H.R.6331 Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008
Here is an excerpt from the recently passed legislation: carrots, sticks and all.
I am surprised at small size of the initial bonus and the quickness with which it will be decreased.
Let's get some opinions. SV
The bonuses would seem to decrease over the years:
`(C) APPLICABLE ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING PERCENT- For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term `applicable electronic prescribing percent' means--
`(i) for 2009 and 2010, 2.0 percent;
`(ii) for 2011 and 2012, 1.0 percent; and
`(iii) for 2013, 0.5 percent.';
While the penalalties would increase over the years (percent of fee schedule after penalty is applied):
ii) APPLICABLE PERCENT- For purposes of clause (i), the term `applicable percent' means--
`(I) for 2012, 99 percent;
`(II) for 2013, 98.5 percent; and
`(III) for 2014 and each subsequent year, 98 percent.
The Government will revisit the incentives/disincentives base upon several variables including:
(c) GAO Report on Electronic Prescribing- Not later than September 1, 2012, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of the incentives for electronic prescribing established under the provisions of, and amendments made by, this section. Such report shall include information regarding the following:
(1) The percentage of eligible professionals (as defined in section 1848(k)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(k)(3)) that are using electronic prescribing systems, including a determination of whether less than 50 percent of eligible professionals are using electronic prescribing systems.
(2) If less than 50 percent of eligible professionals are using electronic prescribing systems, recommendations for increasing the use of electronic prescribing systems by eligible professionals, such as changes to the incentive payment adjustments established under section 1848(a)(5) of such Act, as added by subsection (b).
(3) The estimated savings to the Medicare program under title XVIII of such Act resulting from the use of electronic prescribing systems.
(4) Reductions in avoidable medical errors resulting from the use of electronic prescribing systems.
H.R. 6331
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
DEA e-prescription regulations released June 27 2008
The highlights:
1) Prescriber in-person identity proofing (fortunately this can be done at a DEA-registered hospital)
2)Authentication protocol would have to be two-factor
3)Pharmacies would have to regularly check on the prescriber's status
4)Both the electronic prescription service provider and the pharmacy system provider would need to obtain annual third-party audits for security and processing integrity. 3rd party audits
Here is an abridged version of the 62 page document.
Public comment is strongly recommended. SV
DEA considered and is proposing two options:
Electronically signed prescriptions with security controls. Under this alternative, practitioners would be required to undergo in-person identity proofing and submit documentation of that to a service provider. The identity proofing would be conducted by a DEA-registered hospital, a State licensing board, or State or local law enforcement agency. The service provider would be required to check the validity of the DEA registration and State license before issuing an authentication protocol to be used to sign controlled substance prescriptions. The authentication protocol would have to be two-factor, with one factor stored on a hard token (e.g., a PDA, a multifactor one-time-use password token, a thumb drive, a smart card). DEA would also impose certain system requirements related to the prescription elements and their presentation; most existing systems may already meet these requirements. The prescription would have to be transmitted immediately upon being signed and the service provider would have to digitally sign and archive the record before transmitting the plain text prescription to the intermediaries. The pharmacy would have to digitally sign and archive the prescription as received. The pharmacy system would need an internal audit trail to record any attempts to alter a record and conduct internal checks for such attempts. Both the electronic prescription service provider and the pharmacy system provider would need to obtain annual third-party audits for security and processing integrity. The service provider would have to generate a monthly log, which practitioners would be required to check for obvious anomalies. The rationale for each of the requirements is presented under the discussion of the proposed rule below.
Modified digitally signed prescriptions. Due to the current use of
digital signatures by Federal health care systems, and the added security afforded by such signatures, DEA is proposing to allow practitioners that prescribe controlled substances at Federal health care facilities (e.g., Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense) the additional option of using digital certificates, issued by such Federal agencies, to sign controlled substance prescriptions issued in the course of their official duties within those facilities. These Federal agencies would need to determine that the practitioner is authorized and registered, or exempted from the requirement of registration, to prescribe controlled substances. The private key would be required to be stored on a hard token. Federal agencies will already be meeting this requirement in issuing Personal Identification Verification (PIV) cards under Federal Information Processing Standard 201. Most of the system requirements would be the same as in the previous option except that the Federal agency could elect to allow the practitioner to digitally sign and archive the prescription once the DEA-required elements are complete and transmit later when other information has been added (e.g., retail pharmacy URL). The Federal agency would not have to digitally sign the record as transmitted. The pharmacy requirements would be the same. The digital signature would not be transmitted to the pharmacy; the pharmacy would not have to validate the record. However, if a Federal agency wished to include the digital signature as part of the transmission, DEA is permitting this alternative. In that case, the pharmacy would be required to validate the digital signature, but would not be required to digitally sign the prescription as received. Because a Certification Authority would issue the digital certificate and because record integrity is more assured with a digital signature, DEA would not require a check of a monthly log or third-party audits for security. The rationale for each of the requirements is presented under the discussion of the proposed rule below.
National Register
The highlights:
1) Prescriber in-person identity proofing (fortunately this can be done at a DEA-registered hospital)
2)Authentication protocol would have to be two-factor
3)Pharmacies would have to regularly check on the prescriber's status
4)Both the electronic prescription service provider and the pharmacy system provider would need to obtain annual third-party audits for security and processing integrity. 3rd party audits
Here is an abridged version of the 62 page document.
Public comment is strongly recommended. SV
DEA considered and is proposing two options:
Electronically signed prescriptions with security controls. Under this alternative, practitioners would be required to undergo in-person identity proofing and submit documentation of that to a service provider. The identity proofing would be conducted by a DEA-registered hospital, a State licensing board, or State or local law enforcement agency. The service provider would be required to check the validity of the DEA registration and State license before issuing an authentication protocol to be used to sign controlled substance prescriptions. The authentication protocol would have to be two-factor, with one factor stored on a hard token (e.g., a PDA, a multifactor one-time-use password token, a thumb drive, a smart card). DEA would also impose certain system requirements related to the prescription elements and their presentation; most existing systems may already meet these requirements. The prescription would have to be transmitted immediately upon being signed and the service provider would have to digitally sign and archive the record before transmitting the plain text prescription to the intermediaries. The pharmacy would have to digitally sign and archive the prescription as received. The pharmacy system would need an internal audit trail to record any attempts to alter a record and conduct internal checks for such attempts. Both the electronic prescription service provider and the pharmacy system provider would need to obtain annual third-party audits for security and processing integrity. The service provider would have to generate a monthly log, which practitioners would be required to check for obvious anomalies. The rationale for each of the requirements is presented under the discussion of the proposed rule below.
