. Even hospitals that are part of the same system sometimes struggle to share patient information. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As a result, today's health IT systems act more like a “frequent flyer card” designed to enforce customer loyalty to a particular hospital, rather than an “ATM card” that enables you and your doctor to access your health information whenever and wherever needed. Ordinarily, lack of interoperability is an irritating inconvenience. In a medical emergency, it can impose life-threatening delays in care. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A third way that health IT in America differs from consumer IT is usability. The design of most consumer Web sites is so obvious that one needs no instructions to use them. Within minutes, a seven year old can teach herself to play a complex game on an iPad. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But a newly hired neurosurgeon with 27 years of education may have to read a thick user manual, attend tedious classes, and accept periodic tutoring from a “change champion” to master the various steps required to use his hospital's IT system. Not surprisingly, despite its theoretical benefits, health IT has few fans among health-care providers. In fact, many complain that it slows them down. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Lots more here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.rand.org/blog/2013/02/the-delayed-promise-of-health-care-it.html">http://www.rand.org/blog/2013/02/the-delayed-promise-of-health-care-it.html</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Especially as we consider what the next Health IT Strategy should look like we need to consider both the scale of the problem and the urgent need to address it for all our sakes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">A good summary of the problem.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-36970199381550995772013-03-13T22:30:00.000-07:002013-09-27T12:02:40.125-07:00The Issue Of Health IT Safety Seems To Be Getting More and More Coverage. A Good Thing I Think.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This appeared a little while ago.</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065355">Ways EHRs can lead to unintended safety problems</a></span></h2><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Wrong records and failures in data transfer impede physicians and harm patients, according to an analysis of health technology incidents.</span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">By </span><a href="http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/site/bio.htm#o%27reilly"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kevin B. O'Reilly</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, amednews staff. <i>Posted Feb. 25, 2013.</i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In spring 2012, a surgeon tried to electronically access a patient’s radiology study in the operating room but the computer would show only a blue screen. The patient’s time under anesthesia was extended while OR staff struggled to get the display to function properly.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">That is just one example of 171 health information technology-related problems reported during a nine-week period to the ECRI Institute PSO, a patient safety organization in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., that works with health systems and hospital associations in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and elsewhere to analyze and prevent adverse events.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Eight of the incidents reported involved patient harm, and three may have contributed to patient deaths, said the institute’s 48-page report, first made privately available to the PSO’s members and partners in December 2012. The report, shared with <i>American Medical News</i> in February, highlights how the health IT systems meant to make care safer and more efficient can sometimes expose patients to harm.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The institute’s report did not rate whether electronic systems were any less safe than the paper records they replaced. The report is intended to alert hospitals and health systems to the unintended consequences of electronic health records.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The leading cause of problems was general malfunctions, responsible for 29% of incidents. For example, following a consultation about a patient’s wounds, a nurse at one hospital tried to enter instructions in the electronic record, but the system would not allow the nurse to type more than five characters in the comment field. Other times, medication label scanning functions failed, or an error message was incorrectly displayed every time a particular drug was ordered. One system failed to issue an alert when a pregnancy test was ordered for a male patient.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A quarter of incidents were related to data output problems, such as retrieving the wrong patient record because the system does not ask the user to validate the patient identity before proceeding. This kind of problem led to incorrect medication orders and in one case an unnecessary chest x-ray. Twenty-four percent of incidents were linked to data-input mistakes. For example, one nurse recorded blood glucose results for the wrong patient due to typing the incorrect patient identification number to access the record.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Most of remaining event reports were related to data-transfer failures, such as a case where a physician’s order to stop anticoagulant medication did not properly transfer to the pharmacy system. The patient received eight extra doses of the medication before it was stopped.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is not enough for physicians and other health care leaders to shop carefully for IT systems, the report said. Ensuring that systems such as computerized physician order entry and electronic health records work safely has to be a continuing concern, said Karen P. Zimmer, MD, MPH, medical director of the ECRI Institute PSO.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Minimizing the unintended consequences of health IT systems and maximizing the potential of health IT to improve patient safety should be an ongoing focus of every health care organization,” she said.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The report recommends that hospitals and clinics conduct extensive tests before using a new electronic system in patient care. They also should incorporate interfaces designed to prevent errors. For example, an interface should not allow alphabetic characters in numeric entry fields. To prevent wrong-record retrievals, systems should require validation of a patient’s identity, such as the patient’s initials, gender and age, before the electronic record is opened.</span></div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rise in EHR safety reports</span></h3><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The institute’s findings are just the latest to draw attention to the safety problems posed by health IT systems, such as EHRs. A December 2012 Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority study found that the number of EHR-related adverse events reported to the authority doubled in just one year, from 555 in 2010 to 1,142 in 2011. A study in February’s <i>Critical Care Medicine</i> showed that three-quarters of physicians’ progress notes for intensive care patients were copy-and-pasted, a practice dubbed “sloppy and paste” that experts say can lead to mistakes in care.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Lots more here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2013/02/25/prsa0225.htm">http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2013/02/25/prsa0225.htm</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This article reports a very important study that reveals that when considering the overall Health IT cost/benefit framework we need to consider both the safety of the technology as well as considering whether the Health IT actually works.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Another take on all this can be found here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/jamia-reduction-in-medication-errors-in.html">http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/jamia-reduction-in-medication-errors-in.html</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This post review the good claimed from CPOE as well as the potential harm that may be noticed.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Well worth a read. All this is making it quite difficult to find clarity - with a firm evidence base - anywhere. More work and better studies are clearly needed.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">To quote the end of the blog from Scot Silverstein:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">“Thus, I agree with the author's conclusion (especially in view of the recent and direct-reporting ECRI PSO study) that <i>"<b>future research in this area will be critically important to inform policy and funding decisions regarding the development and implementation of CPOE in care delivery."</b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">From a clinical perspective, "primum non nocere" and the avoidance of gambling billions of dollars applies, at least until a better understanding of the technology's risk/benefit ratio and how to improve it occurs.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">A fraction of those billions would pay for more robust, current studies on the scale needed to get closer to the truth.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-91970886625879809662013-03-12T22:30:00.000-07:002013-09-27T12:02:40.136-07:00Now This Is Getting Really Silly. I Think Someone Is Rather Out Of Their Depth.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This appeared yesterday.</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Guy Sebastian caught out by stalled patent probe </span></h2><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">by:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Fran Foo</span></cite> </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">From:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/">The Australian</a> </span></cite></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="datestamp">March 12, 2013</span> <span class="timestamp">12:00AM</span> </li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">SINGER Guy Sebastian has weighed in on allegations of patent infringement by the Gillard government's National E-Health Transition Authority. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">MMRGlobal, the US firm investigating NEHTA for alleged patent infringements, was in talks with Sebastian's management team to fund his planned charitable foundation.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">However, discussions have hit a roadblock pending the outcome of the probe, which has been delayed by NEHTA's silence.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"As a recording artist I understand the importance of being able to protect my intellectual property from being pirated around the world," Sebastian said.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In reference to the number of patents under MMR's belt, he added: "What kind of example do we set when our own government ignores intellectual property, including a company's patents already on file in 13 other countries?"</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Early last month, MyMedicalRecords.com, a subsidiary of MMRGlobal, claimed that "both state and federal governments in Australia, through NEHTA, appear to be infringing on patents and other intellectual property issued to MyMedicalRecords.com".</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As reported on March 5 in The Australian, MMR's investigation into the matter has been stymied by NEHTA's lack of follow-up communication.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Lots more here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/guy-sebastian-caught-out-by-stalled-patent-probe/story-fn4htb9o-1226594987626">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/guy-sebastian-caught-out-by-stalled-patent-probe/story-fn4htb9o-1226594987626</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">To me the issue here is that none of these claims have been tested in any Australian tribunal or court and until they are frankly no one is really sure just what rights - if any - the two Australian Patents claimed by MMRGlobal.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Claiming IP ownership on a broad concept such as the Personal Health Record it very different to claiming IP ownership on an original song I believe. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">I think intervention in this case by a popular entertainer is really rather sad and ill-informed.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">However I do also think that the Government, DoHA and NEHTA need to promptly address these claims. Just letting it all drift on with no public comment seems to indicate they are concerned about these claims. I hope that is not true and believe that our concerns should be promptly and officially allayed.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-30317336085963934362013-03-11T22:30:00.000-07:002013-09-27T12:02:40.162-07:00We Look To Be Seeing Very Little Progress In E-Health Standards In Australia. Why Is That I Wonder?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">I hoped onto the Standards Australia e-Health web site a few days ago. I was curious to see what had become of all those Tiger Team standards that were to be delivered to urgently. We started to hear about Tiger Teams in 2011 and they were apparently really rolling later that year.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">See here:</div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Sunday, November 27, 2011</h3><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="8965227317467552178"></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Tiger Teams Are Off And Rolling. To Where Is Really Unclear! </span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">On the 17<sup>th</sup> November, 2011 there was a daylong meeting of the Tiger Team which is working to specify what is to be the Consolidated View of the PCEHR.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">As it happens a kind soul has made available some of the documents that were used / came from this meeting. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">First to provide some context.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">It is intended that the PCEHR will be accessed via an Orion Systems Home Page for that particular patient.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">There will be a space for the usual controls and for a document list at the left of the screen - some patient ID across the top of the screen and the Consolidated View (CV), which will include access to the Shared Health Summary and then a range of Event Summaries (Discharge Summaries, Test Results etc) will be at the right.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">From this point on it would seem the design - which is due to be frozen come November, 30 - would still seem to be rather fluid with a large range of design decisions yet to actually be taken.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The focus of the meeting was on presentation of the clinical information in the screen real estate available - there apparently being confidence the data issues around the contents of all the information were already resolved. Time will tell if this is true.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Buckets more here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://aushealthit.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/tiger-teams-are-off-and-rolling-to.html">http://aushealthit.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/tiger-teams-are-off-and-rolling-to.html</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">(I note in passing what we have from Orion looks nothing like the mock-up that is shown in the picture associated with that blog!)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Moving on to recent standards publications which can be viewed here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.e-health.standards.org.au/Home/Publications.aspx">http://www.e-health.standards.org.au/Home/Publications.aspx</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">For 2013 we seem to have this:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 165.0pt;">ATS 90006.1-2013 <span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1614076" target="_blank">Core discharge summary – Structured document template</a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">For 2012 we have:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 165.0pt;">HB 262 (Rev)-2012<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1507388" target="_blank">Guidelines for messaging between diagnostics providers and health service providers</a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 165.0pt;">TR 5416-2012 <span style="color: red;">NEW</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1507501" target="_blank">Guide to HL7 V2 message parsing and management of character escaping with reference to backward compatibility</a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 165.0pt;">AS 21667-2012<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1604814" target="_blank">Health Indicators Conceptual Framework </a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 165.0pt 451.0pt;">AS 2828.1-2012 <span style="color: red;">NEW</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1533730" target="_blank">Health records - Part 1: Paper-based health records</a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 165.0pt 451.0pt;">AS 2828.2(Int)-2012 <span style="color: red;">NEW</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1533731" target="_blank">Health records - Part 2: Digitized (scanned) health record system requirements</a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 165.0pt 425.45pt;">MP 120-2012 <span style="color: red;">NEW</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1512294" target="_blank">Telehealth: Remote Patient Monitoring - Discussion Paper </a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 165.0pt 425.45pt;">MP 54-2012 <span style="color: red;">NEW</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1516914" target="_blank">Survey of standards environment for telehealth devices </a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 165.0pt;">AS 4700.2-2012<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1602624" target="_blank">Implementation of Health Level Seven (HL7) Version 2.4 - Pathology and diagnostic imaging (diagnostics) </a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">For 2011 we have all these:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 165.0pt;">HB 308 2011<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1496319" target="_blank">Location of digital signatures in HL7 V2 Messages</a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 165.0pt 451.0pt;">AS ISO 27799-2011<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1461737" target="_blank">Information security management in health using ISO/IEC 27002</a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 165.0pt 451.0pt;">ATS ISO 25237-2011<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><a href="http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1466326" target="_blank">Pseudonymization</a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">-----</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Essentially we have seen zilch I can detect from the much ballyhooed Tiger Teams that would actually seem to relate directly to the NEHRS and its associated functions etc…</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Conceptual frameworks and guidelines seem to feature but not much that clearly seems relevant.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Another miss I would suggest. The NEHRS is hardly documented at the Standards level that I can see.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Could it just be that NEHTA and DoHA are utterly clueless when it comes to working with people who are competent and have some ideas other than those coming from the centre?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-56585806329461094752013-03-11T22:00:00.000-07:002013-09-27T12:02:40.174-07:00AusHealthIT Poll Number 158 – Results – 12th March, 2013.<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The question was:</span></div><h1 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Is The Commonwealth Health Department's Approach To E-Health Procurement Appropriate And Viable?</span></h1><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="color: #444444; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sure - They Know What They Are Doing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>7% (4)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="color: #444444; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Somewhere Between The Two Other Choices <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>5% (3)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="color: #444444; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">No - They Are Just Clueless At It <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>86% (51)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="color: #444444; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I Have No Idea <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2% (1)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #444444; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Total votes: 59</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Very interesting! Well that is the clearest outcome is a good while.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Again, many thanks to those that voted! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">David.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-53480960044412108192013-03-10T22:30:00.000-07:002013-09-27T12:02:40.187-07:00Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 11th March, 2013.<div class="MsoNormal">Here are a few I have come across the last week or so.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Note: Each link is followed by a title and a few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.</span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">General Comment</span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">When it came to assembling the week’s report I was surprised just how much interesting stuff there was to report. Rather than rabbiting on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will let you get on and browse. Many of the links are worth a click.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2013/03/07/when-to-hit-abort-on-troubled-projects/">http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2013/03/07/when-to-hit-abort-on-troubled-projects/</a></div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">March 7, 2013, 11:52 AM ET</span></li></ul><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670924">When to Hit Abort on Troubled Projects</a></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">By Matt McWha and Shvetank Shah</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Nearly 30% of the value of a large organization’s IT project portfolio—or roughly $30 million a year—is at risk due to troubled projects that won’t deliver their expected business outcomes. Worse, 20% of IT organizations don’t know whether they have troubled projects or not according to the CEB PMO Leadership Council’s latest research– although it’s pretty safe to assume that they do.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Fixing troubled projects isn’t cheap. There are costs from delayed delivery, expanded project teams, and the use of costly external contractors and consultants. Moreover, troubled projects that should be terminated often aren’t, tying up resources that could be deployed more effectively elsewhere.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">CEB research suggests that effective management of troubled projects can save up to 8% of total annual IT portfolio spending, but most IT organizations never see a dime of these savings because their approach is too narrow and too process-focused.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/stand-off-over-e-health-identifiers">http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/stand-off-over-e-health-identifiers</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670929">Standoff over e-health identifiers</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="publishdate">6 March, 2013</span> <a href="http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/author/Paul%20Smith">Paul Smith</a> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Some GPs are apparently refusing to hand over the e-health identifier numbers that their practices need to claim the ePIP incentive.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The standoff, understood to be largely between contractor GPs and practice owners, appears to be the result of fears among doctors that giving out their <a href="http://www.nehta.gov.au/component/docman/doc_download/1568-getting-your-hpi-isv1017012013" target="_blank">Healthcare Provider Identifier</a> (HPI-I) — a 16-digit code meant to ensure secure e-health communication — will mean they have to sign up to the personally controlled electronic health record system.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Under the new ePIP rules announced last year, practices need to supply the identifiers of all doctors working at the practice to receive the incentive payments, which can be worth up to $50,000 a year for a practice.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.pharmacydaily.com.au/news/pd-breaking-news-accc-approves-erx-medisecure-interoperability/22375">http://www.pharmacydaily.com.au/news/pd-breaking-news-accc-approves-erx-medisecure-interoperability/22375</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670931">PD breaking news – ACCC approves eRx, MediSecure interoperability</a></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Prescription exchanges allowed to communicate.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has just issued a final authorisation which will permit eRx Script Exchange to enter into a contract with MediSecure to facilitate interoperability between the rival pharmaceutical prescription exchange systems.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The move will allow a $10 million government contract to proceed (TD 23 Nov 2012), with the exchanges to each receive $660,000 to undertake the work, and a further $8.3 million available as a “PES Electronic Prescription Fee” which will see an amount ranging from 35c-85c paid to an exchange for each eligible electronic prescription downloaded and dispensed.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/making-a-game-out-of-ehealth-20130304-2ffjx.html">http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/making-a-game-out-of-ehealth-20130304-2ffjx.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670944">Making a game out of e-health</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date March 4, 2013 - 12:45PM </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Cynthia Karena</span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Computer games and home-based self-help should be considered as part of healthcare in Australia, according to those shaping its future.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Healthcare providers, technology suppliers and developers met last week in Melbourne to discuss the challenges and opportunities for patient treatment in the next decade.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">They came up with more issues than answers, but all agreed on the need to connect remote patients with their care providers more efficiently, something proponents of e-health have been hoping the national broadband network will help solve.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A series of healthcare CIO solution roundtables, promoted by the Healthcare Solutions Foundry, sponsored by Cisco, will be held across Australia in the next six months.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.canberratimes.com.au/it-pro/security-it/hospital-upgrades-computer-security-to-prevent-datadoctoring-20130228-2f9lg.html">http://www.canberratimes.com.au/it-pro/security-it/hospital-upgrades-computer-security-to-prevent-datadoctoring-20130228-2f9lg.