Modified digitally signed prescriptions. Due to the current use of
digital signatures by Federal health care systems, and the added security afforded by such signatures, DEA is proposing to allow practitioners that prescribe controlled substances at Federal health care facilities (e.g., Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense) the additional option of using digital certificates, issued by such Federal agencies, to sign controlled substance prescriptions issued in the course of their official duties within those facilities. These Federal agencies would need to determine that the practitioner is authorized and registered, or exempted from the requirement of registration, to prescribe controlled substances. The private key would be required to be stored on a hard token. Federal agencies will already be meeting this requirement in issuing Personal Identification Verification (PIV) cards under Federal Information Processing Standard 201. Most of the system requirements would be the same as in the previous option except that the Federal agency could elect to allow the practitioner to digitally sign and archive the prescription once the DEA-required elements are complete and transmit later when other information has been added (e.g., retail pharmacy URL). The Federal agency would not have to digitally sign the record as transmitted. The pharmacy requirements would be the same. The digital signature would not be transmitted to the pharmacy; the pharmacy would not have to validate the record. However, if a Federal agency wished to include the digital signature as part of the transmission, DEA is permitting this alternative. In that case, the pharmacy would be required to validate the digital signature, but would not be required to digitally sign the prescription as received. Because a Certification Authority would issue the digital certificate and because record integrity is more assured with a digital signature, DEA would not require a check of a monthly log or third-party audits for security. The rationale for each of the requirements is presented under the discussion of the proposed rule below.
National Register
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Horizon BCBSNJ Sponsors Hospitals adoption of E-Medication Technology
This is a wonderful application of existing technology that will yield immediate benefits. Concurrent with this press release was news of the SureScripts-RxHub merger. As we await the "construction" of RHIOs, the Horizon sponsorship and hopefully others like it will permit patients to reap the benefits of what is readily available. SV
Horizon BCBSNJ First Insurer in the Nation to Provide Financial Support to Select Network Hospitals for the Adoption of E- Medication History Technology
The program will be administered through RcopiaAC MedHx by DrFirst which connects to the largest and most comprehensive medication history data sources available in the market. RcopiaAC collects, displays, and documents patient medication history information at the time of admission and connects directly to hospitals taking part in the program. When a patient is admitted into the hospital, RcopiaAC will send an electronic medical history request to multiple sources including RxHub, Surescripts, DrFirst’s nationwide network of Rcopia e-prescribing users, and DrFirst’s EMR Open Borders partners. When medication history information is found, it will be submitted back to the hospital. The system will be completely automated and the information will be relayed in real time.
Horizon BCBSNJ
This is a wonderful application of existing technology that will yield immediate benefits. Concurrent with this press release was news of the SureScripts-RxHub merger. As we await the "construction" of RHIOs, the Horizon sponsorship and hopefully others like it will permit patients to reap the benefits of what is readily available. SV
Horizon BCBSNJ First Insurer in the Nation to Provide Financial Support to Select Network Hospitals for the Adoption of E- Medication History Technology
The program will be administered through RcopiaAC MedHx by DrFirst which connects to the largest and most comprehensive medication history data sources available in the market. RcopiaAC collects, displays, and documents patient medication history information at the time of admission and connects directly to hospitals taking part in the program. When a patient is admitted into the hospital, RcopiaAC will send an electronic medical history request to multiple sources including RxHub, Surescripts, DrFirst’s nationwide network of Rcopia e-prescribing users, and DrFirst’s EMR Open Borders partners. When medication history information is found, it will be submitted back to the hospital. The system will be completely automated and the information will be relayed in real time.
Horizon BCBSNJ
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Federal budget:your opportunity to act
Here is the link for the ACPONLINE CAPWIZ site. SV
ACPONLINE CAPWIZ
Here is the link for a sample letter for patients.
Letter
Here is the link for the ACPONLINE CAPWIZ site. SV
ACPONLINE CAPWIZ
Here is the link for a sample letter for patients.
Letter
Friday, June 27, 2008
DEA Issues Proposed Regulations to Allow Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances
ePrescribing of controlled substances will further improve operations in doctors' offices. SV
JUN 27 -- DEA today published proposed regulations that would provide physicians and other authorized prescribers with the option of issuing electronic prescriptions for controlled substances. These regulations would also permit pharmacies to receive, dispense, and archive these electronic prescriptions. The agency is seeking public comment on the proposed regulations. Any member of the public wishing to submit comments may do so by mail or electronically on or before September 25, 2008.
These regulations provide pharmacies, hospitals, and practitioners with the ability to use modern technology for controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining the closed system of controls on controlled substances dispensing; additionally, the proposed regulations would reduce paperwork for DEA registrants who prescribe or dispense controlled substances and have the potential to reduce prescription forgery.
US DOJ
ePrescribing of controlled substances will further improve operations in doctors' offices. SV
JUN 27 -- DEA today published proposed regulations that would provide physicians and other authorized prescribers with the option of issuing electronic prescriptions for controlled substances. These regulations would also permit pharmacies to receive, dispense, and archive these electronic prescriptions. The agency is seeking public comment on the proposed regulations. Any member of the public wishing to submit comments may do so by mail or electronically on or before September 25, 2008.
These regulations provide pharmacies, hospitals, and practitioners with the ability to use modern technology for controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining the closed system of controls on controlled substances dispensing; additionally, the proposed regulations would reduce paperwork for DEA registrants who prescribe or dispense controlled substances and have the potential to reduce prescription forgery.
US DOJ
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Personal Health Records (PHR) privacy protections codified: Common Framework for Networked Personal Health Information
The Markle Foundation has published the suggested rules of operation that should give greater protection to users of PHR type products. Google, Microsoft, among others, are on-board. SV
Connectingforhealth.org
The Markle Foundation has published the suggested rules of operation that should give greater protection to users of PHR type products. Google, Microsoft, among others, are on-board. SV
Connectingforhealth.org
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Our Pen and Paper Doctors New York Times Editorial June 24 2008
I just read the editorial which refers to the June 18, 2008 New England Journal of Medicine article which surveyed 2,700 physicians. It notes that in countries with single payor systems, electronic health record use is almost universal. In those countries, the government foots the bill. All the financial benefits are then funneled back for re-investment etc. The major barriers noted here in the United States relate to the cost of acquisition, the cost of maintenance, the lack of standards and fear of early obsolescence among others.
Unfortunately, the editorial ends with the sentence, "It is time to drag private physicians out of the paper age".
There is no need to disbarage the concerns of physicians. The financial barriers are real and the financial benefits unfortunately mostly accrue to others. Physicians need not be "dragged", they just need the financial assistance to get started and a fair share of the benefits that will be generated. Once this is done, I believe that most physicians will do their fair share of pulling health care away from the Pen and Paper of the previous century.
Salvatore Volpe MD
Co-Chair of the Medical Society State of New York, Health Information Technology Committee
NY Times
I just read the editorial which refers to the June 18, 2008 New England Journal of Medicine article which surveyed 2,700 physicians. It notes that in countries with single payor systems, electronic health record use is almost universal. In those countries, the government foots the bill. All the financial benefits are then funneled back for re-investment etc. The major barriers noted here in the United States relate to the cost of acquisition, the cost of maintenance, the lack of standards and fear of early obsolescence among others.
Unfortunately, the editorial ends with the sentence, "It is time to drag private physicians out of the paper age".
There is no need to disbarage the concerns of physicians. The financial barriers are real and the financial benefits unfortunately mostly accrue to others. Physicians need not be "dragged", they just need the financial assistance to get started and a fair share of the benefits that will be generated. Once this is done, I believe that most physicians will do their fair share of pulling health care away from the Pen and Paper of the previous century.
Salvatore Volpe MD
Co-Chair of the Medical Society State of New York, Health Information Technology Committee
NY Times
The Ultimate Guide to Taking Control of Your Health Records
Here's a pretty good compilation of services and tools for laypersons and medical professionals related to electronic health records and personal health records. SV
Nursing Online Education Database NOEDb
Here's a pretty good compilation of services and tools for laypersons and medical professionals related to electronic health records and personal health records. SV
Nursing Online Education Database NOEDb
Monday, June 23, 2008
AT&T, Covisint and Microsoft Partnership: Nationwide Health Information Exchange
This promises to bring information from disparate sources together.
Not mentioned, is possible collaboration with other organizations attempting to create a National Health Information Exchange. More details are welcome. SV
The new eHealth information exchange is a revolutionary approach designed to reduce costs and improve the quality of care while putting patients in control of their medical records. It allows consumers using Microsoft® HealthVault™, a software and service-based platform for storing and accessing personal health information, to share information with authorized physicians and health care providers connected to AT&T Healthcare Community Online.
The new eHealth information exchange, enabled by Covisint’s On-Demand Healthcare Platform and layered on AT&T’s patented eHealth solutions and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network, shares information electronically and in a security-enhanced way across the continuum of care — from patient to provider communities such as HealthVault, health-information exchanges and insurers.
Press Release
This promises to bring information from disparate sources together.
Not mentioned, is possible collaboration with other organizations attempting to create a National Health Information Exchange. More details are welcome. SV
The new eHealth information exchange is a revolutionary approach designed to reduce costs and improve the quality of care while putting patients in control of their medical records. It allows consumers using Microsoft® HealthVault™, a software and service-based platform for storing and accessing personal health information, to share information with authorized physicians and health care providers connected to AT&T Healthcare Community Online.
The new eHealth information exchange, enabled by Covisint’s On-Demand Healthcare Platform and layered on AT&T’s patented eHealth solutions and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network, shares information electronically and in a security-enhanced way across the continuum of care — from patient to provider communities such as HealthVault, health-information exchanges and insurers.
Press Release
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts To Integrate With Google Health
Congratulations to BCBSMA and GOOGLE!
Remember this is just claims data, but it does help supplement the information that can be collected by practices participating in the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative by providing data from hospitals and physicians not part of the Collaborative. SV
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) announced today a partnership with Google Health that will expand options for members who want to create their own Personal Health Record (PHR). BCBSMA is the first health insurance company to sign an agreement to integrate on the Google Health platform. After the integration is complete, BCBSMA members can import their claims data into their Google Health profile safely and securely. Google Health, a new product that launched in mid-May of this year, allows patients to store and organize their medical records online.
Once this sharing relationship is established, Google Health will give BCBSMA members the ability to:
Organize, store and manage their medical records and personal health information online in one secure location, including BCBSMA claims data;
Download medical records and prescription history from other connected providers, such as retail pharmacies, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), labs and doctors offices;
Share their medical information with providers and or third party services they may offer customized services;
Learn about important health issues and potential drug-to-drug interactions;
Search for a doctor or hospital online.
BCBSMA
Congratulations to BCBSMA and GOOGLE!
Remember this is just claims data, but it does help supplement the information that can be collected by practices participating in the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative by providing data from hospitals and physicians not part of the Collaborative. SV
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) announced today a partnership with Google Health that will expand options for members who want to create their own Personal Health Record (PHR). BCBSMA is the first health insurance company to sign an agreement to integrate on the Google Health platform. After the integration is complete, BCBSMA members can import their claims data into their Google Health profile safely and securely. Google Health, a new product that launched in mid-May of this year, allows patients to store and organize their medical records online.
Once this sharing relationship is established, Google Health will give BCBSMA members the ability to:
Organize, store and manage their medical records and personal health information online in one secure location, including BCBSMA claims data;
Download medical records and prescription history from other connected providers, such as retail pharmacies, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), labs and doctors offices;
Share their medical information with providers and or third party services they may offer customized services;
Learn about important health issues and potential drug-to-drug interactions;
Search for a doctor or hospital online.
BCBSMA
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Kaiser Permanente My Health Manager partners with Microsoft Healthvault
This will be a major test of interoperability capability. SV
OAKLAND, Calif., and REDMOND, Wash. — Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft Corp. announced today that the two companies will pilot health data transfers between Kaiser Permanente's My Health Manager and the Microsoft HealthVault consumer health platform. Pairing two leaders in online health innovation, this pilot program is expected to unveil new strategies for expanding consumer access to online health information and management tools.
The pilot program will extend the functionality of the successful Kaiser Permanente personal health record, My Health Manager. Already, My Health Manager's more than 2 million users have convenient and easy online access to clinical information and health management tools, including e-mailing your doctor, online prescription refills and appointment scheduling. Connecting My Health Manager to the HealthVault platform will allow users to combine personal health information from Kaiser Permanente and a wide range of health and wellness management applications and devices such as blood pressure monitors.
Kaiser Permanente
This will be a major test of interoperability capability. SV
OAKLAND, Calif., and REDMOND, Wash. — Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft Corp. announced today that the two companies will pilot health data transfers between Kaiser Permanente's My Health Manager and the Microsoft HealthVault consumer health platform. Pairing two leaders in online health innovation, this pilot program is expected to unveil new strategies for expanding consumer access to online health information and management tools.
The pilot program will extend the functionality of the successful Kaiser Permanente personal health record, My Health Manager. Already, My Health Manager's more than 2 million users have convenient and easy online access to clinical information and health management tools, including e-mailing your doctor, online prescription refills and appointment scheduling. Connecting My Health Manager to the HealthVault platform will allow users to combine personal health information from Kaiser Permanente and a wide range of health and wellness management applications and devices such as blood pressure monitors.