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670953">Hospital upgrades computer security to prevent data-doctoring</a></span></h2><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Peter Jean and Lisa Cox</span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Canberra Hospital will push ahead with new computer security measures designed to help prevent a repeat of the emergency department data-doctoring scandal.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Hospital executive Kate Jackson last year confessed to altering emergency department performance data and suggested that other people might also have been interfering with the system.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Investigations into the affair were hampered by the staff's widespread use of generic log-ins such as ''nurse'' and ''doctor'' to access the hospital's Emergency Department Information System (EDIS).</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><a href="http://www.racgp.org.au/yourracgp/news/fridayfacts/08-03-2013/">http://www.racgp.org.au/yourracgp/news/fridayfacts/08-03-2013/</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670921">Electronic transfer of prescriptions – update to Medisecure and eRX users</a></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The RACGP supports electronic transfer of prescriptions (eTP) as a prescribing process to reduce transcription errors and increase medicine safety for the community. However, the College has become aware of potentially significant issues in relation to the dispense notifications provided to general practitioners by the two proprietary eTP vendors (Medisecure and eRX). The receiving of dispense notifications is a departure from current clinical practice whereby GPs are generally unaware as to whether or not a prescription has been dispensed, unless advised by the patient at a subsequent visit. Whilst GPs may find it useful to know whether their prescriptions have been dispensed, it requires patient consent to receive or read such notification; this may impact on a GPs duty of care.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.wentwest.com.au/public/ehealth_records_whats_new.asp">http://www.wentwest.com.au/public/ehealth_records_whats_new.asp</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670918">eHealth Records - What's new</a></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">First Australian - 'Shared health summary' uploaded in Sydney's West</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kean-Seng Lim's Medical Practice at Mt Druitt in Sydney's West has recorded another first. This time his medical practice is the first in Australia to upload a 'shared health summary' and an event summary using the PEN Computer Systems PrimaryCare Sidebar.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The MHC Roadshow - (eHealth NEHTA truck) is in town</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The first of two days of visual tours on eHealth commenced at 10am on Monday 25 February in Blacktown. The NEHTA truck tours were very well attended by Western Sydney clinicians, nurses, health practitioners and service providers along with allied health, dental and pharmaceutical organisations and private and public healthcare groups.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The MHC Roadshow is a guided tour for private and public healthcare organisations, it informs and educates healthcare providers on the key elements of eHealth. NEHTA (National EHealth Transition Authority) developed the Model Healthcare (MHC) installation to explain the eHealth story to participants - from eHealth initiatives at practices' reception, consultation, specialist, pharmacy, diagnostics, specialist, hospital and back at home.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.6minutes.com.au/news/latest-news/doctor-s-new-%E2%80%98tardis-is-for-telehealth-not-time-lo">http://www.6minutes.com.au/news/latest-news/doctor-s-new-%E2%80%98tardis-is-for-telehealth-not-time-lo</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670933">Doctor’s new ‘tardis’ is for telehealth, not Time Lords</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="publishdate">6 March, 2013</span> <a href="http://www.6minutes.com.au/author/Sam%20Lee">Sam Lee</a> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A ‘Doctor’ in a blue box has been materialising in parts of the US, but Daleks have nothing to fear because the phone-box-like kiosks are telehealth stations rather than anything to do with time travel.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The tech company HealthSpot (healthspot.net) has been pioneering the new standalone kiosks as a way of combining telehealth with tools of the doctor’s trade such as stethoscopes BP monitors, dermoscopes and pulse oximeters.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The futuristic blue plastic kiosks are designed for people who can’t access their usual doctor, and they contain a videoconferencing screen and a range of remotely operated medical equipment to allow a doctor to perform many basic investigations while interacting with the patient by video link.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://ehealthspace.org/news/radiology-data-trawling-will-save-lives">http://ehealthspace.org/news/radiology-data-trawling-will-save-lives</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670916">Radiology data trawling will save lives</a></span> </h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="submitted">Posted Wed, 06/03/2013 - 13:23 by Fran Molloy</span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah is an infectious diseases physician at Peter Mac Callum Cancer Centre in Melbourne who is working on an inspiring eHealth project with data-mining experts from Australia’s national information technology research body, National ICT Australia (NICTA).</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The team’s innovative new project has global implications and can be used by any hospital with a CT scanner with a radiology department that generates text reports.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The research is due to be published this year with papers submitted to several major international journals.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The research team includes clinicians and IT experts who have developed a technique to monitor a potentially deadly mould infection, invasive aspergillosis, using the text used in radiology reports.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.futuregov.asia/events/futurehealth-forum-australia-2013/">http://www.futuregov.asia/events/futurehealth-forum-australia-2013/</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670930">Ahead of the Curve – Delivering 21st Century Healthcare</a></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Under sweeping reforms to Australia’s healthcare system, the Federal government is rolling out an ambitious <span class="caps">AUD</span> $233.7 million Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (<span class="caps">PCEHR</span>) Programme. The <span class="caps">PCERHR</span> lays the foundations for healthcare reforms – including moves to streamlining e-health services nationally.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The <span class="caps">PCEHR</span> and related e-health reforms are under the spotlight. Debate is growing about ways to streamline healthcare. Additionally, Australia’s over-stretched hospitals, medical facilities, and community care services are under pressure to modernise infrastructure – while using the best-available technology to deliver anywhere, any-time services.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Reports warn that Australia faces a serious healthcare crisis as the population ages – placing new pressures on healthcare and aged service providers to deliver quality care. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nehta.gov.au/media-centre/feature-story/1005-rollout-of-the-pcehr-bulletin-feb-2013-update">http://www.nehta.gov.au/media-centre/feature-story/1005-rollout-of-the-pcehr-bulletin-feb-2013-update</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670950">Rollout of the PCEHR Bulletin - Feb 2013 Update</a></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">28 February 2013. The February 2013 bulletin Roll out of the PCEHR produced by the Department of Health and Ageing provides an update on consumer registrations, software updates, assisted registration information and more.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Find out about the new eHealth record links where organisations can download for free an eHealth badge to place on their website to allow visitors to click on the link and be directed to <a href="http://www.ehealth.gov.au/" target="_parent">www.ehealth.gov.au.</a></span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="http://www.nehta.gov.au/component/docman/doc_download/1610-rollout-of-the-pcehr-bulletin-feb-2013-update"> Rollout of the PCEHR Bulletin - Feb 2013 Update (<span class="small"><span style="color: blue;">369.01 kB</span></span>)</a></li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nehta.gov.au/media-centre/feature-story/1009--another-successful-model-healthcare-community-tour">http://www.nehta.gov.au/media-centre/feature-story/1009--another-successful-model-healthcare-community-tour</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670945">Another successful Model Healthcare Community Tour!</a></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">4 March 2013. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">After a small break over the new year the Model Healthcare Community roadshow kicked off again in February in Penrith and Blacktown, NSW. The interest in the tours was outstanding with over 300 local healthcare providers registering to attend. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The MHC Roadshow is a guided tour designed to inform and educate the health workforce on the key elements of eHealth and NEHTA's foundation programs. Since the tours began last March more than 2340 healthcare providers have attended from 34 towns across Australia. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="http://ehealthinfo.gov.au/model-healthcare-community/mhc-roadshow-demonstrations" target="_parent"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">More information </span></a></li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.zdnet.com/au/byo-ipads-not-the-best-medicine-for-st-vincents-hospital-7000012177/">http://www.zdnet.com/au/byo-ipads-not-the-best-medicine-for-st-vincents-hospital-7000012177/</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">BYO iPads not the best medicine for St Vincent's Hospital</span></h2><div class="summary" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Summary: St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, is dipping its toes in BYOD, but conflicts with Microsoft and Apple compatibility will make it tough.</span></div><div class="meta" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">By <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/meet-the-team/au/josh.taylor/">Josh Taylor</a> | March 6, 2013 -- 03:29 GMT (14:29 AEST) </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">As St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne completes a major overhaul of its virtual desktop infrastructure, the hospital's IT division has said it is difficult to get many of its applications to work on tablets and smartphones.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne has three sites, with 5,000 staff members and 800 beds. In addition to emergency care, the hospital also has an aged care facility, a hospice, and a number of satellite clinics for community care.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The hospital's IT division is set to link up and become part of a national IT group with other St Vincent's hospitals down the track, but the Melbourne hospital still has local governance under the direction of recently appointed CIO Simon Richardson.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670932">HealthLink Referrals Now Used by 93% of Wellington’s GPs</a> </span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Dear Colleague,</div><div class="MsoNormal">I thought you might be interested in this video which has been produced in conjunction with Wellington’s GPs, 93% of whom have now used their new electronic referrals system. As you will see, Wellington’s GPs are extremely enthusiastic about their new system which is transforming the transfer of care between health providers and hospitals.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://youtu.be/qwIa7rg5hzI">http://youtu.be/qwIa7rg5hzI</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">The main objectives were: to remove the potential for loss or misplacing of incoming referrals and to streamline the patient registration process. This has certainly been achieved and sending electronic hospital referrals has now become a standard business process for nearly all of Wellington’s GPs.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/455533/ibm_watson_will_eventually_fit_smartphone_diagnose_illness/">http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/455533/ibm_watson_will_eventually_fit_smartphone_diagnose_illness/</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670939">IBM: Watson will eventually fit on a smartphone, diagnose illness</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Next up for IBM's supercomputer, passing the physicians licensing exam</div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l6 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/author/989982425/lucas-mearian/articles">Lucas Mearian</a> (Computerworld (US))</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l6 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">05 March, 2013 18:42</li></ul><div class="MsoNormal">IBM's Jeopardy!-winning supercomputer, Watson, may have started out the size of a master bedroom, but it will eventually shrink to the size of a smart phone, its inventors say.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The supercomputer is currently performing "residencies" at several hospitals around the country, offering its data analytics capabilities for diagnosing and suggesting patient treatments.</div><div class="MsoNormal">IBM is also working to program Watson so that it can pass the <a href="http://www.usmle.org/">U.S. Medical Licensing Examination</a>. Yes, the "Dr. Watson" moniker used in the media will someday be applicable.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Even today, a Watson supercomputer with the same computational capabilities as the system that took on Jeopardy!'s all-time champions, is a fraction of its former size. And, the smaller Watson is almost two-and-a-half times faster than the original system, according to Dan Pelino, general manager of IBM's Global Healthcare & Life Sciences business.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=5035682&srchIndex=4">http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=5035682&srchIndex=4</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670936">Change Analyst</a></span> </h2><div class="company-location" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="miniprofile-container"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/companies/349947?dspporc=&trk=jobtocomp">NEHTA </a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- <span class="location">Brisbane Area, Australia </span></span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670937"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Job Description</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Change Analyst</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The National E-Health Transition Authority Limited (NEHTA) was established by the Australian, State and Territory governments to develop better ways of electronically collecting and securely exchanging health information. NEHTA is the lead organisation supporting the national vision for e-health in Australia. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">NEHTA’s Adoption Benefits and Change team are driving change initiatives across the healthcare sector. The key change projects support the delivery of benefits to the health sector in a range of areas including improved coordination of care, enhanced continuity of care, improved medication management and the delivery of sustainable components that integrate with the national infrastructure. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Reporting to the Change Lead, the Change Specialist will form an integral part of the team, working with external stakeholders and teams assisting to develop and implement change plans and workshops. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://telecareaware.com/mmrglobal-ip-infringement-lawsuits-allegations-continue/">http://telecareaware.com/mmrglobal-ip-infringement-lawsuits-allegations-continue/</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://telecareaware.com/mmrglobal-ip-infringement-lawsuits-allegations-continue/"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: _Toc350670949;">MMRGlobal IP infringement lawsuits, allegations continue</span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc350670949;"></span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670949"></a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://telecareaware.com/2013/02/">February 20, 2013 </a>| <span class="author">By: <a href="http://telecareaware.com/author/DonnaCusano/">Donna Cusano</a></span> | </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Personal Health Record (PHR) patent holder and penny-stock company <b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">MMRGlobal</span></b> [<a href="http://telecareaware.com/not-quite-a-patent-troll-but-a-view-of-an-endgame/" target="_blank" title="Not quite a ‘patent troll’ but a view of an endgame?">TA 10 Feb</a>] continues to keep law firms in the US, Australia and now Singapore very busy with various complaints of patent infringement, demanding monetary damages, a permanent injunction and presumably, a lucrative licensing deal. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Last week, MMRG filed in US District Court, Central District of California <a href="http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=178404&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1784211&highlight=" target="_blank">against health giant <b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">WebMD</span></b></a> for their online PHR, claiming that from meetings dating back to 2007, WebMD incorporated “features and functionality that are the subject of MMR’s patents”. <a href="http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=178404&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1786180&highlight=" target="_blank">Today’s MMRG press release</a> now highlights the <b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Singapore Ministry of Health</span></b> (with associated health agencies)<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">, </span></b>which MMRG alleges uses PHR vendors which violate various patents–which just happen to be owned by MMRG in Singapore. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Singapore Government’s alleged violations were ‘discovered’ as a result of the investigation of neighbor Australia’s<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> Nehta’s </span></b>alleged patent infringements.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=178404&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1786180&highlight">http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=178404&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1786180&highlight</a>=</div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670948"><span class="ccbnttl">MMRGlobal Investigates Possible Patent Infringement in Singapore</span></a></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKETWIRE) -- 02/19/13 -- <a href="http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=987188&id=2632618&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fmmrglobal.com%2f">MMRGlobal, Inc.</a> (OTCQB: MMRF) today announced that as a result of recent publicity, it has been brought to the Company's attention that vendors providing services to the Ministry of Health in Singapore appear to be infringing on patents (including Singapore patent number 200801954) and other Intellectual Property (collectively, the "MMR-IP") issued to MyMedicalRecords, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of MMRGlobal. The Company has been advised that personally-controlled health records, or <a href="http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=987188&id=2632621&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.mmrvideos.com%2f">Personal Health Records</a> (PHRs), are included in programs for the Ministry of Health, the Health Promotion Board, the Health Sciences Authority and numerous other organizations in Singapore, which the Company believes is clearly part of MMR's inventions that led to its MyMedicalRecords patents. The discovery came as a result of the Company's investigations in Australia, which were reported in recent announcements that the Australian Government, both state and federal, through the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA), appears to be infringing on two MyMedicalRecords patents. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/us-firm-accuses-nehta-of-delays-in-patent-infringement-probe/story-e6frgakx-1226590257738">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/us-firm-accuses-nehta-of-delays-in-patent-infringement-probe/story-e6frgakx-1226590257738</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670946">US firm accuses NEHTA of delays in patent infringement probe</a></span> </h2><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">by:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Fran Foo</span></cite> </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">From:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/">The Australian</a> </span></cite></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="datestamp">March 05, 2013</span> <span class="timestamp">12:00AM</span> </li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">THE National E-Health Transition Authority has been accused of dragging its feet as a US firm tries to conclude its investigation into alleged patent infringements by the agency. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Early last month, MyMedicalRecords.com, a subsidiary of MMRGlobal, had claimed that "both state and federal governments in Australia, through NEHTA, appear to be infringing on patents and other intellectual property issued to MyMedicalRecords.com".</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">MMRGlobal chief executive Robert Lorsch previously said the probe should be completed no later than the end of last month.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/csiro-developing-sensors-to-taste-disease-by-phone/story-fn4htb9o-1226590259543">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/csiro-developing-sensors-to-taste-disease-by-phone/story-fn4htb9o-1226590259543</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670943">CSIRO developing sensors to 'taste' disease by phone</a></span> </h2><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">by:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Chris Griffith</span></cite> </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">From:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/">The Australian</a> </span></cite></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="datestamp">March 05, 2013</span> <span class="timestamp">12:00AM</span> </li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">DIAGNOSING diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis in the developing world could be radically improved by a sensor attached to a mobile phone being developed by Australian researchers. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Leader of CSIRO's Medical Devices Stream, Scott Martin, said 20 researchers were building a phone-attached miniature sensor capable of detecting an array of bacterial diseases using a breath sample or urine sample. It would be used in countries without adequate pathology services.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Dr Martin said the sensor contained inkjet-printed material with an electrical resistance that changed depending on the sample.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Given the lack of even 3G data services in developing countries, the phone will not be used primarily for transmitting data but for displaying test results and advising health professionals of treatments and suitable pharmaceuticals based on the findings.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/david-gonski-answers-singtels-call/story-fn91v9q3-1226589020144">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/david-gonski-answers-singtels-call/story-fn91v9q3-1226589020144</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670951">David Gonski answers SingTel's call</a></span> </h2><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">by:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">ANDREW WHITE</span></cite> </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="source-prefix">From:</span> <cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/">The Australian</a> </span></cite></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span class="datestamp">March 03, 2013</span> <span class="timestamp">12:00AM</span> </li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">FUTURE Fund chairman David Gonski has joined the board of Optus parent Singapore Telecommunications, renewing his ties with business in the island state as the No 2 Australian phone company gears up for mobile spectrum auctions next month. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The well-connected Mr Gonski joins another Australian former investment banker, AMP chairman Peter Mason, on the board of SingTel, which gets two-thirds of its revenue from the Optus fixed line and mobile phone business in Australia.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is set kick off auctions for the latest generation of mobile spectrum, 4G, next month amid expectations the phone companies will have to pay up to $3 billion in licence fees.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">N.B - David Gonski is also NEHTA’s Chairman.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/experts-wary-of-ecigarettes-as-test-run-looms-20130304-2ffv0.html">http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/experts-wary-of-ecigarettes-as-test-run-looms-20130304-2ffv0.html</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670934">Experts wary of e-cigarettes as test run looms</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date: March 4, 2013 </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/technology/by/Asher-Moses">Asher Moses</a></span></h3><h4 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Technology Editor</span></h4><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The first Australian clinical trial of e-cigarettes as quit-smoking tools will kick off this year with support for the devices building, but the government and some public health experts remain wary.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">E-cigarettes are battery-powered electronic tubes that simulate the effects of smoking by evaporating a liquid solution into nicotine vapour. Some of the cheaper ones mimic the look of traditional cigarettes – complete with glowing tip – but they produce only vapour, no smoke or ash.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">While none have been approved for sale as a therapeutic good, the devices are legally available in Australia. However, the nicotine solution is not available because nicotine is classified as a scheduled poison, so users are forced to order them online from unregulated overseas stores.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/broadband-blues-thousands-stuck-in-the-slow-lane-20130307-2fmw4.html">http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/broadband-blues-thousands-stuck-in-the-slow-lane-20130307-2fmw4.html</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350670920">Broadband blues: thousands stuck in the slow lane</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date March 7, 2013 </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Asher Moses</span></h3><h4 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Technology Editor</span></h4><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Hundreds of thousands of Australians, even in capital cities, are unable to access quality home broadband due to ageing infrastructure and black spots, leading to calls for the government to change the NBN rollout to reach these areas first.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">After publishing <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/internet-black-holes-blamed-on-telstra-20130304-2fgs9.html">a story on internet black spots</a> earlier this week, Fairfax Media has been contacted by dozens of people – in both capital cities and regional areas – who were denied broadband due to issues such as a lack of ADSL ports at their local exchange.