Kaiser Permanente
CCHIT names PHR Advisory Task Force
Special congratulation to Dr Agrawal, an advocate of Medication Reconciliation. SV
Members of the task force are:
Co-chairs: Mark Leavitt, CCHIT, and Paul Tang, M.D., Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Abha Agrawal, M.D., Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, New York
Richard Benoit, Intel Digital Health Group
Lorraine Doo, Office of e-Health Standards and Services, CMS
Steve Findlay, Consumers Union
Meighan Girgus, American Heart Association
Theresa Hancock, Veterans and Consumers Health Informatics Office, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Leslie Harris, Center for Democracy and Technology
Missy Krasner, Google Health
Steve Lampkin, Wal-Mart
Holly Miller, M.D., University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio
Don Mon, American Health Information Management Association
Anna Lisa Silvestre, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan
Michael Stokes, Microsoft Corporation
Michael Ubl, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
Patient representative (to be named)
Special congratulation to Dr Agrawal, an advocate of Medication Reconciliation. SV
Members of the task force are:
Co-chairs: Mark Leavitt, CCHIT, and Paul Tang, M.D., Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Abha Agrawal, M.D., Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, New York
Richard Benoit, Intel Digital Health Group
Lorraine Doo, Office of e-Health Standards and Services, CMS
Steve Findlay, Consumers Union
Meighan Girgus, American Heart Association
Theresa Hancock, Veterans and Consumers Health Informatics Office, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Leslie Harris, Center for Democracy and Technology
Missy Krasner, Google Health
Steve Lampkin, Wal-Mart
Holly Miller, M.D., University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio
Don Mon, American Health Information Management Association
Anna Lisa Silvestre, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan
Michael Stokes, Microsoft Corporation
Michael Ubl, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
Patient representative (to be named)
CCHIT establishes Personal Health Records (PHR) Work Group
The Personal Health Records (PHR) Work Group was established in 2008 as part of the Certification Commission expansion. It is preparing to engage in CCHIT Certified 09 efforts.
Special congratulations to Dr Eytan:physician, philosopher, traveler. SV
Personal Health Records Work Group Members
Co-Chair:
Ted Eytan, MD MS MPH
Medical Director, Health Informatics & Web Services
Group Health Cooperative
Lory Wood
VP, Chief Security and Compliance Officer
Good Health Network
Members:
Nicole Antonson, RN, MBA
Program Manager, Patient Safety
McKesson
Suzie Burke-Bebee, MSIS, MS, RN
Senior Health Informatician
Dept Health and Human Services
Albert Chan, MD, MS
Physician Champion of Electronic Health Record and PAMFOnline
Sutter Health, Palo Alto Medical Foundation/Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group
Haris Domazet
Division Lead of Web Technical Services
Epic Systems Corporation
Donna DuLong, RN, BSN
Program Director
TIGER Initiative
Paul Edge
VP, Clinical Solutions
Misys Healthcare Systems
Michael Galang, DO, MS
Chief Medical Information Officer
Catholic Health System of Western New York
Lenel James, BS, MBA
Senior Project Manager
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
Jerry Lin
Product Manager
Google
Cortney Nicolato
Senior Manager, Strategic Alliances & Health IT
American Heart Association National Center
Jan Oldenburg
Practice Leader
Kaiser Permanente
Juhan Sonin
Designer
MITRE
Stelle Smith
Clinical Product Marketing Manager
Sage Software
James Tosone
Director, Healthcare Informatics
Pfizer Inc
Lawrence Williams
President / CEO
Roadside Telematics Corporation
Julie Wolter, MA, RHIA
Assistant Professor
Saint Louis University
CCHIT
The Personal Health Records (PHR) Work Group was established in 2008 as part of the Certification Commission expansion. It is preparing to engage in CCHIT Certified 09 efforts.
Special congratulations to Dr Eytan:physician, philosopher, traveler. SV
Personal Health Records Work Group Members
Co-Chair:
Ted Eytan, MD MS MPH
Medical Director, Health Informatics & Web Services
Group Health Cooperative
Lory Wood
VP, Chief Security and Compliance Officer
Good Health Network
Members:
Nicole Antonson, RN, MBA
Program Manager, Patient Safety
McKesson
Suzie Burke-Bebee, MSIS, MS, RN
Senior Health Informatician
Dept Health and Human Services
Albert Chan, MD, MS
Physician Champion of Electronic Health Record and PAMFOnline
Sutter Health, Palo Alto Medical Foundation/Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group
Haris Domazet
Division Lead of Web Technical Services
Epic Systems Corporation
Donna DuLong, RN, BSN
Program Director
TIGER Initiative
Paul Edge
VP, Clinical Solutions
Misys Healthcare Systems
Michael Galang, DO, MS
Chief Medical Information Officer
Catholic Health System of Western New York
Lenel James, BS, MBA
Senior Project Manager
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
Jerry Lin
Product Manager
Cortney Nicolato
Senior Manager, Strategic Alliances & Health IT
American Heart Association National Center
Jan Oldenburg
Practice Leader
Kaiser Permanente
Juhan Sonin
Designer
MITRE
Stelle Smith
Clinical Product Marketing Manager
Sage Software
James Tosone
Director, Healthcare Informatics
Pfizer Inc
Lawrence Williams
President / CEO
Roadside Telematics Corporation
Julie Wolter, MA, RHIA
Assistant Professor
Saint Louis University
CCHIT
eHealth Initiative: Roadmap and Practical Guides for Rapid Expansion of Electronic Prescribing
eHealth Initiative and The Center for Improving Medication Management Release National Roadmap and Practical Guides for Rapid Expansion of Electronic Prescribing
Multi-stakeholder Group Touts Benefits from E-Prescribing and Makes Recommendations on How to Accelerate its Adoption and Effective Use
The report provides concrete recommendations to move e-prescribing into mainstream practice. Recommendations in the report include:
Adoption and effective use of e-prescribing. All prescribers should adopt e-prescribing as it becomes a mainstream model of care, including small practices, small hospitals, and long term care facilities.
Replicate and expand successful incentive programs. Align incentives developed by federal and state governments, payers, employers, health plans, and health systems.
Address the DEA ban on e-prescribing controlled substances. The federal government should act soon to end the DEA ban on e-prescribing of controlled substances to eliminate the need for physicians to manage duplicative work processes.
Create a public-private multi-stakeholder e-prescribing advisory body. The e-prescribing advisory body must be created to monitor, assess and make recommendations to accelerate the effective use of e-prescribing, and should be made up of diverse stakeholders across every sector of health care.
All stakeholders should advance the e-prescribing infrastructure. The industry should encourage all pharmacies to accept electronic prescriptions and provide medication history information, all payers/PBMs to deliver formulary, eligibility, and medication history information through e-prescribing, and all vendors to deploy and support high-quality e-prescribing applications.
Continue development of additional standards for e-prescribing. While fully connected e-prescribing is delivering real benefits based on the national standards in place today,additional standards development and adoption processes should be supported and accelerated and all stakeholders, including the federal government and the private sector, must be involved.
eHealthiniative
eHealth Initiative and The Center for Improving Medication Management Release National Roadmap and Practical Guides for Rapid Expansion of Electronic Prescribing
Multi-stakeholder Group Touts Benefits from E-Prescribing and Makes Recommendations on How to Accelerate its Adoption and Effective Use
The report provides concrete recommendations to move e-prescribing into mainstream practice. Recommendations in the report include:
Adoption and effective use of e-prescribing. All prescribers should adopt e-prescribing as it becomes a mainstream model of care, including small practices, small hospitals, and long term care facilities.
Replicate and expand successful incentive programs. Align incentives developed by federal and state governments, payers, employers, health plans, and health systems.
Address the DEA ban on e-prescribing controlled substances. The federal government should act soon to end the DEA ban on e-prescribing of controlled substances to eliminate the need for physicians to manage duplicative work processes.