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Experts have blamed Telstra for failing to upgrade creaking infrastructure because the NBN will limit the return it can get on its investment. Meanwhile many of those without broadband face over three years on dialup or expensive and patchy wireless plans as they are not part of the early NBN rollout.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Enjoy!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">David.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-16036838677344616502013-03-09T21:00:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.207-07:00Here Is An Opportunity To Possibly Make A Difference To Australia’s E-Health Future. Grasp It.<div class="MsoNormal">After a little hunting around I have confirmed that there is definitely a revamp of the National E-Health Strategy being undertaken - as mentioned by the Pharmacy Guild President last week</div><div class="MsoNormal">See here:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/opinion/future-of-e-health-hinges-on-election-result">http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/opinion/future-of-e-health-hinges-on-election-result</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Word is that there is a pretty tight deadline, given that - despite what the pollies say - we are rapidly running up towards a Federal Election on September 14, 2013. Indeed in the article cited it is made clear that there will be major electoral influences on the direction after that date!</div><div class="MsoNormal">The reason I am discussing all this is because of three things:</div><div class="MsoNormal">1. There are a lot of readers of this blog who have direct access to DoHA etc. who will have commissioned this work.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2. The overall readership of this blog has the best, on the ground, understanding of what is working, what is not, and what we should do next and what we should scrap / modify / defer.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3. Over the last year or two the quality and scope of comments on this blog has been genuinely spectacular in terms of wisdom, insight and practicality.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The bottom line is that those who bother to assemble and upload a few ideas, suggestions can be assured they will be assessed and considered in the now underway process.</div><div class="MsoNormal">For me the following issues are the key ones.</div><div class="MsoNormal">1. How can we make governance of the e-Health actually take notice of all relevant stakeholders and how can be put in place sensible, dynamic leadership of the overall endeavour?</div><div class="MsoNormal">2. How will we be able to assess of what has been done to date in the e-Health domain what has worked and needs to be sustained, what needs to be modified and what needs to be simply canned? Once determined how will these decisions be actioned? What will be the best way to preserve and extend the successful initiatives?</div><div class="MsoNormal">3. How can we obtain real engagement of clinicians in the development and shaping of what is done in the future to ensure investment is made to achieve real positive outcomes for patients rather than the token consultation we have so often seen to date?</div><div class="MsoNormal">4. How can we get in place a real focus on ensuring that all e-Health interventions are actually evidence based?</div><div class="MsoNormal">5. How can we prevent hollowing out of the private vendor community via re-design of procurement and delivery processes?</div><div class="MsoNormal">6. How can we re-energise, support, foster and re-empower the Health IT Standards development processes?</div><div class="MsoNormal">7. How can we best take advantage of what has and is being learnt about the issues and difficulties associated with e-Health implementation in the real world as well as the issues around usability, Health IT Safety around the world? (2 pages outlining international trends hardly cuts it!)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Enough from me. Over to you to let us all know what you think! Remember this is probably a once in a five year period opportunity - given the last revision was 2008!</div><div class="MsoNormal">David.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-2232676397777103142013-03-08T21:00:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.268-07:00Weekly Overseas Health IT Links - 9th March, 2013.<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Here are a few I have come across last week. </span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Note: Each link is followed by a title and few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/02/28/skype-revolutionizing-mental-health-care/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/02/28/skype-revolutionizing-mental-health-care/</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065345">Skype revolutionizing mental health care</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By </span></span><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/archive/author/Dr.-Keith-Ablow/index.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Dr. Keith Ablow</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><div class="published" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Published February 28, 2013</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span class="org">| FoxNews.com</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Quietly, with almost no headlines, Skype has revolutionized the practice of psychiatry and psychology. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Doctors all over America are now meeting with their patients via Skype, instead of in person. And this may be just the beginning.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Skype has folded down the walls of psychiatrists’ offices. It is allowing patients who previously would not have had access to talented mental health professionals in states far away from them, or to those literally in other countries, or to those 100 miles away, to choose from many of them. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It has dissolved some of the resistance to getting help from people who were loathe to drive an hour to see their therapists, then spend another hour talking, then drive an hour back to work or home. Now, they can turn on their laptops, sit in their offices or living rooms and get to the bottom of what is limiting them.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.drugstorenews.com/article/prescribers-continue-show-preference-paper-prescription-pads-despite-e-prescribing-advances-?ad=supplier-news"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.drugstorenews.com/article/prescribers-continue-show-preference-paper-prescription-pads-despite-e-prescribing-advances-?ad=supplier-news</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065346">Prescribers continue to show preference for paper prescription pads despite e-prescribing advances, study finds</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">MediScripts study finds most physicians wired for e-prescribing still use pen and paper</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 28, 2013 | By </span></span><a href="http://www.drugstorenews.com/alaric-dearment"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Alaric DeArment</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, N.J. — Despite all the promises of e-prescribing, in the land of the newfangled, the old-fashioned still reigns supreme, according to a new study.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The study, by point-of-prescription advertising company MediScripts, found that handwritten prescriptions continued to outpace e-prescribing by more than 60% in 2012. The company said the high volume of MediScripts prescription pad use demonstrated continued physician preference for pen and paper, but use of electronic medical record software has shown increased uptake.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.medpagetoday.com/PracticeManagement/Medicolegal/37598"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.medpagetoday.com/PracticeManagement/Medicolegal/37598</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065356">Better Safeguards Urged for Medical Records</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By Kathleen Struck, Senior Editor, MedPage Today</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Published: February 28, 2013</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Hacking into patient medical records can be as easy as tapping into a hospital's unsecured wireless network from a laptop in the parking lot.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Government auditors proved it "by sitting in hospital parking lots with simple laptop computers" and obtaining "patient information from unsecured hospital wireless networks," according to Julie K. Taitsman, M.D., J.D., and colleagues from the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Healthcare providers should follow best practices to ensure that computer networks are more secure," they wrote online in a Perspective piece in the <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">New England Journal of Medicine</span></i>.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/intermountain-deloitte-put-data-work"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/intermountain-deloitte-put-data-work</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065357">Intermountain, Deloitte put data to work</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Bernie Monegain, Editor</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/28/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Deloitte, which bills itself as the world's largest health consultancy, and Intermountain Healthcare, known around the world for its pioneering work in healthcare informatics, are teaming up to help transform healthcare. The tools: brain power, experience, new technology and vast amounts of data – two trillion unique medical data elements, collected over 40 years. The goal: sharing the insights derived from mining and analyzing the Intermountain data with physicians, hospitals, manufacturers, vendors and payers across the country.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In a recently forged five-year-deal, </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/press-release/deloitte-intermountain-forge-alliance-around-big-data-and-analytics"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">announced February 28</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">, Deloitte and Intermountain will work together to tap the data Intermountain has accumulated – going back to the1970s. Because of the longitudinal nature of the clinical and financial data amassed from Intermountain’s 22 hospitals and 200 clinics, it is particularly effective for medical studies and analyzing optimal treatments for many health conditions, the partners say.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/5-ways-hospitals-can-use-data-analytics"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/5-ways-hospitals-can-use-data-analytics</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065358">5 ways hospitals can use data analytics</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Kelsey Brimmer, Associate Editor, Healthcare Finance News</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/28/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">When it comes to healthcare analytics, hospitals and health systems can benefit most from the information if they move towards understanding the analytic discoveries, rather than just focusing on the straight facts.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">George Zachariah, a consultant at Dynamics Research Corporation in Andover, Mass., explains the top five ways hospital systems can better use health analytics in order to get the most out of the information.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/wanted-simpler-easier-use-ehrs"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/wanted-simpler-easier-use-ehrs</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065359">Wanted: Simpler, easier to use EHRs</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Mike Miliard, Managing Editor</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/28/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Adoption of electronic health records continues to make inroads, with six in 10 healthcare providers having at least part of an </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/directory/electronic-health-record-ehr" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">EHR</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> system in place, according to the fourth annual "Healthcare IT Insights and Opportunities" survey from IT trade association CompTIA. Still, satisfaction with most systems is lacking.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">CompTIA polled 375 doctors, dentists and other care providers, and found a satisfaction rate averaging in the low 60s – indicating "acceptable performance," but leaving much room for improvement, researchers say.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Among their complaints, providers say they want better ease of use, improved </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/directory/interoperability" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">interoperability</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> with other systems, faster speeds, more vendor training and improved remote access and mobility features.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/EHI/8420/patient-guidance-for-records-access"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/EHI/8420/patient-guidance-for-records-access</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065360">Patient guidance for records access</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">28 February 2013 Rebecca Todd </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Guidance for patients on how to keep their online health records safe has been jointly published by the Department of Health and the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The government has mandated that all patients must have online access to their GP record by March 2015.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.bcs.org/saferecordkeeping" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">‘Keeping your online health and social care records safe and secure’</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> gives advice on what health records are, how to protect them, and how to share them.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The key suggestions are around creating a strong password, protecting devices used to access online records, and thinking carefully before choosing to share a health record with others.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/EHI/8417/lives-not-improved-by-telehealth"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/EHI/8417/lives-not-improved-by-telehealth</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065361">Lives not improved by telehealth</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">27 February 2013 Lis Evenstad </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Telehealth does not improve quality of life for patients with long-term conditions, according to a new report on the Whole Systems Demonstrator programme.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The </span></span></span><a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f653" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">paper</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">, published in the British Medical Journal, reports on an evaluation of the three WSD pilot sites in Kent, Cornwall and Newham.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">These were set up by the Department of Health to find evidence to support the use of telehealth and telecare technology.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/telehealth-doesnt-boost-quality-life-researchers-say/2013-03-01"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/telehealth-doesnt-boost-quality-life-researchers-say/2013-03-01</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065347">Telehealth doesn't boost quality of life, researchers say</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">March 1, 2013 | By Dan Bowman</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Despite </span></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/report-telehealth-reach-18-million-globally-2017/2013-01-22" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">projections that 1.8 million patients worldwide will be treated via telehealth by 2017</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> and </span></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/statewide-telehealth-efforts-gaining-momentum/2013-02-04" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">increasing legislation in the U.S.</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> to push such efforts, a team of British researchers has found that, at least for patients with chronic conditions, telehealth isn't all that effective.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The researchers, whose </span></span></span><a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f653" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">work</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> was published this week in <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">BMJ</span></i>, followed more than 1,500 patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes or hear failure over the course of a year who used telehealth, as implemented by the Whole System Demonstrator Evaluation. They found that, when compared to patients who received regular care without telehealth equipment, there were no significant improvements in reported quality of life or anxiety or depression symptoms.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/critics-take-aim-obamas-proposed-brain-mapping-project/2013-02-28"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/critics-take-aim-obamas-proposed-brain-mapping-project/2013-02-28</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065362">Critics take aim at Obama's proposed brain-mapping project</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 28, 2013 | By Susan D. Hall</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Not everyone applauds President Obama's plan to invest $3 billion to </span></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/obama-administration-wants-map-human-brain/2013-02-19" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">map the human brain</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Some researchers worry that the project lacks clear goals and, with possible sequestration looming, could consume money that could fund a series of smaller projects, </span></span></span><a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2013/02/why-some-scientists-arent-happy-about-obamas-3-billion-brain-research-plan/62258/" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">according</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> to an article in <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">The Atlantic</span></i>. University of California-Berkeley biologist Michael Eisen, for one, has argued against such so-called "Big Science" projects since his involvement with the huge "junk" DNA research project ENCODE, the article says.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://ehrintelligence.com/2013/02/26/as-hie-expands-is-it-time-for-national-patient-identifiers/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://ehrintelligence.com/2013/02/26/as-hie-expands-is-it-time-for-national-patient-identifiers/</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065363">As HIE expands, is it time for national patient identifiers?</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Author Name <b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Jennifer Bresnick</span></b> | Date <b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">February 26, 2013</span></b> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">We all have social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and financial identification numbers that help standardize many of our most vital interactions and trace our activities back to a single, authorized source. We even use our email addresses, Facebook accounts, and Twitter handles to establish our identities in the virtual world, and most of those use passwords that aren’t anywhere near as secure as we think. So why don’t we have a national patient identification (NPI) number that ties us to the most important aspect of our lives: our health? </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Meg Aranow, Principal at Aranow Consulting, LLC, thinks we should. Writing as a guest on </span></span><a href="http://geekdoctor.blogspot.com/2013/02/its-time-for-national-patient-identifier.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i>Life as a Healthcare CIO</i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">, a popular blog by Dr. John Halamka, Aranow feels that the privacy risks are outweighed by the rewards of a single ID number to unify clinical records, especially as more and more providers join </span></span><a href="http://ehrintelligence.com/glossary/health-information-exchange/" title="Glossary: Health Information Exchange"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">health information exchanges</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"> and EHR information is shuttled back and forth across disparate systems.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065370">CPOE Cuts Medication Errors By 48%, Says Study</a></span> </span></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But it's still unclear whether the computerized ordering systems actually reduce harm to patients.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">By Ken Terry, </span></span></span><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">InformationWeek </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />February 27, 2013<br />URL: </span></span></span><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/cpoe/cpoe-cuts-medication-errors-by-48-says-s/240149593"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/cpoe/cpoe-cuts-medication-errors-by-48-says-s/240149593</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Ordering medications through a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system decreases the likelihood of medication errors by 48%, according to a </span></span><a href="http://jamia.bmj.com/content/early/2013/01/27/amiajnl-2012-001241.full"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">new paper</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"> in the <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association</span></i>. Projected nationwide, this means that CPOE averted about 17.4 million errors in 2008, the year of the study. However, the authors note, "It is unclear whether this translates into reduced harm for patients." </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The study included a meta-analysis of nine papers that compared the medical error rates in hospitals before and after their adoption of CPOE. In addition, the researchers used national data on CPOE prevalence, medication ordering and medication errors for 2008, or data that were deemed reflective of that year. </span></span></span><a href="http://adserver.adtechus.com/?adlink/5242/1257926/0/16/AdId=-3;BnId=0;itime=97685811;key=240149593+healthcare+/healthcare/cpoe/cpoe-cuts-medication-errors-by-48-says-s/24;" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><img alt="AdTech Ad" border="0" height="1" src="file:///C:\Users\David\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif" width="1" /></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fierceemr.com/story/physician-awareness-health-information-exchange-lacking/2013-02-25"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fierceemr.com/story/physician-awareness-health-information-exchange-lacking/2013-02-25</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065373">Physician awareness of health information exchange lacking</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 25, 2013 | By Marla Durben Hirsch</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Physicians are interested in electronic sharing of health information, but their awareness of and adoption of health information exchange varies significantly based on practice size, according to a new </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/providerfocusgroupsynthesis_02_08_13.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">report</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> released by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The report, prepared by NORC at the University of Chicago for ONC, conducted focus groups with 68 physicians in five states. The researchers found that 55 percent of physicians in smaller practices had some expertise with exchanging clinical data electronically, such as e-prescribing, compared to 76 percent of large practice physicians.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fierceemr.com/story/ehr-based-model-predicts-serious-decline-icu/2013-02-27"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fierceemr.com/story/ehr-based-model-predicts-serious-decline-icu/2013-02-27</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065374">EHR-based model predicts serious decline in ICU</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 27, 2013 | By Susan D. Hall</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">An EHR-based model was more effective in predicting intensive care unit cardiopulmonary arrest or death than prior risk models, including one based on human judgment, according to a </span></span></span><a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6947-13-28.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">study</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> published at <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making</span></i>.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The study, from Parkland Hospital in Dallas, looked at predictors for cardiopulmonary arrest, acute respiratory compromise and unexpected death, known as RED events, using data from the previous 24 hours. That data included vital signs, laboratory data, physician orders, medications, high-risk floor assignment, and the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), among other treatment variables.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/himss-2013-special-preview-issue/2013-02-27-0"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/himss-2013-special-preview-issue/2013-02-27-0</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065375">HIMSS 2013: Interoperability, predictive analytics on tap</a></span> </span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 27, 2013 | By Gienna Shaw</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Today we're publishing two issues of <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">FierceHealthIT</span></i>. In this special edition, we preview next week's Health Information and Management Systems Society's annual conference in New Orleans--the big daddy of all things health IT. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We are well-aware that your inboxes are loaded--I know mine is--but I hope you'll enjoy and find value in both editions of <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">FierceHealthIT</span></i> today, whether you're attending the show or not.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.clinical-innovation.com/topics/analytics-quality/more-ehr-research-needed-prevent-diagnostic-errors"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.clinical-innovation.com/topics/analytics-quality/more-ehr-research-needed-prevent-diagnostic-errors</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065376">More EHR research needed to prevent diagnostic errors</a></span> </span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By Laura Pedulli</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Feb 26, 2013</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Diagnostic errors can trigger unplanned hospitalizations, return visits or ER visits and put patients at greater health risk. More reviews of EHRs could help providers address the breakdowns causing missed, delayed or wrong diagnoses, according to a <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">JAMA Internal Medicine </span></i>study published on Feb. 25. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Hardeep Singh, MD and his colleagues reached these findings while looking into the causes of 190 diagnostic errors detected in primary care visits at a large Veterans Affairs facility and integrated private healthcare system from Oct. 1, 2006 to Sept. 30, 2007. The most common missed diagnoses included pneumonia (6.7 percent), decompensated congestive heart failure (5.7 percent), cancer (primary) (5.3 percent), and urinary tract infection/pyelonephritis (4.8 percent). </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Breakdowns occurring during the patient-practitioner clinical encounter account for the majority of these errors, and relate to problems with history taking, examination and ordering diagnostic tests for further workup. “Most errors were associated with potential for moderate to severe harm,” the authors stated. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://blogs.computerworld.com/healthcare-it/21812/unfulfilled-promises-health-information-technology"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://blogs.computerworld.com/healthcare-it/21812/unfulfilled-promises-health-information-technology</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065385">The unfulfilled promises of health information technology</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By </span></span><a href="http://blogs.computerworld.com/user/juergen-fritsch"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Juergen Fritsch</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 27, 2013 6:00 AM EST</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A 2005 </span></span></span><a href="http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG408.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">RAND report</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> predicted that widespread use of electronic health records technology would save the US healthcare system at least $81 billion per year. At the time, the vendor-funded report helped drive substantial growth in the electronic health records industry and probably contributed to the federal government making billions of dollars of incentive payments available to physicians and hospitals to adopt and meaningfully use electronic health record (EHR) systems via the </span></span></span><a href="http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/administrative/enforcementrule/hitechenforcementifr.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Realizing that the cost savings and improvements in healthcare delivery are nowhere near what was optimistically predicted in 2005, RAND recently commissioned a </span></span></span><a href="http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/32/1/63.abstract"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">new study</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> to take a fresh new look at the state of health information technology. The new study paints a very different picture and received broad coverage by mainstream news outlets, including “</span></span></span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/business/electronic-records-systems-have-not-reduced-health-costs-report-says.html"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In Second Look, Few Savings From Digital Health Records</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">” by the New York Times in January.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.govhealthit.com/news/forging-future-hie-20"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.govhealthit.com/news/forging-future-hie-20</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065386">HIE 2.0 closer than it might appear</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Tom Sullivan, Editor</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“We’re maturing from HIE 1.0 to HIE 2.0,” Micky Tripathi proclaimed. “We’re in a new world now.”</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A raft of technologies including broadband, cloud computing, cheaper storage, and mobile devices, among others, is driving the transformation. At the same time, market expectations regarding standards of care are changing, as are younger providers’ relationship with health-specific IT. All those factors are also sparking the move toward decentralization and a bottom-up phenomena in which consumers begin asking for electronic access and for those records to be shared across providers.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Another “of the things that’s driving [HIE 2.0] is the limited success of the prior model,” Tripathi, CEO of the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative and chairman of the ONC information exchange working group (IEWG) said during his <b>"</b></span></span></span><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/brianahier/current-state-of-hie"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The State of HIE</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">" keynote before a rare joint meeting of the HIT Policy and Standards committees January 29. “There have been pockets of deep success, but it hasn’t been uniform, and those have been real <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">pockets</span></i> of success with a lot of hard work to get them going.”</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/study-phr-adoption-can-be-influenced-provider-behavior/2013-02-26"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/study-phr-adoption-can-be-influenced-provider-behavior/2013-02-26</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065387">Study: PHR adoption can be influenced by provider behavior</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 26, 2013 | By Ashley Gold</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Adoption of publicly available public health records by consumers has been low due to concerns about data security and accuracy. A possible solution to this is explored in the <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Journal of Medical Internet Research </span></i>in an </span></span></span><a href="http://www.jmir.org/2013/2/e43/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JMedInternetRes+%28Journal+of+Medical+Internet+Research+%28atom%29%29" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">article</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> titled: "If We Offer it, Will They Accept? Factors Affecting Patient Use Intentions of Personal Health Records and Secure Messaging."</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The solution, presented by doctors from Fairfax, Va., and researchers from the Center for Health Information and Decision Systems at the University of Maryland, involves the provision of PHRs by employers pre-populated with patients' health data. This type of technology increasingly is being offered to employees "as a mechanism for greater patient engagement in health and well-being," according to the authors.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/walmart-open-health-screening-kiosks"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/walmart-open-health-screening-kiosks</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065388">Walmart to open health screening kiosks</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Kaiser Health News</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/25/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">By </span></span></span><a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Reporters/ApplebyJ.aspx"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Julie Appleby</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">, KHN Staff Writer</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This story was produced in collaboration with USA Today</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Perched by a computer monitor wedged between shelves of cough drops and the pharmacy in a bustling Walmart, Mohamed Khader taps out answers to questions such as how often he eats vegetables, whether anyone in his family has diabetes and his age.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">He tests his eyesight, weighs himself and checks his blood pressure as a middle-aged couple watches at the blue-and-white SoloHealth station advertising "free health screenings."</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"You may not go to the doctor every year, but you come to Walmart often," says the fit-looking 43-year-old Khader who lives in nearby Ashburn, Va. "I get bored while my wife is shopping. This is a time killer. I’ll come back in two months or so, and track my results." </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/patientslikeme-lands-19m"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/patientslikeme-lands-19m</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065389">PatientsLikeMe lands $1.9M</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Bernie Monegain, Editor</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/25/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Online network PatientsLikeMe has been awarded a $1.9 million grant from the </span></span></span><a href="http://www.rwjf.org/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Robert Wood Johnson Foundation</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> to create what the organizations touts as the "world's first open-participation research platform for the development of patient-centered health outcome measures."</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The platform is part of a new open-science initiative that puts patients at the center of clinical research process in order to make it possible for researchers to pilot, deploy, share and validate new ways to measure diseases. The initiative will be spotlighted today at </span></span></span><a href="http://conferences.ted.com/TED2013/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">TED2013</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> in a presentation by Paul Wicks, PatientsLikeMe's research director and a new TED Fellow.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/print/TEC-289600/HIMSS-Preview-Big-Show-Big-IdeasmdashBig-News"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/print/TEC-289600/HIMSS-Preview-Big-Show-Big-IdeasmdashBig-News</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065396">HIMSS Preview: Big Show; Big Ideas—Big News?</a></span></span></h2><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Scott Mace, for HealthLeaders Media</span></i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> , February 26, 2013 </span></span></span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">They call New Orleans the Big Easy, and next week's Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference, March 3-7 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, will be a chance to enjoy that unique city's style and grace. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But while some will hear a funeral dirge for the way healthcare used to be, others will detect the romping, stomping, second-line beat of technology-fueled change.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It will be big: Former President Bill Clinton will be a keynote speaker, as will political heavyweights Karl Rove and James Carville. As of this writing, I've already been contacted by 152 technology vendors and service providers asking to meet with me at the show.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Aetna Consolidates Health IT Assets </span></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">New Healthagen business unit will sell integrated care coordination, population health management, physician workflow transformation services.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">By Neil Versel, </span></span></span><a href="https://www.informationweek.com/" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">InformationWeek </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />February 25, 2013<br />URL: </span></span></span><a href="https://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/clinical-systems/aetna-consolidates-health-it-assets/240149333"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/clinical-systems/aetna-consolidates-health-it-assets/240149333</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Health insurer Aetna, which has acquired and created a portfolio of health IT companies in recent years, has rolled its IT, population health management, and business incubation assets into a new business unit called Healthagen. The goal, according to the Hartford, Conn.-based company, is to have a common brand for addressing provider and consumer needs in the areas of care coordination, value and greater transparency in healthcare. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The new business unit includes such Aetna holdings as mobile app </span></span></span><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/mobile-wireless/walgreens-tests-mobile-scheduling-app/240004963"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">iTriage</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">, analytics and population health services company Active Health Management, health information exchange provider </span></span></span><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/interoperability/aetna-to-buy-medicity-for-500-million/228600189"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Medicity</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> and home-grown physician workflow transformation tool Practice iQ. The Healthagen name comes from the developer of iTriage, which Aetna bought in 2011. </span></span></span><a href="http://adserver.adtechus.com/?adlink/5242/1257926/0/16/AdId=-3;BnId=0;itime=926035397;key=240149333+healthcare+/healthcare/clinical-systems/aetna-consolidates-health-it-as;" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><img alt="AdTech Ad" border="0" height="1" src="file:///C:\Users\David\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif" width="1" /></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/security-shortages-exacerbating-breaches"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/security-shortages-exacerbating-breaches</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065398">Security shortages exacerbating breaches</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Mike Miliard, Managing Editor</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/25/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The sixth Global Information Security Workforce Study, conducted by (ISC)² shows that a shortage of information security professionals is having an adverse impact on healthcare and other industries, even as vulnerabilities such as mobile devices and </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/directory/social-media" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">social media</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> are on the rise.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The (ISC)² study, conducted in partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton and Frost & Sullivan, examined security practices across many industries. One of its key findings is that more than two-thirds of chief information security officers say they're short-staffed – leading to an increased threat of expensive breaches.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Now, more than ever before, we’re seeing an economic ripple effect occurring across the globe as a result of the dire shortage of qualified information security professionals we’ve been experiencing in recent years," said W. Hord Tipton, executive director of (ISC)² in a statement.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/physician-approaches-hie-vary-widely"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/physician-approaches-hie-vary-widely</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065399">Physician approaches to HIE vary widely</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Anthony Brino, Associate Editor, <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Healthcare Payer News</span></i> and <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Government Health IT</span></i></i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/25/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">What does the average American doctor think about available </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/directory/health-information-exchange-hie" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">health information exchange</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> technologies several years into the </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/directory/meaningful-use" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">meaningful use</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> program?</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">To answer that, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and the Arizona Strategic Enterprise Technology office seperately conducted surveys of providers HIE perspectives and the research produced similar findings.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">What does the average American doctor think about available health information exchange technologies several years into the meaningful use program?</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">To answer that, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and the Arizona Strategic Enterprise Technology office seperately conducted surveys of providers HIE perspectives and the research produced similar findings.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://beckersspine.com/hitmeaningful-useemr/item/15052-onc-launches-stage-2-meaningful-use-education-module"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://beckersspine.com/hitmeaningful-useemr/item/15052-onc-launches-stage-2-meaningful-use-education-module</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065401">ONC Launches Stage 2 Meaningful Use Education Module</a></span> </span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span class="itemauthor">Written by </span></span></span><a href="http://beckersspine.com/hitmeaningful-useemr/itemlist/user/100-anujavaidya"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Anuja Vaidya</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span class="itemauthor"> </span><span class="itemdatecreated">| February 22, 2013 </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has launched a self-paced education module on the "transitions of care" from both a meaningful use and electronic health record technology certification perspective.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/new-algorithm-brings-predictive-modeling-gene-research/2013-02-25"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/new-algorithm-brings-predictive-modeling-gene-research/2013-02-25</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065402">New algorithm brings predictive modeling to gene research</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 25, 2013 | By Susan D. Hall</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Two University of Southern California scientists have created an algorithm to bring gene sequencing closer to clinical use.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The declining cost of gene sequencing, paired with advances in computing power have raised the possibility of more widespread use of genomics to provide personalized medicine. So far, though, cost has been a huge barrier.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The new algorithm, </span></span></span><a href="http://www.nature.com/nmeth/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nmeth.2375.html" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">described</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> in the journal <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Nature Methods, </span></i>helps researchers determine how much DNA to sequence--enough to get the answer, but not too much that would waste time and money.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">As data sets have grown exponentially, new thinking has been required about the mathematical properties of DNA sequencing data, the authors say in an </span></span></span><a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/uosc-ttg022113.php" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">announcement</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">. Their method allows researchers to predict how much can be learned in a large-scale DNA sequencing experiment.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/eric-topol-industry-cant-afford-wait-decades-docs-warm-technology/2013-02-25"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/eric-topol-industry-cant-afford-wait-decades-docs-warm-technology/2013-02-25</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065403">Eric Topol: Docs must adopt health IT more quickly</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 25, 2013 | By Dan Bowman</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The current shift in the healthcare industry to digitize care unquestionably is the biggest shakeup in the history of medicine, according to cardiologist Eric Topol, a professor of genomics at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego and author of "The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care." Still, Topol (right) says, the industry has a ways to go before it will be able to shake its "slow moving" reputation; the public, he adds, will be key to driving that change.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"We need to take initiative and ask our physicians why they're using old tools or sending us for outdated tests," Topol, who is slated to give the Tuesday, March 5 </span></span></span><a href="http://www.himssconference.org/Education/content.aspx?ItemNumber=629&navItemNumber=681" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">keynote address</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> at HIMSS13 in New Orleans, tells <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">FierceHealthIT</span></i> in an exclusive interview. "We need to tell our doctors that we don't want to be in the dark, getting some cookbook recipe for care of one kind of disease or another."</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2013/online-doctor-reviews-not-yet-viewed-as-a-reliable-source-of-information.aspx"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2013/online-doctor-reviews-not-yet-viewed-as-a-reliable-source-of-information.aspx</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Monday, February 25, 2013</span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065410">Online Doctor Reviews Not Yet Viewed as a Reliable Source of Information</a></span></span></h2><div class="byline" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">by Lisa Zamosky, iHealthBeat Contributing Reporter </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">There is no shortage of online reviews for anything from hotels to restaurants, electronics to clothing. If you want to know what others think of the product or service you're about to buy, there's a good chance you'll find plenty of opinions on the Internet.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Health care consumers, however, don't have the same access to information about their doctors. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"People want that kind of information," Maryann Napoli -- associate director of the Center for Medical Consumers in New York City -- said. But access to meaningful data presented in a consumer-friendly way about how doctors perform isn't readily available to the public, according to Napoli. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/FIN-289567/HITs-Rising-Cost-and-Dubious-ROI"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/FIN-289567/HITs-Rising-Cost-and-Dubious-ROI</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065411">HIT's Rising Cost and Dubious ROI</a></span></span></h2><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Edward Prewitt, for HealthLeaders Media</span></i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> , February 25, 2013 </span></span></span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Our latest monthly Intelligence Report, which draws on the 6,000-plus healthcare executives who are members of the HealthLeaders Media Council, is titled "</span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/intelligence/detail.cfm?content_id=288680&year=2013" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Healthcare IT: Tackling Regulatory, Clinical, and Business Needs</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">." Why, then, is it mentioned in our weekly finance column? </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Because healthcare IT is expensive. And the report reveals that it's becoming an ever bigger drain on hospital and health system bottom lines. And that an ROI from healthcare IT will be hard to find, despite the fervent hopes of healthcare executives. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Today, 40% of the 250 respondents say the operating IT budget takes up 2-3% of their organizations' overall operating revenue. But the respondents—who represent a range of C-suite leaders and VPs, including CEOs, CFOs, COOs, and CIOs—expect an upward shift in the near future. More than half (56%) say the operating IT budget will account for 4% or more of overall operating revenue, and a fifth expect IT spending to take 6% or more.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></span></span></div><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"></span> <br /><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Enjoy!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">David.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-68686362075067666642013-03-07T21:00:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.343-07:00It Seems To Me This Is Pretty Important Stuff. Read And Learn.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This appeared a little while ago.</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc348858972">Minnesota health system sees sharp decline in early-term births</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">By <i>Erin McCann, Associate Editor</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">02/15/2013</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">North Memorial Health Care, a two-hospital health system situated in the Northwest metro of Minneapolis, has reduced its rate of potentially harmful and unnecessary early-term deliveries, using </span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/directory/data-warehousing" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">data warehousing</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> and analytics.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Officials at the health system cited difficulties integrating data from the variety of different clinical IT systems employed by North Memorial as cause for implementing new solutions. Clinical data was collected by a Health Catalyst warehousing solution from sources including North Memorial's <a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/directory/epic" target="_blank">Epic</a> <a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/directory/electronic-health-record-ehr" target="_blank">electronic health record</a>. Officials then defined when early-term deliveries were appropriate, standardized clinician workflows and improved processes for pregnant women and newborn care.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"> The health system's use of the technology and the team processes it developed reduced its rate of elective pre 39-week deliveries by 75 percent in six months, from 1.2 percent to 0.3 percent of all births (officials at the health system had originally set a goal of 0.6 percent).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">North Memorial officials point to studies suggesting that elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks increase the risk of newborn respiratory distress in addition to the rates of C-sections, which can lead to postpartum anemia and extendeded hospital stays. Cutting the odds of these complications, officials add, is becoming increasingly critical for hospitals as they struggle to adjust to rising costs, stiff regional pressures from competitors and reimbursement trends.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">More here:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/minnesota-health-system-reduces-early-term-births-75-percent">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/minnesota-health-system-reduces-early-term-births-75-percent</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">It seems to me there must be a legion of clinical procedures and processes that might be subject to such analysis. The opportunity cost of not pursuing such opportunities is likely to be huge.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-44286379155724363862013-03-06T21:58:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.399-07:00The Pharmacy Guild Seems To Think They Are The Sole Driver Of E-Health. I Wonder Do They Know What It Means?