Create a public-private multi-stakeholder e-prescribing advisory body. The e-prescribing advisory body must be created to monitor, assess and make recommendations to accelerate the effective use of e-prescribing, and should be made up of diverse stakeholders across every sector of health care.
All stakeholders should advance the e-prescribing infrastructure. The industry should encourage all pharmacies to accept electronic prescriptions and provide medication history information, all payers/PBMs to deliver formulary, eligibility, and medication history information through e-prescribing, and all vendors to deploy and support high-quality e-prescribing applications.
Continue development of additional standards for e-prescribing. While fully connected e-prescribing is delivering real benefits based on the national standards in place today,additional standards development and adoption processes should be supported and accelerated and all stakeholders, including the federal government and the private sector, must be involved.
eHealthiniative
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt:named 12 communities: CMS EHR Demonstration project
Congratulations and good luck!
We New Yorkers anxiously await expansion of the project. SV
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today named 12 communities that will participate in a national Medicare demonstration project that provides incentive payments to physicians for using certified electronic health records (EHR) to improve the quality of patient care. The five-year, first-of-its-kind project is expected to improve the quality of care provided to an estimated 3.6 million Americans.
“The use of electronic health records, and of health information technology as a whole, has the ability to transform the way health care is delivered in our nation,” Secretary Leavitt said. “We believe that EHRs can help physicians deliver better, more efficient care for their patients, in part by reducing medical errors. This project is designed to demonstrate these benefits and help increase the use of this technology in practices where adoption has been the slowest – at the individual physician and small practice level.”
The communities selected to work with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the EHR demonstration project range from county- and state- level to multi-state collaborations. They include:
Alabama
Delaware
Jacksonville, FL (multi-county)
Georgia
Maine
Louisiana
Maryland/Washington, DC
Oklahoma
Pittsburgh, PA (multi-county)
South Dakota (multi-state)
Virginia
Madison, WI (multi-county)
HHS.GOV
Congratulations and good luck!
We New Yorkers anxiously await expansion of the project. SV
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today named 12 communities that will participate in a national Medicare demonstration project that provides incentive payments to physicians for using certified electronic health records (EHR) to improve the quality of patient care. The five-year, first-of-its-kind project is expected to improve the quality of care provided to an estimated 3.6 million Americans.
“The use of electronic health records, and of health information technology as a whole, has the ability to transform the way health care is delivered in our nation,” Secretary Leavitt said. “We believe that EHRs can help physicians deliver better, more efficient care for their patients, in part by reducing medical errors. This project is designed to demonstrate these benefits and help increase the use of this technology in practices where adoption has been the slowest – at the individual physician and small practice level.”
The communities selected to work with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the EHR demonstration project range from county- and state- level to multi-state collaborations. They include:
Alabama
Delaware
Jacksonville, FL (multi-county)
Georgia
Maine
Louisiana
Maryland/Washington, DC
Oklahoma
Pittsburgh, PA (multi-county)
South Dakota (multi-state)
Virginia
Madison, WI (multi-county)
HHS.GOV
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
ONCHIT releases strategic HIT plan for 2008 to 2012
EHRs and PHRs are felt to be the key tools help the plan succeed.
While many states have raised significant sums to help this succeed, the Federal government has not done so to the same degree. The Patient Centered Medical Home and other similar initiatives will be need by the Public and Private sector to help accelerate the process. SV
GOALS AND ORGANIZATION OF THE PLAN
The Plan has two goals, Patient-focused Health Care and Population Health, which are defined as follows:
Patient-focused Health Care: Enable the transformation to higher quality, more cost-efficient, patient-focused health care through electronic health information access and use by care providers, and by patients and their designees.
Population Health: Enable the appropriate, authorized, and timely access and use of electronic health information to benefit public health, biomedical research, quality improvement, and emergency preparedness.
Each goal has four objectives and the themes of privacy and security, interoperability, adoption, and collaborative governance recur across the goals, but they apply in very different ways to health care and population health.
HHS.GOV
EHRs and PHRs are felt to be the key tools help the plan succeed.
While many states have raised significant sums to help this succeed, the Federal government has not done so to the same degree. The Patient Centered Medical Home and other similar initiatives will be need by the Public and Private sector to help accelerate the process. SV
GOALS AND ORGANIZATION OF THE PLAN
The Plan has two goals, Patient-focused Health Care and Population Health, which are defined as follows:
Patient-focused Health Care: Enable the transformation to higher quality, more cost-efficient, patient-focused health care through electronic health information access and use by care providers, and by patients and their designees.
Population Health: Enable the appropriate, authorized, and timely access and use of electronic health information to benefit public health, biomedical research, quality improvement, and emergency preparedness.
Each goal has four objectives and the themes of privacy and security, interoperability, adoption, and collaborative governance recur across the goals, but they apply in very different ways to health care and population health.
HHS.GOV
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Google Health is now ready for primetime
Google Health has agreements in place with quite a few partners to exchange data (with the patient's permission) forward/receive records from healthcare providers, request second opinions and perform online office visits.
Please note the following caveats: neither Google Health nor Microsoft's Healthvault are covered by the current HIPAA regulations. Also, the same username and password that grants you access to Google Mail grants you access to Google Health. In exchange for losing some of the convenience of single login, I would recommend at least nested passwords and and preferably nested user names and passwords.
Translation: to access Google Health after the general login, one would need an extra user name and password. This would decrease the likelihood of someone getting into your Health account.
Another interesting feature to add would be the ability to lock out subsections of the record for viewing or selective transfer of the information. I do think, however, that the recipient would need to be notified that information is being withheld. SV
Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center
Cleveland Clinic MyChart
Longs Drug Stores
Medco
MinuteClinic from CVS Caremark
Quest Diagnostics
RxAmerica
Walgreens Pharmacy
iHealthRecord.org
Google/health
Google Health has agreements in place with quite a few partners to exchange data (with the patient's permission) forward/receive records from healthcare providers, request second opinions and perform online office visits.
Please note the following caveats: neither Google Health nor Microsoft's Healthvault are covered by the current HIPAA regulations. Also, the same username and password that grants you access to Google Mail grants you access to Google Health. In exchange for losing some of the convenience of single login, I would recommend at least nested passwords and and preferably nested user names and passwords.
Translation: to access Google Health after the general login, one would need an extra user name and password. This would decrease the likelihood of someone getting into your Health account.
Another interesting feature to add would be the ability to lock out subsections of the record for viewing or selective transfer of the information. I do think, however, that the recipient would need to be notified that information is being withheld. SV
Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center
Cleveland Clinic MyChart
Longs Drug Stores
Medco
MinuteClinic from CVS Caremark
Quest Diagnostics
RxAmerica
Walgreens Pharmacy
iHealthRecord.org
Google/health
Saturday, May 24, 2008
NAHIT releases HIT definitions
This should make for more clearer conversations. SV
The National Alliance for Health Information Technology Releases HIT Definitions Report
Chicago, May 20, 2008— The National Alliance for Health Information Technology (Alliance) today released its final report, “Defining Key Health Information Technology Terms”. This report reflects consensus work completed over the last several months on definitions for six important health information technology (IT) terms.