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This appeared today. Note bold sentences.</div><h2 style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Expanding pharmacists’ roles “common sense”: Guild</span></h2><div class="small" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="publishdate"><time datetime="2013-03-07" itemprop="datePublished"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">7 March, 2013</span></time></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span class="byline"><a href="http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/author/Nick%20O%27Donoghue">Nick O'Donoghue</a></span> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Empowering community pharmacists to provide more services will help ease waiting times experienced by patients looking to see a GP, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia believes.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Responding to issues raised in the National Health Performance Authority’s <a href="http://www.nhpa.gov.au/internet/nhpa/publishing.nsf/Content/Healthy-Communities-Australians-experiences-with-primary-health-care-2010-11/$file/HC-PatientExperience-2010-2011-Report.pdf"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Healthy Communities</span></b></i></a> report, which highlighted that up to 28 per cent of patients at Medicare Locals across Australia experienced “longer than acceptable” waiting times to see a GP, Kos Sclavos, Guild national president, said pharmacists could reduce doctors’ workload if they were allowed to broaden their scope of practice.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Areas should be explored to expand the areas of pharmacy practice to reduce doctor access issues for patients,” he said.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“This is just common sense. We need national solutions that ensure all patients across Australia have equal access [to health care].</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">While pharmacy-based telehealth services have been recommended as a potential way of improving patient access to GP services, Mr Sclavos told <b><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Pharmacy News</span></i></b> they were not viable, because doctors had failed to adopt electronic health programs and services.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“E-health at present, including telehealth will not bridge the gap [in patient access], because the medical profession is not embracing e-health.</span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“This is despite significant financial incentives being in place.”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Lots more here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/news/latest-news/expanding-pharmacists-roles-common-sense-guild">http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/news/latest-news/expanding-pharmacists-roles-common-sense-guild</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">I have been sent a rebuttal to this view - sadly anonymous - but the sentiment is clear.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span class="Heading2Char" style="font-size: x-large;">INTERCEPTED LETTER to President Pharmacy Guild of Australia </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Dear Mr Sclavos</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The entire Australian medical profession is stunned by your blatant accusation in the 7 March Pharmacy News that the "medical profession is not embracing e-health". Even more stunned when one reads in the 1 March Pharmacy Ne<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">ws that you account for the low uptake of the PCEHR as being due to doctor inaction. To add insult to injury you also claim that a "stunning 3.5 million e-health prescription records per week as eScripts" has been achieved solely as a result of the work of the Pharmacy Guild and eRx.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It is to be hoped that you will reconsider your views and put the record straight. Promoting blatant falsehoods is not conducive to promoting cooperation and positive working relationships between doctors and pharmacists.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">You well know Mr Sclavos that the PCEHR uptake is not a function of doctor inaction but an outcome of NEHTA's monolithic system, simply not working and not providing any useful benefits.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">You also know that the medical profession has widely embraced e-health over many decades, to the point that Australian medical practices are more computerised than in any other country in the world.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Finally, it will not be news to you that the stunning 3.5 million e-health prescription records being processed each week as e-scripts has been achieved because medical practices have predominantly been using MediSecure to send their escripts across the net to the MediSecure ScriptVault and to a much lesser extent the eRx Script Exchange.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Your reluctance to acknowledge the commitment and involvement of doctors, medical practices and MediSecure in being the major contributors to the stunning achievement you so aptly describe of 3.5 million escripts per week being processed over the Internet leads one to ponder how much further advanced we all would be without your help! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Regards<br />eHealth advocates for all Australians</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">----- End Letter.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">I have to say I do think the Pharmacy Guild has rather too many tickets on themselves both in importance and role in Health IT (who knows what anyone means by e-Health with any precision). Of course it is pretty clear MediSecure might have had a hand in assembling the response......nevertheless....</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">I guess I will be accused of being another e-Health denier - and worse a doctor <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- but so be it!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">I have to say the I did love this para.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You well know Mr Sclavos that the PCEHR uptake is not a function of doctor inaction but an outcome of NEHTA's monolithic system, simply not working and not providing any useful benefits.”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Too true!. Let the discussion as to who has the correct perspective begin.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-28799525014339955802013-03-06T21:30:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.456-07:00An Interesting Survey Of UK GP Attitudes To Aspects of E-Health.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This appeared a few days ago.</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460820">Netscape navigators</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><b>An exclusive eHealth Insider survey, conducted by doctors.net, shows GPs are far from ready to give patients electronic access to their records by the government’s deadline of 2015. It also shows they are less than keen on the deadline, and other crowd-pleasing ideas, such as email consultations. Lyn Whitfield reports</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">21 February 2013</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The government has hardly made a secret of its desire to see patients get online access to their medical records.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The idea has been flagged up in any number of ministerial speeches, and took form in the NHS IT strategy published last May. Indeed, the pledge to give patients online access to their GP-held records by 2015 was one of the few firm pledges in ‘The Power of Information’.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Since then, the commitment has been reiterated in the mandate issued to the NHS Commissioning Board at the end of last year and in the planning guidance that it issued for the NHS in December.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Despite this, an exclusive survey of 1,000 GPs commissioned by eHealth Insider and conducted by doctors.net has found that almost no practices are ready to start delivering on the government’s pledge. More worryingly, it suggests that many have yet to start thinking about it.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A long way to go on access </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The survey, which was commissioned to explore GP attitudes to patient-facing technology and social media, found that 43% of respondents picked “we haven’t started to address this year” when asked how ready they were to facilitate patient access to records.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A further third said their IT systems still needed work, with 15% of the total sample saying “our IT system is a long way from being ready”, 9% saying it was “nearly” ready, and 5% saying it was ready but “it isn’t live yet.” Just 4% of respondents said “our IT system is ready, and is already live.”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Meanwhile, a quarter (24%) of respondents said that they simply didn’t know how ready their practice was to give patients access to their records.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This pattern of response was consistent across most areas of the UK. Scotland, where there has been no ministerial push on patient records access, had the largest proportion of respondents (53%) likely to say “we haven’t started to address this yet.”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But even in Scotland, 4% of respondents said their practice had a system live. Meanwhile, the old NHS South Central area of England had the smallest proportion of respondents (31%) likely to say they hadn’t made a start.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But in South Central, just 1% of respondents said they had a system that was live; although 6% said their practice had a system that was ready but not live.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lots more here:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.ehi.co.uk/insight/analysis/1038">http://www.ehi.co.uk/insight/analysis/1038</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Very interesting views on patient / doctor e-mail and patient access to their electronic records.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Well worth a read.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">David.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-28859289664289533442013-03-06T13:35:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.511-07:00MMRGlobal Is Certainly Being Quite Noisy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZgNqIMwl-syMJCsw-BLFfx6hddOVY1m671iKnZwVLvg0FGE6ecrQfYMs2YMXCLuHZ6en64R_tGbwM5dEU_3hd7lWeWpnF6UGuWt1mS5RGEJ3jssFpc6tSTrEn604gIVW5ToYjagnuqc/s1600/MMR+Global+Scan+Small.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZgNqIMwl-syMJCsw-BLFfx6hddOVY1m671iKnZwVLvg0FGE6ecrQfYMs2YMXCLuHZ6en64R_tGbwM5dEU_3hd7lWeWpnF6UGuWt1mS5RGEJ3jssFpc6tSTrEn604gIVW5ToYjagnuqc/s320/MMR+Global+Scan+Small.png" width="239" /></a></div><br /><br />This was sent to me by Grahame Grieve who is at HIMSS. It is part of their handout at the meeting.<br /><br />Gives a good idea of what MMRGlobal are up to.<br /><br />Sorry about the quality - click on image to enlarge.<br /><br />David.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-20345581678272375382013-03-05T21:30:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.579-07:00Now This Is Really Interesting. Health IT Costs A Lot And Benefits Are Scarce Says One Report.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This appeared a few days ago.</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065411">HIT's Rising Cost and Dubious ROI</a></span></h2><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Edward Prewitt, for HealthLeaders Media</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> , February 25, 2013 </span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Our latest monthly Intelligence Report, which draws on the 6,000-plus healthcare executives who are members of the HealthLeaders Media Council, is titled "</span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/intelligence/detail.cfm?content_id=288680&year=2013" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Healthcare IT: Tackling Regulatory, Clinical, and Business Needs</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">." Why, then, is it mentioned in our weekly finance column? <br /><br />Because healthcare IT is expensive. And the report reveals that it's becoming an ever bigger drain on hospital and health system bottom lines. And that an ROI from healthcare IT will be hard to find, despite the fervent hopes of healthcare executives. <br /><br />Today, 40% of the 250 respondents say the operating IT budget takes up 2-3% of their organizations' overall operating revenue. But the respondents—who represent a range of C-suite leaders and VPs, including CEOs, CFOs, COOs, and CIOs—expect an upward shift in the near future. More than half (56%) say the operating IT budget will account for 4% or more of overall operating revenue, and a fifth expect IT spending to take 6% or more.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Those percentages are historically high for healthcare, but not necessarily for other industries. You could argue that healthcare is simply catching up.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But what is that extra spending going toward? The top driver, ticked off by 52% of respondents, was regulatory reporting requirements, most notably ICD-10. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIM) has </span><a href="http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_036866.hcsp?dDocName=bok1_036866" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">long argued that ICD-10 codes will lead to better patient care</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, and it's certainly true that better coding can lead improve reimbursements, but in the end that's a lot of money to pay for more coders. <br /><br />Still, a majority of survey respondents (58%) say their organizations invest in IT, meaning they expect a financial return, rather than simply spend on IT (indicated by 42%).<br /><br />But while the survey indicates overall trends and expectations, the comments by individual executives reveal how they view healthcare IT. "IT will always disappoint if you expect a return," says the president of a large physician organization. "Most CFOs will say they haven't seen a ROI on the investments made in IT as an industry compared to industries like banking," says Donna Abney, executive vice president of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, whose organization helped shaped the Intelligence Report.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">…..<br /><br />(Editor's note: Many of the figures cited here draw from the </span><a href="http://www.hcmarketplace.com/prod-11111/Healthcare-IT-Tackling-Regulatory-Clinical-and-Business-Needs.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">paid Premium version of our February Intelligence Report</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. A free version, containing HealthLeaders analysis but less data, is </span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/intelligence/detail.cfm?content_id=288680&year=2013" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">also available for download</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Full article here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/FIN-289567/HITs-Rising-Cost-and-Dubious-ROI">http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/FIN-289567/HITs-Rising-Cost-and-Dubious-ROI</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Well it is interesting to see just how hard people are finding it to obtain a Return On Investment (ROI) for their Health IT investment.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Support for this view is found here:</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065385">The unfulfilled promises of health information technology</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">By <a href="http://blogs.computerworld.com/user/juergen-fritsch">Juergen Fritsch</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">February 27, 2013 6:00 AM EST</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A 2005 </span><a href="http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG408.html"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">RAND report</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> predicted that widespread use of electronic health records technology would save the US healthcare system at least $81 billion per year. At the time, the vendor-funded report helped drive substantial growth in the electronic health records industry and probably contributed to the federal government making billions of dollars of incentive payments available to physicians and hospitals to adopt and meaningfully use electronic health record (EHR) systems via the </span><a href="http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/administrative/enforcementrule/hitechenforcementifr.html"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Realizing that the cost savings and improvements in healthcare delivery are nowhere near what was optimistically predicted in 2005, RAND recently commissioned a </span><a href="http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/32/1/63.abstract"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">new study</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> to take a fresh new look at the state of health information technology. The new study paints a very different picture and received broad coverage by mainstream news outlets, including “</span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/business/electronic-records-systems-have-not-reduced-health-costs-report-says.html"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In Second Look, Few Savings From Digital Health Records</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">” by the New York Times in January.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To put it bluntly, the authors of the new report essentially admit that the original RAND study was dead wrong. Healthcare spending has risen by $800 billion since the first report was published, and while much of that is due to an aging population and the increase in overall medical services, there is scant evidence of cost savings due to electronic health records. In addition, there is increasing </span><a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/02/14/12208/electronic-medical-records-probed-over-billing"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">concern</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> that electronic records have actually made it easier for providers to over-bill for certain services.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Lots more here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://blogs.computerworld.com/healthcare-it/21812/unfulfilled-promises-health-information-technology">http://blogs.computerworld.com/healthcare-it/21812/unfulfilled-promises-health-information-technology</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This story is one that has a long way to go in my view!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-1481964975509186802013-03-04T21:30:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.638-07:00It Seems Others Are Starting To Notice The NEHRS May Not Be A Well Structured System.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This appeared a few days ago.</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065422">Opinion: Should e-health be more about relationships?</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Placing the consumer at the centre of a consolidated health data repository may not be the right approach</div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="http://www.cio.com.au/author/2147444776/brett-avery/articles">Brett Avery</a> (CIO)</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">28 February, 2013 11:53</li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The concept of a Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) might be the correct political tactic to address ethical concerns around the confidentiality, consent and involvement of healthcare providers in accessing electronic health records.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">But the decision to place the consumer at the centre of this national health information repository may not prove to be the right approach.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Last month, it was reported that the Federal government’s PCEHR initiative, developed by Australia’s National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/numbers-for-ehealth-lagging-20130216-2ejti.html">had failed to reach</a> the expected uptake of 500,000 consumers in the first year.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">NEHTA’s consumer-driven model is also facing another potential hurdle with US company MMRGlobal’s claim that NEHTA may be infringing on patents issued to its subsidiary MyMedicalRecords.com. See here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/mmrglobal-investigates-possible-infringement-companys-patents-intellectual-property-otcqb-mmrf-1753310.htm">http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/mmrglobal-investigates-possible-infringement-companys-patents-intellectual-property-otcqb-mmrf-1753310.htm</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The firm is investigating whether federal and state governments, through NEHTA, have infringed on two patents that cover a method that enables consumers to access health records through their personal account using the PCEHR system.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This begs the question: Has too much emphasis been placed on an individual electronic health record (EHR) rather than a “shared EHR”, which recognises the importance of the relationship between consumers and their healthcare providers in sharing information?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Should a national electronic health record service place the relationship between consumers and healthcare providers at the heart of the data repository – allowing this relationship to govern the consolidation, contribution and protection of health data?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Relationships with our healthcare service providers govern our interactions with healthcare professionals and the level of care they provide us. Establishing meaningful and beneficial relationships between consumers and their healthcare providers is fundamental to the success of healthcare services.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Service providers recognise the health and financial benefits of providing and maintaining long-term and continued care to their clients and consumers want to receive care from providers they trust.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The long-term value of the relationship between healthcare providers and consumers is what encourages information sharing and the quest for better access to better health information.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Information shared between a consumer and healthcare provider belongs to both parties in joint custody – they don’t need to argue about who owns the information when it is disclosed by a consumer or given by the healthcare provider. The information is contributed jointly to benefit of both the consumer and the healthcare provider.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Lots more here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.cio.com.au/article/455074/opinion_should_e-health_more_about_relationships_/">http://www.cio.com.au/article/455074/opinion_should_e-health_more_about_relationships_/</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">What an interesting take. As I have been saying for the last few years the NEHRS is a ‘barnacle on a battleship’ in terms of lacking centrality in both a technical and more importantly a patient - provider sense.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Maybe some sanity is emerging?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-78167631954305617842013-03-04T16:45:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.695-07:00AusHealthIT Poll Number 157 – Results – 5th March, 2013.<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The question was:</span></div><h1 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Is MMRGlobal A Simple 'Patent Troll' Or Are They A Legitimate Company Just Protecting Their Rights?</span></h1><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="color: #444444; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A Patent Troll 52% (33)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="color: #444444; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Just Protecting Their Rights 38% (24)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: bottom;"><span style="color: #444444; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I Have No Idea 11% (7)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #444444; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Total votes: 64</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Very interesting. It seems a tiny majority see them as a patent troll!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Again, many thanks to those that voted! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">David.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-36479408497250689072013-03-04T04:30:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.754-07:00Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 04th March, 2013.<div class="MsoNormal">Here are a few I have come across the last week or so.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Note: Each link is followed by a title and a few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.</span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">General Comment</h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">A very quiet news week indeed. Just the continuing theme of the build-up to the election in September with input from all sorts of stakeholders.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">It was very interesting that Kos Sclavos mentioned in his article that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deloittes is undertaking a review of the National E-Health Strategy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wonder what that actually means? Given how much attention was paid to the last effort one does wonder.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">My weekly review of my NEHRS showed it running like a dead duck. Just awfully slow and still way to hard to access.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/opinion/future-of-e-health-hinges-on-election-result">http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/opinion/future-of-e-health-hinges-on-election-result</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065418">Future of e-health hinges on election result</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="publishdate">1 March, 2013</span> <a href="http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/author/Kos%20Sclavos,%20Pharmacy%20Guild%20of%20Australia%20national%20president">Kos Sclavos, Pharmacy Guild of Australia national president</a> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">E-health is one key health policy area that is likely to take a significantly different path depending on who wins the federal election.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We know the Labor vision because they are in government and the Department of Health and Ageing is implementing their vision.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">However, Dr Andrew Southcott, the opposition e-health spokesperson, has made it very clear that if the coalition wins the election a very different path will be taken.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Guild has used e-health to accentuate the value add that community pharmacy can provide the health sector and our patients. E-Health will embed the role of the pharmacist in the health system.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/dutton-hits-out-at-waste-in-health-bureaucracies">http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/dutton-hits-out-at-waste-in-health-bureaucracies</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065432">Dutton hits out at 'waste' in health bureaucracies</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">25th Feb 2013</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/author/382"><b>AAP</b></a> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">MEDICARE Locals have been highlighted by Opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton as a key area of wasteful spending in the health sector that could face cuts under a coalition government.