Funded by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) this project was initiated in response to a growing need to address ambiguous and divergent definitions impeding health IT progress. The lack of clear terminology can lead to unintentional consequences with respect to regulation, other forms of health care policy, contract and purchasing decisions and other health IT initiatives. This need was highlighted by the Alliance’s literature review which identified between 18 and 63 possible definitions for each of five key health IT terms: electronic medical record (EMR,) electronic health record (EHR,) personal health record (PHR,) health information exchange (HIE) and regional health information organization (RHIO.)
The Alliance convened two work groups of experts to develop consensus definitions for these five terms. Because of dual interpretations of HIE as both a process and an organization, it became necessary to clarify the difference between the process of information exchange (HIE) and the oversight and accountability functions necessary to support that process. The project’s Network Work Group therefore added and defined a sixth term, health information organization (HIO.)
“We have developed what we believe to be clear, consistent definitions that offer both immediate and longer-term, practical benefits. We have proposed language that is easily understood by non-technical leaders in health care delivery, policymakers with responsibility and accountability for decisions in the area of health IT, consumers who are being asked to participate more fully in their care and wellness and need education tools to do so.” says Horowitz.
The definitions are:
Electronic Medical Record
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health care organization.
Electronic Health Record
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff across more than one health care organization.
Personal Health Record
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be drawn from multiple sources while being managed, shared, and controlled by the individual.
Health Information Exchange
The electronic movement of health-related information among organizations according to nationally recognized standards.
Health Information Organization
An organization that oversees and governs the exchange of health-related information among organizations according to nationally recognized standards.
Regional Health Information Organization
A health information organization that brings together health care stakeholders within a defined geographic area and governs health information exchange among them for the purpose of improving health and care in that community.
The full report from the Alliance includes the specific definitions and summarizes the deliberations and conclusions of the two work groups. It concludes with a look forward, envisioning how the definitions, if adopted over time, can support an interoperable infrastructure to realize the benefits of health IT. A copy of the full report can be found at www.nahit.org.
About the Alliance
The National Alliance for Health Information Technology is a diverse partnership of senior executives from all healthcare sectors working to advance the adoption of clinical information technology systems to achieve measurable improvements in patient safety, quality of care and operating performance. The Alliance collaborates with healthcare and government leaders to influence healthcare decision-makers to act effectively in creating an efficient, safe, unified, and inclusive health system. Since its founding in 2002, the Chicago-based Alliance has helped forge consensus and accelerate progress on such important initiatives as developing an industry-endorsed interoperability definition, creating a public directory of health IT standards and authoring Rules of Engagement: A proven path for instilling, and then installing a CPOE approach that works. The Alliance is a co-founder of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) and its CEO chaired the Commission on Systemic Interoperability (CSI). More information about the Alliance is available at www.nahit.org.
Contact:
Lois Padovani
Padovani Communications
630-241-1430
l.padovani@comcast.net
This should make for more clearer conversations. SV
The National Alliance for Health Information Technology Releases HIT Definitions Report
Chicago, May 20, 2008— The National Alliance for Health Information Technology (Alliance) today released its final report, “Defining Key Health Information Technology Terms”. This report reflects consensus work completed over the last several months on definitions for six important health information technology (IT) terms.
Funded by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) this project was initiated in response to a growing need to address ambiguous and divergent definitions impeding health IT progress. The lack of clear terminology can lead to unintentional consequences with respect to regulation, other forms of health care policy, contract and purchasing decisions and other health IT initiatives. This need was highlighted by the Alliance’s literature review which identified between 18 and 63 possible definitions for each of five key health IT terms: electronic medical record (EMR,) electronic health record (EHR,) personal health record (PHR,) health information exchange (HIE) and regional health information organization (RHIO.)
The Alliance convened two work groups of experts to develop consensus definitions for these five terms. Because of dual interpretations of HIE as both a process and an organization, it became necessary to clarify the difference between the process of information exchange (HIE) and the oversight and accountability functions necessary to support that process. The project’s Network Work Group therefore added and defined a sixth term, health information organization (HIO.)
“We have developed what we believe to be clear, consistent definitions that offer both immediate and longer-term, practical benefits. We have proposed language that is easily understood by non-technical leaders in health care delivery, policymakers with responsibility and accountability for decisions in the area of health IT, consumers who are being asked to participate more fully in their care and wellness and need education tools to do so.” says Horowitz.
The definitions are:
Electronic Medical Record
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health care organization.
Electronic Health Record
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff across more than one health care organization.
Personal Health Record
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be drawn from multiple sources while being managed, shared, and controlled by the individual.
Health Information Exchange
The electronic movement of health-related information among organizations according to nationally recognized standards.
Health Information Organization
An organization that oversees and governs the exchange of health-related information among organizations according to nationally recognized standards.
Regional Health Information Organization
A health information organization that brings together health care stakeholders within a defined geographic area and governs health information exchange among them for the purpose of improving health and care in that community.
The full report from the Alliance includes the specific definitions and summarizes the deliberations and conclusions of the two work groups. It concludes with a look forward, envisioning how the definitions, if adopted over time, can support an interoperable infrastructure to realize the benefits of health IT. A copy of the full report can be found at www.nahit.org.
About the Alliance
The National Alliance for Health Information Technology is a diverse partnership of senior executives from all healthcare sectors working to advance the adoption of clinical information technology systems to achieve measurable improvements in patient safety, quality of care and operating performance. The Alliance collaborates with healthcare and government leaders to influence healthcare decision-makers to act effectively in creating an efficient, safe, unified, and inclusive health system. Since its founding in 2002, the Chicago-based Alliance has helped forge consensus and accelerate progress on such important initiatives as developing an industry-endorsed interoperability definition, creating a public directory of health IT standards and authoring Rules of Engagement: A proven path for instilling, and then installing a CPOE approach that works. The Alliance is a co-founder of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) and its CEO chaired the Commission on Systemic Interoperability (CSI). More information about the Alliance is available at www.nahit.org.
Contact:
Lois Padovani
Padovani Communications
630-241-1430
l.padovani@comcast.net
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield expands e-Prescribing project to include a "PHR"
In addition to e-Prescribing information, physicians will now have access to claims based diagnoses of other physicians treating the patient as well as "test results". This definitely expands the utility of the "standalone" e-Prescribing service. SV
"Now all licensed New Hampshire practitioners who are part of our ePrescribing program are also able to access both medical records and claims data on Anthem members, anytime, anywhere by using their web-enabled cell phone," said Richard Lafleur, M.D., medical director, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire, who added that participants could also access the new program from their office or home computer.
BCBS
In addition to e-Prescribing information, physicians will now have access to claims based diagnoses of other physicians treating the patient as well as "test results". This definitely expands the utility of the "standalone" e-Prescribing service. SV
"Now all licensed New Hampshire practitioners who are part of our ePrescribing program are also able to access both medical records and claims data on Anthem members, anytime, anywhere by using their web-enabled cell phone," said Richard Lafleur, M.D., medical director, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire, who added that participants could also access the new program from their office or home computer.