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mr Dutton said the Labor government has established 12 new bureaucracies without improving health services.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"There is a lot of waste in the new bureaucracies that have been created," Mr Dutton told Sky television on Sunday.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"I will put money back into frontline health services, particularly around mental health."</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The new bureaucracies included Medicare Locals, which duplicated the federal health bureaucracy across Australia, and new health funding authorities, Mr Dutton said.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.canberratimes.com.au/it-pro/government-it/it-glitch-hits-canberra-hospital-20130227-2f5pb.html">http://www.canberratimes.com.au/it-pro/government-it/it-glitch-hits-canberra-hospital-20130227-2f5pb.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065421">IT glitch hits Canberra Hospital</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date February 27, 2013 </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Fleta Page</span></h3><h4 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Reporter at The Canberra Times</span></h4><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A glitch in Canberra Hospital's IT system has forced their emergency department to direct patients with "non-urgent" issues elsewhere.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Patients who present to the Canberra Hospital Emergency Department who do not require urgent treatment should expect delays," Canberra Hospital and Health Services Deputy Director</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">‐</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">General Ian Thompson said.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Work is currently under way to resolve these issues, but it is not clear when the work will be complete.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.tenders.gov.au/?event=public.atm.show&ATMUUID=DC791DB6-C72E-F0E5-A27B5DD541C4AE07">https://www.tenders.gov.au/?event=public.atm.show&ATMUUID=DC791DB6-C72E-F0E5-A27B5DD541C4AE07</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065428">Request for Tender (RFT) for the provision of Solution Delivery Services to deliver an Aged Care Gateway system</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b>ATM ID<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>DoHA/220/1213</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b>Agency<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Department of Health and Ageing</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b>Category<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>80101507 - Information technology consultation services</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Close Date & Time<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">3-Apr-2013 2:00 pm <span class="small">(ACT Local time)</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/facing-up-to-depression-over-the-phone-20130226-2f4b6.html">http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/facing-up-to-depression-over-the-phone-20130226-2f4b6.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065423">Facing up to depression over the phone</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date February 27, 2013 </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Larissa Nicholson</span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">DEPRESSION sufferers may soon be monitoring the severity of their condition via smartphones and tablets using Australian-developed voice and facial recognition technology.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Researchers say the computer program, created in partnership with the mood disorder treatment and prevention organisation the Black Dog Institute, has brought them closer to an objective indicator of melancholic, or biologically determined, depression.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The University of Canberra's Dr Roland Goecke, an expert in human-computer interaction, worked with the institute to develop the program, which measures the indicators of melancholic depression including a lack of facial movement, slow speech and avoiding eye contact.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/online-mood-tool-a-timesaver-for-gps">http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/online-mood-tool-a-timesaver-for-gps</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065419">Online mood tool a time-saver for GPs</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">1st Mar 2013</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/author/580"><b>Catherine Hanrahan</b></a> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">AN AUSTRALIAN-developed online mood disorders diagnostic tool can elicit vital information from patients and encourage disclosure of symptoms, according to analysis of data from 16,000 users.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">An audit of reports generated by the Mood Assessment Program (MAP), introduced by the Black Dog Institute in 2007, shows 85% of patients who completed the online questionnaire have significantly depressed mood.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The tool includes questions about life stressors, previous treatments and personality.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://ehealthspace.org/news/eprocurement-now-live-five-health-jurisdictions">http://ehealthspace.org/news/eprocurement-now-live-five-health-jurisdictions</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065425">eProcurement Now Live in Five Health Jurisdictions</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="submitted">Posted Wed, 27/02/2013 - 13:16 by Fran Molloy</span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">NEHTA this week released their latest Healthcare Product Purchaser’s intention statement, a report giving a snapshot of the adoption of electronic procurement processes by health authorities and private healthcare providers around the country.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The report shows that from the June 2013, most health tenders will now include the requirement that suppliers have all of their products loaded into the National Product Catalogue (NPC) and can operate with that system, so that eProcurement can go ahead.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mark Brommeyer is NEHTA’s Manager Supply Chain and says that the intention statement was developed following a survey conducted in 2011.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://ehealthspace.org/casestudy/victorian-public-hospitals-digital-trial-long-haul">http://ehealthspace.org/casestudy/victorian-public-hospitals-digital-trial-long-haul</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065416">Victorian public hospitals digital trial is in for the long haul</a></span> </h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="submitted">Posted Mon, 25/02/2013 - 14:10 by Fran Molloy</span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It’s been a monumental few years for Libby Owen-Jones, who is the Clinical Systems Project Director at Austin Health, one of two public hospitals selected by Victoria’s Department of Health to trial a phased roll-out of eHealth services.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“It’s been a huge challenge, implementing such a massive, transformative change into a health system when hospitals have traditionally been run on paper,” Ms Owen-Jones says.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Since the project went live in June 2011, all radiology orders are fully electronic (end to end), and 95 per cent of pathology orders and discharge medication orders were completed electronically. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.cio.com.au/article/455074/opinion_should_e-health_more_about_relationships_/">http://www.cio.com.au/article/455074/opinion_should_e-health_more_about_relationships_/</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065422">Opinion: Should e-health be more about relationships?</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Placing the consumer at the centre of a consolidated health data repository may not be the right approach</div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="http://www.cio.com.au/author/2147444776/brett-avery/articles">Brett Avery</a> (CIO)</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">28 February, 2013 11:53</li></ul><div class="MsoNormal">The concept of a Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) might be the correct political tactic to address ethical concerns around the confidentiality, consent and involvement of healthcare providers in accessing electronic health records.</div><div class="MsoNormal">But the decision to place the consumer at the centre of this national health information repository may not prove to be the right approach.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Last month, it was reported that the Federal government’s PCEHR initiative, developed by Australia’s National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA), <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/numbers-for-ehealth-lagging-20130216-2ejti.html">had failed to reach</a> the expected uptake of 500,000 consumers in the first year.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.zdnet.com/unified-communications-may-give-nurses-two-hours-back-each-day-for-patient-care-7000011936/">http://www.zdnet.com/unified-communications-may-give-nurses-two-hours-back-each-day-for-patient-care-7000011936/</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065417">Unified communications may give nurses two hours back each day for patient care</a></span></h2><div class="summary" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Summary: IBM claims its unified communications offerings can save time looking for others and responding to calls in a clinical environment. If its claims are true, that might mean two more hours per day for patient care.</span></div><div class="meta" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">By <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/meet-the-team/us/denise.amrich/">Denise Amrich</a> for <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/blog/health/">ZDNet Health</a> | February 28, 2013 -- 03:55 GMT (14:55 AEST) </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">One of the challenges of being a floor nurse is the running around, trying to find people. A hospital is a big facility, and even though the reporting and management structure is defined in such a way to operate in smaller floors or wards, there's still a tremendous amount of time spent by all of us, chasing down all the rest of us.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">For example, if a tech needs to find me when I'm in a patient's room, he might have a rough idea of where I am, but he also might have to pop from room to room to find me. Pagers have had their uses, smartphones have been tried, and some of us even have to wear Star Trek-type commbadges around our necks all day. But there are few centralized systems that really deal with the problem systematically.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/454927/medibank_aims_reduce_delays_online_mobile_customers_hp_software/">http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/454927/medibank_aims_reduce_delays_online_mobile_customers_hp_software/</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065424">Medibank aims to reduce delays for online, mobile customers with HP software</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Private health insurance company to deploy HP BSM software.</div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/author/187019789/adam-bender/articles">Adam Bender</a> (Computerworld)</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">27 February, 2013 10:23</li></ul><div class="MsoNormal">Medibank plans to deploy software to better measure performance of its online member services platform and smartphone app, HP announced today. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Medibank will deploy HP business service management software to monitor IT infrastructure and identify areas that may be causing delays for online and mobile customers, HP said. </div><div class="MsoNormal">HP didn’t disclose the terms of the contract.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/NBN-broadband-Quigley-Turnbull-Conroy-pd20130227-5ARLL">http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/NBN-broadband-Quigley-Turnbull-Conroy-pd20130227-5ARLL</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065427">Australia’s bizarre fibre diet</a></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.businessspectator.com.au/Alan-Kohler">by Alan Kohler</a></span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Published 8:03 AM, 27 Feb 2013 </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We’re going to have to wait seven months for a sensible discussion about technical options for the NBN – it’s pointless trying before the election – but there are other options, and they need to be discussed.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Last Friday NBN chief Mike Quigley had a go at encouraging an “open and transparent debate on the future options for Australia’s NBN”, which Opposition spokesman Malcolm Turnbull promptly labelled “bizarre” and the Minister Stephen Conroy carefully ignored.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The industry body, the Communications Alliance, which Quigley was trying to get to lead the debate, kind of shrugged its shoulders and mumbled something about it being an election year.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/health-education-next-for-facebook/story-fn91v9q3-1226584583043">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/health-education-next-for-facebook/story-fn91v9q3-1226584583043</a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065434">Facebook can revolutionise health, education: Eduardo Saverin</a></span> </h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">THE billionaire co-founder of Facebook, Eduardo Saverin, believes the data storage potential of the social networking site can be used to revolutionise the global education and healthcare industries, putting people at the centre of innovation. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In a rare wide-ranging interview at The Wall Street Journal's inaugural Unleashing Innovation conference in Singapore, Mr Saverin also said he was now focused on backing internet start-ups that "reduced consumer friction" in what he termed "the transactional economy", making it easier for people to make purchases on mobile devices.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mr Saverin, whose net worth is said to be about $US2.2 billion ($2.13bn) and who has lived in Singapore since 2009, has invested in a start-up company called Jumio.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/parents-lack-faith-in-confidential-teen-consults">http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/parents-lack-faith-in-confidential-teen-consults</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065426">Parents lack faith in confidential teen consults</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">27th Feb 2013</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/author/5"><b>Rada Rouse</b></a> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">CONFIDENTIAL consults with adolescents are viewed with concern by many parents, particularly those with a poor opinion of the medical profession, an Australian study suggests.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In-depth interviews with parents show their attitude to confidential consults stemmed from the level of trust they held in the GP, or in health professionals generally, and from how they saw their own responsibility as a parent.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“It wasn’t the doctor that gave birth to those kids and should have the responsibility for those decisions,” was how one mother put it.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/China-IT-hacking-espionage-internet-security-pd20130225-58R6K?OpenDocument&src=sph">http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/China-IT-hacking-espionage-internet-security-pd20130225-58R6K?OpenDocument&src=sph</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065433">The hackers are coming, the hackers are coming</a></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.businessspectator.com.au/Alan-Kohler">by Alan Kohler</a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Published 7:04 AM, 25 Feb 2013 </div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It seems that China’s 'Unit 61398' hasn’t yet got round to hacking any Australian companies’ computer systems, but chief executives and company directors in this country shouldn’t get too cocky: it may only be a matter of time, if it hasn’t happened already.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The United States is now engaged in virtually all-out cyber warfare against Iran, Russia and China, with much of the effort focusing on Iran’s nuclear weapons program. But revelations in the past week have highlighted the big investment China has been making in industrial cyber espionage since 2006.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Internet security firm Mandiant published a 76-page report last week detailing the work of what it calls Advanced Persistent Threat No.1 (APT1) or Unit 61398, based in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/public-servants-baulk-at-foi-changes-20130224-2ezmu.html">http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/public-servants-baulk-at-foi-changes-20130224-2ezmu.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065435">Public servants baulk at FOI changes</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date February 25, 2013 </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/by/Stephanie-Peatling">Stephanie Peatling</a></span></h3><h4 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Senior writer</span></h4><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The public service is revolting against reforms brought in by the federal government to make it easier and cheaper for people to use freedom-of-information laws.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Nearly all public service departments have made a submission to a review of the laws saying the changes have created more work than they can handle and question whether the changes are delivering ''value for money'' for the government.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">''The first word that comes to mind is blowback,'' lawyer and FOI expert Peter Timmins said.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">''The general thrust of most of them is to bring into question the reforms of 2010.''</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/slideshow/454715/pictures_5_tricks_restore_windows_8_start_menu/">http://www.computerworld.com.au/slideshow/454715/pictures_5_tricks_restore_windows_8_start_menu/</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065437">In Pictures: 5 tricks to restore the Windows 8 Start menu</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">As everybody knows, the Start button is not included in Windows 8, and Microsoft has vowed not to put it back. If you’d rather not be forced to use the full-screen, tile-based UI, called Modern, here are five alternative programs that install on Windows 8.</div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">By <a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/author/1139070497/howard-wen/articles">Howard Wen</a></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal">As everybody knows, the Start button is not included in Windows 8, and Microsoft has vowed not to put it back. If you’d rather not be forced to use the full-screen, tile-based UI, called Modern, here are five alternative programs that install on Windows 8.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/married-couple-to-travel-to-mars-20130228-2f77l.html">http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/married-couple-to-travel-to-mars-20130228-2f77l.html</a></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065438">Married couple to travel to Mars</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal">Date February 28, 2013 - 9:47AM </div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Seth Borenstein</span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In less than five years, a married couple could be on their way to Mars in an audacious but bare-bones private mission that would slingshot them around the red planet.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The voyage to Mars and back would be a cosmic no-frills flight that would take the husband-and-wife astronauts as close as 161 kilometres to the planet, but it would also mean being cooped up for 16 months in a cramped space capsule half the size of a caravan.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The private, non-profit project, called Inspiration Mars, will get initial money from multimillionaire investment consultant Dennis Tito, the first space tourist. The team would not say how much the overall flight would cost, but outsiders put it at more than $US1 billion.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Enjoy!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">David.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-24431526480036582062013-03-03T20:58:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.816-07:00Professor Enrico Coiera Explores Why Health IT Is So Hard. A Very Good Read.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This appeared in the Medical Journal of Australia today.</div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Why e-health is so hard</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Enrico Coiera</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Med J Aust 2013; 198 (4): 178-179. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">doi: 10.5694/mja13.10101</div><div class="intro" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We need to respect the basic rules of informatics and invest in e-health expertise</span></div><div class="p" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" id="0_elementId-1140773" name="0_elementId-1140773"></a><span class="dropcap"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">M</span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" id="0_pgfId-1156169" name="0_pgfId-1156169"></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">edicine holds dominion in the microcosm of molecules and genes. It is in the macrocosm of people and organisations where things seem to fall apart. Modern health care appears unsustainable in its current form,<a href="https://www-mja-com-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard#1">1</a> and information technology is increasingly seen as a major intervention that can drive “reform”.</span></div><div class="p" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" id="0_pgfId-1156176" name="0_pgfId-1156176"></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Evidence for e-health’s potential to improve the safety and quality of care grows,<a href="https://www-mja-com-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard#2">2</a> but remains patchy.<a href="https://www-mja-com-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard#3">3</a> The long list of disappointments and failures,<a href="https://www-mja-com-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard#4">4</a><span class="sp">,</span><a href="https://www-mja-com-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard#5">5</a> locally and internationally, is also hard to ignore. There is a real dissonance in the discourse between what research evidence tells us is possible and what often happens with large-scale e-health projects in practice.<a href="https://www-mja-com-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard#6">6</a></span></div><div class="p" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" id="0_pgfId-1156200" name="0_pgfId-1156200"></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The literature repeatedly describes basic “rules of informatics” for implementation success: the need for stakeholder engagement, culture change, user training, slow and considered implementation, and user-friendly systems that fit into clinical workflow.<a href="https://www-mja-com-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard#7">7</a> The very first rule of informatics tells us to start with the clinical problem we want solved rather than the technology we want to build.<a href="https://www-mja-com-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard#8">8</a> Yet, too often, large-scale e-health projects break this most basic rule, focusing on technology rather than compelling clinical problems.<a href="https://www-mja-com-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard#5">5</a> We are often told that national e-health projects must first lay down basic technical infrastructure and that high-value clinical systems will naturally follow, in the same way that laying railway lines is a precursor to delivering transport services.<a href="https://www-mja-com-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard#9">9</a> But railways can be too expensive, over-engineered, or not take us anywhere particularly useful — unless there is a destination on which we can all agree.</span></div><div class="p" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" id="0_pgfId-1156217" name="0_pgfId-1156217"></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Why so many projects repeatedly fail to observe these basic rules of informatics remains a mystery, but it probably reflects that there are still very few people with deep expertise in e-health.<a href="https://www-mja-com-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard#10">10</a> Despite the crucial role of the informatics workforce in e-health success, and the billions spent on e-health over the past decade by government, barely a dollar has been in direct support of informatics workforce training.</span></div><div class="p" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" id="0_pgfId-1156224" name="0_pgfId-1156224"></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E-health is hard because it is a complex intervention in a complex system.<a href="https://www-mja-com-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard#11">11</a> Indeed, e-health projects are probably among the most complex interventions we can undertake, especially at a national scale. The rules for designing e-health at the level of clinical practice are not the same as those at large scale, and the gap is as wide as that between in-vitro and in-vivo clinical studies. This explains why success at individual sites is no guarantee of success elsewhere.</span></div><div class="p" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">…..</span></div><div class="p" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" id="0_pgfId-1156231" name="0_pgfId-1156231"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="0_pgfId-1156238"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="0_pgfId-1156258"></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Just because e-health is hard does not mean we can ignore it and do something else instead. The goal is worthy, and alternatives are thin on the ground. We do, however, need to urgently invest in the informatics workforce, as this is no game for amateurs. We must also respect the basic rules of informatics. Like the laws of physics, they exist, whether you like them or not.</span></div><div class="p" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">---- end article.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">If you have access to the MJA go here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard" target="_blank">https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/198/4/why-e-health-so-hard </a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">If not, for the full article, references and so on you can e-mail Professor Coiera. He has kindly agreed to send a .pdf of the full article to all who ask. (Be gentle).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">You can e-mail him at <a href="mailto:e.coiera@unsw.edu.au">e.coiera@unsw.edu.au</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Many thanks for making this article freely available to those who don’t have access to the MJA directly.<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Also, an interesting paper of a NSW Emergency Department System is found here in the same issue here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/198/4/effect-electronic-medical-record-information-system-emergency-department">https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/198/4/effect-electronic-medical-record-information-system-emergency-department</a></div><h1><span style="font-size: large;">Effect of an electronic medical record information system on emergency department performance</span></h1><div class="MsoNormal">Murugabalaji K Mohan, Rod O Bishop and James L Mallows<br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">and there is commentary here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/198/4/good-hit-and-bad-hit">https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/198/4/good-hit-and-bad-hit</a></div><h1><span style="font-size: large;">Good HIT and bad HIT</span></h1><div class="MsoNormal">Jon D Patrick and Susan Ieraci<br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Both these are freely available to read at the site! Thanks MJA!<br /><br />Good to see so much e-Health in the MJA! </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-32593299122539237412013-03-03T16:57:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.872-07:00It Seems MMRGlobal Patent Claims Are Spreading. Missed This Release A Few Days Ago.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This has been out for a few days.</div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="ccbnttl" style="font-size: x-large;">MMRGlobal Investigates Possible Patent Infringement in Singapore</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKETWIRE) -- 02/19/13 -- <a href="http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=987188&id=2632618&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fmmrglobal.com%2f">MMRGlobal, Inc.</a> (OTCQB: MMRF) today announced that as a result of recent publicity, it has been brought to the Company's attention that vendors providing services to the Ministry of Health in Singapore appear to be infringing on patents (including Singapore patent number 200801954) and other Intellectual Property (collectively, the "MMR-IP") issued to MyMedicalRecords, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of MMRGlobal. The Company has been advised that personally-controlled health records, or <a href="http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=987188&id=2632621&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.mmrvideos.com%2f">Personal Health Records</a> (PHRs), are included in programs for the Ministry of Health, the Health Promotion Board, the Health Sciences Authority and numerous other organizations in Singapore, which the Company believes is clearly part of MMR's inventions that led to its MyMedicalRecords patents. The discovery came as a result of the Company's investigations in Australia, which were reported in recent announcements that the Australian Government, both state and federal, through the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA), appears to be infringing on two MyMedicalRecords patents. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">NEHTA has reportedly spent an estimated one billion Australian dollars on a Personal Health Records program which is the subject of the potential infringement and which it appears broadly incorporates numerous portions of the MMR-IP. The Company has spoken with an attorney for NEHTA. MMR suggested entering into an agreement to exchange documents to facilitate an informal resolution to this matter for the benefit of all parties. MMR also suggested that all relevant parties schedule a meeting at the 2013 HIMSS Conference starting March 3<i><sup><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></sup></i><i>rd </i></span>in New Orleans in a good faith effort to get this resolved.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As part of the Company's continued efforts to protect its patents, MyMedicalRecords, Inc. announced on February 12, 2013 the filing of a complaint in the United States for patent infringement against WebMD Health Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiary, WebMD Health Services Group, Inc. ("WebMD"). The complaint alleges that WebMD is infringing on MMR's Personal Health Records patent, specifically U.S. Patent No. 8,301,466, and as a result, MMR is seeking monetary damages as well as a permanent injunction. The complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, case number CV 13-00979, on February 11th, and is available on the court's website <a href="http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=987188&id=2632624&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pacer.gov%2f">http://www.pacer.gov/</a>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The full release is here.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=178404&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1786180&highlight">http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=178404&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1786180&highlight</a>=</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">I feel sorry for Singapore being sucked into all this. It does rather seem to be spreading! Interesting to read of actual suits being underway.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-7997449005959254842013-03-02T21:00:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.930-07:00DoHA Has Released A Major ICT Tender - Worth Reading The Details To Understand What DoHA Has Been And Is Doing.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The following tender appeared a little while ago.</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc350065428">Request for Tender (RFT) for the provision of Solution Delivery Services to deliver an Aged Care Gateway system</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">ATM ID<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">DoHA/220/1213</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Agency<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Department of Health and Ageing</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Category<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">80101507 - Information technology consultation services</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Close Date & Time<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">3-Apr-2013 2:00 pm <span class="small">(ACT Local time)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Publish Date<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">15-Feb-2013 </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Location<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">ACT, NSW, VIC, SA, WA, QLD, NT, TAS</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">ATM Type<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Request for Tender</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br /><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" /><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Multi Agency Access<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Yes</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br /><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" /><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) seeks a contractor to provide the Services and Products necessary for the creation and operation of a solution for a new Aged Care Gateway system (Gateway) for aged care services. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The Gateway will create an identifiable entry point to the aged care system comprising several key elements:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">(a) a national contact centre, including the My Aged Care website;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">(b) an assessment service to identify needs based upon a nationally consistent assessment framework and standardised tools;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">(c) a central client record to support appropriate information collection and sharing; and</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">(d) a linking service, targeting vulnerable people with multiple needs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> <b>Description</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">This RFT invites interested entities to offer the following Services and Products:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">(a) Services necessary to plan, design and develop the detailed approach to operational management and service delivery for the overall Gateway (Business Design Services);</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">(b) Services necessary to design, build, test and deploy the Gateway and integrate the various components of technology to be used for the Gateway (some of which may be provided by DoHA or other Commonwealth agencies and/or their contracted service providers, and some of which may be provided by the Contractor or its subcontractors) into a single, fully functional technical solution for the Gateway (Technical Design and System Integration Services);</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">(c) Services necessary to ensure that the Commonwealth is provided with the Software or Software Services and other Products necessary for the operation of the Solution for the Gateway (Product Provision Services);</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">(d) Services necessary for the proper operation, maintenance and support of the Solution for the Gateway during the Term of the Contract (System Operations, Maintenance and Support Services); and</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">(e) Optional Services or other Services as specified in the Contract (Optional Services).</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Conditions for Participation </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">None in addition to the Department's standard requirements</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Timeframe for Delivery<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">June 2013 to June 2015 with options to extend</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 83.3pt;"><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Address for Lodgement<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> </span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">www.tenders.gov.au </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The link is here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="https://www.tenders.gov.au/?event=public.atm.show&ATMUUID=DC791DB6-C72E-F0E5-A27B5DD541C4AE07">https://www.tenders.gov.au/?event=public.atm.show&ATMUUID=DC791DB6-C72E-F0E5-A27B5DD541C4AE07</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">There is a link to download the tender details once you are registered as an interested party or potential tenderer.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Among the interesting aspects that are available are the following.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">1. Documentation that sets out performance and uptime characteristics that are a lot more onerous than we see with the NEHRS. I wonder has there been some attempt to learn from the NEHRS Program?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">2. Requirements to integrate with the HI Service, Australian Business Number and NEHRS Systems. It seems odd we are now creating a pathway to create another client record and then tie it in with the NEHRS. One hopes as the NEHRS becomes a life-long record all the NEHRS and Aged Care information will be properly segmented. It is also interesting that another record is being created without the apparent stakeholder input that went into the NEHRS.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">3. We are told of the IT Governance Principles applied by DoHA.</div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc347904596">IT Governance Principles</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The endorsed IT Governance Principles are used to guide IT decision making and sourcing.</div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 480; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr style="height: 17.1pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 17.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 8.78%;" valign="top" width="8%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 8.0pt; font-style: normal;">No.</span></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 17.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 91.22%;" valign="top" width="91%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;">IT Governance Principle in full</span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 45.35pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 45.35pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 8.78%;" valign="top" width="8%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; font-style: normal;">ITGP.01</span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 45.35pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 91.22%;" valign="top" width="91%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">The department should have a consolidated IT work program based on a single set of priorities and only the agreed highest priority activities should be resourced and completed.</span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 45.35pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 45.35pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 8.78%;" valign="top" width="8%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; font-style: normal;">ITGP.02</span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 45.35pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 91.22%;" valign="top" width="91%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc298305276"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">Where possible, enterprise approaches and as a consequence enterprise systems capabilities will be developed and used instead of developing separate systems to support similar functions in different (or the same) divisions.</span></a><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 45.35pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 45.35pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 8.78%;" valign="top" width="8%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; font-style: normal;">ITGP.03</span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 45.35pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 91.22%;" valign="top" width="91%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc298305277"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc266691347"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc298305277;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">The required enterprise systems capability requirements will be identified and choices made to either develop a new system to provide this function for the department, or to enhance an existing system to provide this for the department.</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 45.35pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 45.35pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 8.78%;" valign="top" width="8%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; font-style: normal;">ITGP.04</span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 45.35pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 91.22%;" valign="top" width="91%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">The approach to provide systems support for new policy proposals (NPP) will be designed at the time of writing the NPP to enable a better approach and costing estimate.</span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 45.35pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 45.35pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 8.78%;" valign="top" width="8%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; font-style: normal;">ITGP.05</span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 45.35pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 91.22%;" valign="top" width="91%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">Policy and reform projects should design and deliver systems that contribute to the enterprise capabilities that can be leveraged by the department.</span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 26.6pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 8.78%;" valign="top" width="8%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; font-style: normal;">ITGP.06</span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.6pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 91.22%;" valign="top" width="91%"><div class="Heading3Numbered" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc298305279"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc266691349"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc298305279;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">Decisions on whether the systems development activities should be delivered using departmental capabilities or outsourced will be jointly considered with the sponsor area, the Office of the Chief Information and Knowledge Officer and other appropriate specialists</span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc298305279;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">.</span></span><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"></span></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">I have to say I found these a little lacking in terms of scope and coverage. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">4. The planned management of the project really takes the biscuit in terms of being baroque and convoluted. The number of Boards and Committees really takes one’s breath away. The diffusion of responsibility is a real treat to behold.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">5. This all has the flavour of another very large ICT project being kicked off by Government that might suffer the fate of others we can all think of.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">6. The planned rationale and benefits are interesting.</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc335924623">3<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Programme Benefits</a></span></h2><h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc335924624">3.1<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Key Benefits</a></h3><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The strategic motivation for implementing the Aged Care Gateway was described in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Living Longer Living Better</i> aged care reform package.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Aged Care Gateway is a response to the conclusion presented in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Living Longer Living Better</i> that “The aged care system can be very difficult for older people, their families and carers to understand. The sources of information are wide and varied, often difficult to access and understand and do not support informed decision making.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Living Longer Living Better</i> aged care reform package outlined the major deliverables of the Aged Care Gateway:</div><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>My Aged Care website</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>National contact centre</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Linking service.</li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The likely benefits of implementing the Aged Care Gateway were briefly examined in the first pass business case, and benefits were outlined for older people, the aged care sector and the aged care system. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Now that the planning for the implementation of the Aged Care Gateway has advanced, it has been possible to examine the likely benefits in more detail. A graphical summary of the expected benefits is provided in Attachment A.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The expected benefits are clustered around these themes:</div><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Accessible and understandable information</li><li>imely and consistent experiences</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Linked services.</li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The benefits expected of the Aged Care Gateway are documented in the following tables. The tables include information about the benefit itself, how it is to be achieved, and how the measurement of the benefit may occur.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">-----</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">There seems to be a risk of some downside to all this - which we plan to ignore:</div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc335924629">3.2.4<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Disbenefits</a></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The analysis also detected some potential disadvantages for certain parties that may arise from the implementation of the Aged Care Gateway.</div><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>The implementation of the National Contact Centre may lead to perceptions of reduced opportunities for face-to-face service delivery and reduced access to local knowledge, especially in cases where a telephone service replaces services that were previously accessed in a face-to-face setting.</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Some providers may find that the role of the National Contact Centre may limit their ability to refer cases to themselves.</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>The Aged Care Gateway will require providers to interact with new systems. This requirement may contribute to the need for providers to enhance or replace their automated business systems.</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>The implementation of the Aged Care Gateway, and especially the My Aged Care website, may lead to greater awareness of entitlements and support options. This may lead to increased demand for services.</li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">There are no plans to measure the magnitude of these consequences of implementing the Aged Care Gateway.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">-----</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">And the approach to benefits is very clear - if rather brief!</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc335924631">4<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Benefits Approach</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">The Aged Care Gateway Sourcing Strategy explores in great detail how the Department of Health and Ageing might strategically approach the change management aspects of delivering the Gateway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A critical part of this change management is the delivery of the following:</div><ul><li><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Benefits and evaluation framework</span></b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> – Development of a whole of program framework for the assessment and tracking of benefits in a way that demonstrates linkages between benefits and policy objectives</span></li><li><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Monitoring capability</span></b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> – delivery of monitoring services that assist the department to source, compile, review and evaluate data developed during implementation</span></li><li><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Evaluation services –</span></b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> development of an evaluation framework, and approach for monitoring and measurement of activities that inform progress and contribution of the program to the program benefits.</span></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">It is expected that a specialist Change Management partner will be able to re-use the information already established by the Gateway programme and build upon this to achieve the above outcomes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">-----</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Why does this all just cause a sense of deja vu?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">I am sure others will pick up a lot more. Really worth a browse.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-77438014801701802022013-03-01T21:00:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:40.994-07:00Weekly Overseas Health IT Links - 2nd March, 2013.<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Here are a few I have come across last week. </span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Note: Each link is followed by a title and few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/humetrix-unveils-improved-iblue-button"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/humetrix-unveils-improved-iblue-button</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460810">Humetrix unveils improved iBlueButton</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Anthony Brino, Associate Editor, <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Healthcare Payer News</span></i> and <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Government Health IT</span></i></i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/22/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The San Diego-based software company Humetrix has released a cross-platform version of its iBlueButton app that lets patients and physicians exchange medical information at the point of care with iPhones, iPads and Android smartphones.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Humetrix, which won the federal government’s </span></span></span><a href="http://www.govhealthit.com/news/blue-button-app-contest-winners-selected"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Blue Button mashup innovation challenge</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">, calls the multi-platform personal health record app the first of its kind, with secure QR-code data transfer.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"iBlueButton puts patients’ health in their own hands and, in doing so, not only solves the problem of having your health records when and where they’re needed, but dramatically improves patient-physician communication at the point of care," Bettina Experton, MD, Humetrix CEO and an adjunct professor of medicine at the University of California San Diego, said in a media release.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=673677"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=673677</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460811">U.S. Doctors Slow To Adopt Electronic Health Records</a></span></span></h2><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Despite incentives, just 1 in 6 uses the new technology, study finds</span></span></span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">By Serena Gordon</span></b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">HealthDay Reporter</span></i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Although doctors who are using electronic health records in a meaningful way are eligible for a $44,000 bonus from the U.S. government, many still haven't adopted the new technology, a new study shows. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Overall, just one in six doctors has adopted electronic health records significantly enough to qualify for the bonus, the study found.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"These are the doctors that have attested to using the electronic health records. My guess is that more people are on the journey [to using electronic records] than have attested to it. But, there are still some physicians who haven't started using electronic health records at all," said the study's lead author, Adam Wright, a senior research scientist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercemedicalimaging.com/special-reports/4-radiology-safety-efforts-reducing-risk-improving-quality-0"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercemedicalimaging.com/special-reports/4-radiology-safety-efforts-reducing-risk-improving-quality-0</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460812">Special report: 4 radiology safety efforts for reducing risk, improving quality</a></span></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">February 22, 2013 | By </span></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercemedicalimaging.com/author/Mike%20Bassett" title="View author profile."><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mike Bassett</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Improving the quality and safety of patient care has always been a primary concern for imaging professionals, and they often are on the lookout for technical innovations and other solutions that can help them reach that goal.