BCBS
Bronx RHIO update
The Daily News just published an article regarding the six hospitals that will begin sharing information. The consortium of 28 organizations that will finally be involved range from Private Hospitals, HHC Hospitals, a VA Hospital, VNS and more. SV
Daily News
Bronx RHIO
The Daily News just published an article regarding the six hospitals that will begin sharing information. The consortium of 28 organizations that will finally be involved range from Private Hospitals, HHC Hospitals, a VA Hospital, VNS and more. SV
Daily News
Bronx RHIO
Monday, May 12, 2008
Father Joe's Villages and McKesson's Practice Partner EHR Help Improve Care for Underserved Communities
This is a wonderful act of charity. SV
"Father Joe’s is a non-profit corporation that consists of several facilities offering a variety of services and programs to the homeless. “McKesson’s EHR has been instrumental in helping us serve this very needy, and often overlooked population throughout the San Diego area and in Indio,” said Dr. Margaret McCahill who serves as the Medical Director at the St. Vincent de Paul Village Family Health Center, which is a part of Father Joe’s Village."
McKesson
Father Joe's Villages
This is a wonderful act of charity. SV
"Father Joe’s is a non-profit corporation that consists of several facilities offering a variety of services and programs to the homeless. “McKesson’s EHR has been instrumental in helping us serve this very needy, and often overlooked population throughout the San Diego area and in Indio,” said Dr. Margaret McCahill who serves as the Medical Director at the St. Vincent de Paul Village Family Health Center, which is a part of Father Joe’s Village."
McKesson
Father Joe's Villages
Prematics: e-Prescribing
New start up company has heavy hitters on "Board".
Reads like a Who's Who of e-Rx and former Government HIT experts. SV
Prematics
New start up company has heavy hitters on "Board".
Reads like a Who's Who of e-Rx and former Government HIT experts. SV
Prematics
Friday, May 09, 2008
Oklahoma City ERs to be share medical information
Patient safety will be improved and medical costs will be reduced.
How? Reduced adverse drug events, quicker diagnoses, reduced duplication of tests and more. SV
The data to be exchanged includes:
patient demographics, medications, allergies and reactions, diagnosis history, laboratory results, procedures, immunizations and health care providers.
NewsOK.com
Patient safety will be improved and medical costs will be reduced.
How? Reduced adverse drug events, quicker diagnoses, reduced duplication of tests and more. SV
The data to be exchanged includes:
patient demographics, medications, allergies and reactions, diagnosis history, laboratory results, procedures, immunizations and health care providers.
NewsOK.com
Thursday, May 08, 2008
CMS (Medicare) and South Carolina offer PHR (Personal Health Record)
It is only for fee for service Medicare.
No links with Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D or Medicaid. Too bad.
Patients can add to it however. Its a good start but needs the additional links. SV
MyPHRSC is a free and secure electronic Personal Health Record that stores your Medicare claims history for the past 24 months in one convenient place. Updated daily, the health record provides you with one place where you can track your medical history. With MyPHRSC, you don’t have to search through your paper records to find what you need. You can access your records in one place, wherever you are, and whenever you need them. With MyPHRSC, you can view and manage the following Medicare claims information:
Provider Visits
Hospitalizations
Medical conditions
MYPHRSC
It is only for fee for service Medicare.
No links with Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D or Medicaid. Too bad.
Patients can add to it however. Its a good start but needs the additional links. SV
MyPHRSC is a free and secure electronic Personal Health Record that stores your Medicare claims history for the past 24 months in one convenient place. Updated daily, the health record provides you with one place where you can track your medical history. With MyPHRSC, you don’t have to search through your paper records to find what you need. You can access your records in one place, wherever you are, and whenever you need them. With MyPHRSC, you can view and manage the following Medicare claims information:
Provider Visits
Hospitalizations
Medical conditions
MYPHRSC
Sunday, April 20, 2008
FDA to use 3rd party medication Safety Sentinel System:Wellpoint and others
WellPoint's Safety Sentinel System is being developed in close collaboration with leading government and academic institutions, including the FDA and faculty from key academic institutions, including Harvard University, the University of North Carolina and the University of Pennsylvania, and is expected to advance national efforts to identify safety risks associated with drugs and other clinical care decisions, allowing physicians and other health care professionals to make more informed decisions about how to treat their patients.
Wellpoint
WellPoint's Safety Sentinel System is being developed in close collaboration with leading government and academic institutions, including the FDA and faculty from key academic institutions, including Harvard University, the University of North Carolina and the University of Pennsylvania, and is expected to advance national efforts to identify safety risks associated with drugs and other clinical care decisions, allowing physicians and other health care professionals to make more informed decisions about how to treat their patients.
Wellpoint
Monday, April 07, 2008
CMS (Medicare) e-Prescribing update
The required tools are currently available in most stand-alone e-Prescribing products and many EHRs. SV
The final e-prescribing rule was placed on display at the Federal Register on April 2, 2008. The final rule provides three electronic tools for use in e-prescribing:
Formulary and benefit transactions: gives prescribers information about which drugs are covered by a Medicare beneficiary's prescription drug benefit plan.
Medication history transactions: provides prescribers with information about medications a beneficiary is already taking, including those prescribed by other providers, to help reduce the number of adverse drug events.
Fill Status notifications: allows prescribers to receive an electronic notice from the pharmacy telling them that a patient's prescription has been picked up, not picked up, or has been partially filled, to help monitor medication adherence in patients with chronic conditions.
The final rule also adopts the National Provider Identifier (NPI) for e-prescribing under Medicare Part D, and retires NCPDP SCRIPT 5.0 in favor of the upgraded NCPDP SCRIPT 8.1.
CMS Overview
CMS pdf
The required tools are currently available in most stand-alone e-Prescribing products and many EHRs. SV
The final e-prescribing rule was placed on display at the Federal Register on April 2, 2008. The final rule provides three electronic tools for use in e-prescribing:
Formulary and benefit transactions: gives prescribers information about which drugs are covered by a Medicare beneficiary's prescription drug benefit plan.
Medication history transactions: provides prescribers with information about medications a beneficiary is already taking, including those prescribed by other providers, to help reduce the number of adverse drug events.
Fill Status notifications: allows prescribers to receive an electronic notice from the pharmacy telling them that a patient's prescription has been picked up, not picked up, or has been partially filled, to help monitor medication adherence in patients with chronic conditions.
The final rule also adopts the National Provider Identifier (NPI) for e-prescribing under Medicare Part D, and retires NCPDP SCRIPT 5.0 in favor of the upgraded NCPDP SCRIPT 8.1.