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">For instance, doctors at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia recently looked into how clinical decision support tools could help them to reduce unnecessary patient scans. Research presented at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine last May found that use of such technology led to a near 10 percent decrease in the number of CT scans performed, according to Angela Mills, an associate professor of emergency medicine at the university's hospital.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/researchers-cpoe-averted-174-million-medication-errors-one-year/2013-02-22"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/researchers-cpoe-averted-174-million-medication-errors-one-year/2013-02-22</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460813">Researchers: CPOE averted 17.4 million medication errors in one year</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 22, 2013 | By Gienna Shaw</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Electronic prescribing through computerized physician order entry averted 17.4 million medication errors in the U.S. in a single year, according to researchers publishing in the <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Journal American Medical Informatics Association</span></i>.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The authors analyzed data from 2006 to 2008, including the American Hospital Association's 2008 </span></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/topics/ehrs-meaningful-use" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">electronic health record</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> adoption database to estimate the reduction in medication errors that they said could be attributed to CPOE.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"Processing a prescription drug order through a CPOE system decreases the likelihood of error on that order by 48 percent," the authors </span></span></span><a href="http://jamia.bmj.com/content/early/2013/01/27/amiajnl-2012-001241.full"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">wrote</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">. "Given this effect size, and the degree of CPOE adoption and use in hospitals in 2008, we estimate a 12.5% reduction in medication errors, or 17.4 million medication errors averted."</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/EHI/8395/you-don%27t-have-mail-consultations"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/EHI/8395/you-don%27t-have-mail-consultations</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460821">You don't have mail consultations</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">21 February 2013 </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The majority of UK GPs believe that email consultations are not an appropriate means of communicating with patients, and almost 80% have yet to do so. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A survey of 1,000 GPs for eHealth Insider by doctors.net.uk shows that GPs are skeptical about the appropriateness, safety and reliability of such communications - despite official enthusiasm for the idea.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The survey suggests that much work will need to be done to convince GPs of the benefits of email consultations as one of a range of alternatives to face-to-face visits, which form a key ambition in the government’s 2012 NHS information strategy, 'The Power of Information'.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/EHI/8394/gps-not-there-on-records-access---survey"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/EHI/8394/gps-not-there-on-records-access---survey</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460822">GPs not there on records access - survey</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">21 February 2013 </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The overwhelming majority of GP practices are not ready to implement the government’s flagship NHS IT pledge to give patients online access to their records by 2015.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">An exclusive survey for eHealth Insider, conducted by doctors.net.uk, found that 43% of just over 1,000 GP respondents said “we haven’t started to address this yet” when asked how ready they were to facilitate patient access to records.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A further third (29%) said their IT systems still needed work or that the relevant functionality had not been switched on, and a quarter (24%) said they simply did now know how ready their practice was. Just 4% said “our IT system is ready, and is already live.”</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ecri-releases-c-suite-watch-list-top-10-hospital-technology-issues-2013-0"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ecri-releases-c-suite-watch-list-top-10-hospital-technology-issues-2013-0</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460829">ECRI releases C-suite watchlist of top 10 hospital technology issues for 2013</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Diana Manos, Senior Editor</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/20/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Healthcare reform, accountable care organizations, readmissions and reimbursement rates are just a few of the challenges facing today's healthcare leaders, according to a new report from ECRI Institute, a non-profit evidence-based practice center.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Balancing costs and savings potential for new technologies also weighs heavily on their shoulders, the Feb. 19 report says. A new Watch List from ECRI Institute provides a roadmap to 10 technology issues that healthcare leaders should have on their radar in 2013 and beyond.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">ECRI Institute's "Top 10 C-Suite Watch List: Hospital Technology Issues for 2013" reflects ongoing impacts of healthcare reform initiatives and new technology developments, according to a news release by ECRI. Some of the technologies represent significant capital investments, such as PET/MR. Others, including mobile health, metabolic surgery and low-dose computed tomography lung screening, may greatly affect operations and care patterns.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460839">5 Ways To Improve Healthcare Information Exchanges</a></span> </span></span></h2><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Define the problem you want to solve with an HIE -- and be ready for incompatibility headaches, say experts. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">By Michelle McNickle, </span></span></span><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">InformationWeek </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />February 19, 2013<br />URL: </span></span></span><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/interoperability/5-ways-to-improve-healthcare-information/240148735"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/interoperability/5-ways-to-improve-healthcare-information/240148735</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Recent comments made by a number of leaders throughout the industry show clear discontentment with the state of health information exchanges. As William Yasnoff, MD, PhD, president of the Health Record Banking Alliance, recently pointed out, the current nationwide network of health information exchanges is an </span></span><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/interoperability/health-information-exchange-debate-gets/240147803?queryText=HIE"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">"unmitigated disaster,"</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"> due primarily to obstacles in privacy, stakeholder cooperation and financial stability. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Four experts sat down to discuss current data exchange trends and best practices at the eHealth Initiative Annual Conference. Among the panelists were Chris Hobson, MD, CMO at Orion Health; Arien Malec, VP of strategy and product marketing at Relay Health; David Horrocks, president of Maryland HIE </span></span></span><a href="http://www.crisphealth.org/"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP)</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">, and Eric Thieme, VP at the Indiana Health Information Exchange. </span></span></span><a href="http://adserver.adtechus.com/?adlink/5242/1257926/0/16/AdId=-3;BnId=0;itime=406990978;key=240148735+healthcare+/healthcare/interoperability/5-ways-to-improve-healthcare-in;" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><img alt="AdTech Ad" border="0" height="1" src="file:///C:\Users\David\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif" width="1" /></span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ehr-users-dissatisfied-consider-switch"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ehr-users-dissatisfied-consider-switch</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460840">EHR users unhappy, many switching</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Erin McCann, Associate Editor</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/19/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">With more </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/directory/electronic-health-record-ehr" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">electronic health record</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> systems continuing to fall short of providers' expectations, a new report by Black Book Rankings suggests that 2013 may indeed be the "year of the great EHR vendor switch." </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">After polling some 17,000 active EHR adopters, report officials found that as many as 17 percent of medical practices could be switching out their first choice EHR by the end of the year. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">“The high performance vendors emerging as viable past 2015 are those dedicating responsive teams to address customers’ current demands,” said Black Book’s managing partner Doug Brown, in a news release. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fierceemr.com/story/will-2013-be-year-great-ehr-vendor-switch/2013-02-20"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fierceemr.com/story/will-2013-be-year-great-ehr-vendor-switch/2013-02-20</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460830">Will 2013 be the 'year of the great EHR vendor switch'?</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 20, 2013 | By Susan D. Hall</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This could be the "Year of the Great EHR Vendor Switch," according to a new Black Book Rankings survey indicating that up to 17 percent of physician practices plan to ditch their current electronic health record system.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Unmet expectations in system features, implementations, deliverables and client support issues are blamed for the dissatisfaction, according to an </span></span></span><a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/2/prweb10416655.htm" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">announcement</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> that tells of dozens, if not hundreds, of software firms underperforming badly enough to lose major market share.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/obama-administration-wants-map-human-brain/2013-02-19"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/obama-administration-wants-map-human-brain/2013-02-19</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460842">Obama administration wants to map the human brain</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 19, 2013 | By Ashley Gold</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">With a nod toward the importance of strides in healthcare technology, the Obama administration is planning a long-term effort to examine the human brain and build a map of its activity. The project is being compared to the Human Genome Project in a recent <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">New York Times</span></i> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/science/project-seeks-to-build-map-of-human-brain.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">article</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Slated to be unveiled as early as March, the project will be a collaboration of federal agencies, private foundations and neuroscientists and nanoscientists, all looking "to advance the knowledge of the brain's billions of neurons and gain greater insights into perception, actions and, ultimately, consciousness," according to the <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Times.</span></i></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/economic-evaluations-health-it-systems-generally-positive/2013-02-19"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/economic-evaluations-health-it-systems-generally-positive/2013-02-19</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460843">Economic evaluations for health IT systems generally positive</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">February 19, 2013 | By Susan D. Hall</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In the wake of reports that the push to go digital in healthcare hasn't produced the promised results, a literature review of economic evaluations of health IT systems finds an array of methods, but generally positive conclusions.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Researchers from the University of Victoria in British Columbia looked at 33 papers that sought to pin down the value the systems provided, not just the cost. Their </span></span></span><a href="http://jamia.bmj.com/content/early/2013/02/14/amiajnl-2012-001422.full" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">research</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> is published in the <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Journal of the</span></i> <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">American Medical Informatics Association</span></i>.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The papers included 12 economic analyses, five input cost analyses and 16 cost-related outcome analyses and covered primary care electronic medical records (seven papers); six computerized provider order entry systems (six); medication management systems (five); immunization information systems (five); institutional information systems (four); disease management systems (three); clinical documentation systems (two); and one health information exchange network.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2013/mobile-device-security-boosting-confidence-and-trust-in-health-it.aspx"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2013/mobile-device-security-boosting-confidence-and-trust-in-health-it.aspx</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Tuesday, February 19, 2013</span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460850">Mobile Device Security: Boosting Confidence and Trust in Health IT</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">by Helen R. Pfister and Susan R. Ingargiola, Manatt Health Solutions </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mobile devices like laptops, smartphones and tablets have the potential to increase the quality and efficiency of health care by, among other things, making it easier for health care providers to access patient information when and where they need it. Because health care providers are increasingly using these devices, the HHS </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/your-mobile-device-and-health-information-privacy-and-security" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">recently released a new set of online tools</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> to help providers comply with their obligations under HIPAA when using mobile devices. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">HHS' tips are designed to be particularly helpful to smaller health care providers, such as independent physician offices and health centers, but they should be of interest to health care providers of all sizes.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/TEC-289378/Connected-Health-Advocate-Seeks-Wider-Audience"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/TEC-289378/Connected-Health-Advocate-Seeks-Wider-Audience</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460851">Connected Health Advocate Seeks Wider Audience</a></span></span></h2><h3 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Scott Mace, for HealthLeaders Media</span></i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> , February 19, 2013 </span></span></span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It seems like every other physician I meet these days has a tech-powered start-up in the works, or an idea for one.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Take Joseph Kvedar, MD, profiled in our December 2012 issue as </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/page-1/TEC-288101/HL20-Joseph-Kvedar-MDmdashTeching-Better-Care-of-Patients" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">one of the HealthLeaders 20</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">. Founder and director of the Center for Connected Health at Partners HealthCare in Boston, no sooner did that honor fall on his shoulders than he launched his start-up, </span></span></span><a href="http://www.wellocracy.com/" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Wellocracy</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">. It's a side project while he continues as director of the Partners Healthcare nexus for all things connected health.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"For some time, I've felt like our ability to really get connected health adopted has been limited by our view of it through the lens of patient care," Kvedar told me at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show. "I had really thought with great interest about a way to reach consumers, so that was always in my head. And then another observation over the years was that patients, although we sometimes had to coax them to participate in telemonitoring programs, once they get on they didn't want to come off. Patients find it very comforting. They've connected in. They feel cared for."</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ecaring-taps-connected-independence"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ecaring-taps-connected-independence</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460853">eCaring taps into seniors market</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Eric Wicklund, Editor, mHIMSS</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/18/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Call it "connected independence" or "sustainable aging," but the impact is clear: Today's seniors are a growing population, and they're demanding more from an already-taxed healthcare system as they strive to stay in their own homes and out of the hospital.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This population represents one of the biggest markets for telehealth, serving not only the seniors but their family members and other caregivers, physicians, senior service agencies and assisted living communities. Mobile devices and platforms are giving seniors the opportunity to connect at all times with their caregivers and share health data, while allowing clinicians to monitor their patients around the clock and take action before a medical crisis occurs.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/health-technologys-essential-critic-warns-medical-mistakes"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/health-technologys-essential-critic-warns-medical-mistakes</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460854">Health technology's 'essential critic' warns of medical mistakes</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Kaiser Health News</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/18/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">By </span></span></span><a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Reporters/HancockJ.aspx"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Jay Hancock</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">, KHN Staff Writer</span></span></span></div><div class="note" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This story was produced in collaboration with The Philadelphia Enquirer</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Computer mistakes like the one that produced incorrect prescriptions for thousands of Rhode Island patients are probably far more common and dangerous than the Obama administration wants you to believe, says Drexel University’s Dr. Scot Silverstein.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Flawed software at Lifespan hospital group printed orders for low-dose, short-acting pills when patients should have been taking stronger, time-release ones, the Providence-based system disclosed in 2011. Lifespan says nobody was harmed.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But Silverstein, a physician and adjunct professor of healthcare informatics who is making a name for himself as a strident critic of electronic health records, says the Lifespan breakdown is part of a much larger problem.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We’re in the midst of a mania right now” as traditional patient charts are switched to computers, he said in an interview in his Lansdale home. “We know it causes harm, and we don’t even know the level of magnitude. That statement alone should be the basis for the greatest of caution and slowing down.”</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/date-no-one-hie-model-fits-all"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/date-no-one-hie-model-fits-all</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460855">To date, no one HIE model fits all</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">By <i>Patty Enrado, Special Projects Editor</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">Created <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">02/18/2013</span></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">When William Yasnoff, MD, president of the Health Record Banking Alliance (HRBA), </span></span></span><a href="http://www.nhinwatch.com/perspective/sad-truth-hies-are-failing" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">declared</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> that "our nationwide network of health information exchanges is an unmitigated disaster" in a NHINWatch Perspective column last month, his assessment that HIEs are failing became a hot topic of discussion. Critics and supporters weighed in. </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/directory/mostashari-farzad" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Farzad Mostashari</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">, MD, national health IT coordinator, </span></span></span><a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/mostashari-spotlights-roi-hie" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">emphasized</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> the return on investment of current HIEs at the Jan. 29 joint meeting of the federal advisory Health IT Policy and Standards committees.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">As the debate continues, Irene Koch, executive director of the Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX), points out, "Evolution is still happening with all of the systems and the standards." Provider buy-in and a commitment to care coordination from all stakeholders (patient, provider and payer), which is critical to making health information exchange successful, regardless of model, are also in the early stages of development, she said.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">-----</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span><a href="http://ehi.co.uk/news/mobile/8386/telehealth-benefits-realised"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">http://ehi.co.uk/news/mobile/8386/telehealth-benefits-realised</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large; mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460856">Telehealth benefits realised</a></span></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;">15 February 2013 Lis Evenstad </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A Yorkshire project proves the cost benefits of telehealth, says a report on the scheme by think-tank 2020health.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The report evaluates the Yorkshire and the Humber Telehealth Hub, which was set up in 2011 as a partnership between Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Hull and South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The aim was to reduce hospital admissions and prove cost benefits. Despite struggles with clinical engagement and very low uptake in some areas, more than 2,000 patients were enrolled.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">-----</span></span></span></div><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"></span> <br /><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Enjoy!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">David.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764939228788827816.post-35149386103777660792013-02-28T21:30:00.000-08:002013-09-27T12:02:41.064-07:00Interesting To See How Electronic Medication Ordering Can Reduce Errors. Seems It Really Works.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">This appeared a little while ago.</div><h2 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23447705" name="_Toc349460813">Researchers: CPOE averted 17.4 million medication errors in one year</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">February 22, 2013 | By Gienna Shaw</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Electronic prescribing through computerized physician order entry averted 17.4 million medication errors in the U.S. in a single year, according to researchers publishing in the <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Journal American Medical Informatics Association</span></i>.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The authors analyzed data from 2006 to 2008, including the American Hospital Association's 2008 </span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/topics/ehrs-meaningful-use" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">electronic health record</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> adoption database to estimate the reduction in medication errors that they said could be attributed to CPOE.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"Processing a prescription drug order through a CPOE system decreases the likelihood of error on that order by 48 percent," the authors </span><a href="http://jamia.bmj.com/content/early/2013/01/27/amiajnl-2012-001241.full"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">wrote</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. "Given this effect size, and the degree of CPOE adoption and use in hospitals in 2008, we estimate a 12.5% reduction in medication errors, or 17.4 million medication errors averted."</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Putting a hard number on the results of any health information technology on </span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/topics/quality-outcomes" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">quality improvement</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> is a challenge--and research on the effects of HIT are often ripe for debate. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For example, data transfer between health IT systems can threaten patient safety perspective, according to an </span><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/data-transfer-issues-between-hit-systems-major-safety-concern/2013-02-07" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">analysis of health IT-related safety events by the ECRI Institute Patient Safety Organization</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">FierceHealthIT</span></i> reported earlier this month.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A breakdown of the events found that 53 percent were associated with medication management systems. Of the systems identified in such events, computerized physician order entry systems were mentioned the most (25 percent of the time).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">More with links here:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/researchers-cpoe-averted-174-million-medication-errors-one-year/2013-02-22">http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/researchers-cpoe-averted-174-million-medication-errors-one-year/2013-02-22</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">A useful one for the evidence files.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">David.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com