CMS Overview
CMS pdf
Monday, March 31, 2008
HEAL NY PHASE V (5) Results are in
NEW YORK AWARDS $105 MILLION IN HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GRANTS
Funded Projects
Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY)
* Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX)
* Greater Rochester RHIO
* Taconic Health Information Network and Community (THINC) RHIO
* Western New York Clinical Information Exchange (WYNCIE)
* Southern Tier Health Link
* Health Information Exchange of New York (HIXNY)
* Long Island Patient Information Exchange (LIPIX)
* Bronx RHIO
Clinical Informatics Services (CIS)
* Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX)
* Parker Jewish Institute of Health Care and Rehabilitation
* Taconic Health Information Network and Community (THINC) RHIO
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) for Clinicians, Personal Health Tools for Consumers, Community Portals for Clinicians and Public Health Officials
* Sunset Park Health Council
* New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOH MH)
* Greater Rochester RHIO
* Columbia Memorial Hospital
* Interboro RHIO
* Champlain Valley Physicians
* Hudson River Healthcare
* Health Information Technology Alliance of Syracuse (HITAS)
NYS site
NEW YORK AWARDS $105 MILLION IN HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GRANTS
Funded Projects
Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY)
* Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX)
* Greater Rochester RHIO
* Taconic Health Information Network and Community (THINC) RHIO
* Western New York Clinical Information Exchange (WYNCIE)
* Southern Tier Health Link
* Health Information Exchange of New York (HIXNY)
* Long Island Patient Information Exchange (LIPIX)
* Bronx RHIO
Clinical Informatics Services (CIS)
* Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX)
* Parker Jewish Institute of Health Care and Rehabilitation
* Taconic Health Information Network and Community (THINC) RHIO
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) for Clinicians, Personal Health Tools for Consumers, Community Portals for Clinicians and Public Health Officials
* Sunset Park Health Council
* New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOH MH)
* Greater Rochester RHIO
* Columbia Memorial Hospital
* Interboro RHIO
* Champlain Valley Physicians
* Hudson River Healthcare
* Health Information Technology Alliance of Syracuse (HITAS)
NYS site
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Pennsylvania Governor Rendell signs Executive Order creating Pennsylvania Health Information Exchange (PHIX)
Bravo Governor!
PaEHI, Pennsylvania eHealth Initiative shall provide consultative services.
The devil is in the details: financial and standards related. SV
Sun Herald
Executive Order
Bravo Governor!
PaEHI, Pennsylvania eHealth Initiative shall provide consultative services.
The devil is in the details: financial and standards related. SV
Sun Herald
Executive Order
The Sixth Vital Sign: Internet Health Searches
I just listened to an excellent interview of
Dr Ted Eytan (quoted above)
Dr Scott Haig
Samantha Fox
The pod cast features their opinions on patients who query the internet about their illness(es). I found it very insightful. SV
NPR
I just listened to an excellent interview of
Dr Ted Eytan (quoted above)
Dr Scott Haig
Samantha Fox
The pod cast features their opinions on patients who query the internet about their illness(es). I found it very insightful. SV
NPR
Vermont EHR "Tax"
Vermont Information Technology Leaders are recommending a surcharge on medical claims to help pay for the promotion of Information Technology of about 1/3 of one percent.
Most studies support the assertion that medical practices receive less than 15% of the benefit from the savings introduced by HIT but are currently expected to finance 100% of the cost.
What do you think? SV
Burlington Free Press
Vermont Information Technology Leaders are recommending a surcharge on medical claims to help pay for the promotion of Information Technology of about 1/3 of one percent.
Most studies support the assertion that medical practices receive less than 15% of the benefit from the savings introduced by HIT but are currently expected to finance 100% of the cost.
What do you think? SV
Burlington Free Press
NYC DOHMH PCIP eClinicalWorks Presentation: A review by Dr Ted Eytan
Dr Eytan was kind enough to attend the presentation and has provided his observations at the PCHIT Blog. SV
PCHIT Blog
Dr Eytan was kind enough to attend the presentation and has provided his observations at the PCHIT Blog. SV
PCHIT Blog
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The NYCDOH Primary Care Information Project and eClinicalWorks Electronic Medical Records Demonstration
Thursday March 20th from 5:30pm-7:30pm.
Program Agenda
5:30pm-5:45pm
DOHMH PCIP Program Overview Mat Kendall, Director of Operations Primary Care
Information Project
5:45pm-6:00pm
eClinicalWorks Provider Experience Review and Q&A Session
Salvatore Volpe, MD FAAP FACP
6:00pm-7:00pm eClinicalWorks Demonstration
Scott Hakanson, Product Specialist
eClinical Works
7:00pm-7:30pm
General Question and Answer
Richmond University Medical Center
Sipp Auditorium
355 Bard Ave, Staten Island, NY
For more information, please send an email to pcip@health.nyc.gov , call (212)341-2263, or visit the PCIP website www.nyc.gov/pcip
If you have a practice on Staten Island please register for the event.
If you know some one who has a practice on Staten Island please encourage her/him to attend.
Thanks
Registration link
Thursday March 20th from 5:30pm-7:30pm.
Program Agenda
5:30pm-5:45pm
DOHMH PCIP Program Overview Mat Kendall, Director of Operations Primary Care
Information Project
5:45pm-6:00pm
eClinicalWorks Provider Experience Review and Q&A Session
Salvatore Volpe, MD FAAP FACP
6:00pm-7:00pm eClinicalWorks Demonstration
Scott Hakanson, Product Specialist
eClinical Works
7:00pm-7:30pm
General Question and Answer
Richmond University Medical Center
Sipp Auditorium
355 Bard Ave, Staten Island, NY
For more information, please send an email to pcip@health.nyc.gov , call (212)341-2263, or visit the PCIP website www.nyc.gov/pcip
If you have a practice on Staten Island please register for the event.
If you know some one who has a practice on Staten Island please encourage her/him to attend.
Thanks
Registration link
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Cleveland Clinic to take Google's PHR for a test drive
The Cleveland Clinic will run a pilot project of Google's PHR.
The Cleveland clinic currently has 100,000 patients on its current PHR called eCleveland Clinic MyChart®. The pilot, an invitation-only opportunity offered to a group of Cleveland Clinic PHR users, plans to enroll between 1,500 and 10,000 patients.
Joining the other 800 pound gorilla, Microsoft's HealthVault, this project should spur increased discussions on interoperability and security. SV
Cleveland Clinic
The Cleveland Clinic will run a pilot project of Google's PHR.
The Cleveland clinic currently has 100,000 patients on its current PHR called eCleveland Clinic MyChart®. The pilot, an invitation-only opportunity offered to a group of Cleveland Clinic PHR users, plans to enroll between 1,500 and 10,000 patients.
Joining the other 800 pound gorilla, Microsoft's HealthVault, this project should spur increased discussions on interoperability and security. SV
Cleveland Clinic
Rhode Island Health Information Exchange Act of 2008
Rhode Island's recent legislation should help instill confidence in their Health Information Exchange. SV
The Rhode Island Health Information Exchange Act of 2008 creates a set of critical patient safeguards, many of which go well beyond existing state and federal privacy and data security protections. Baseline consumer protections in the bill include:
.Clear language that participation in the HIE is voluntary – both consumers and providers get to choose whether or not to participate
.The ability to obtain a copy of confidential health care information in the HIE
.The ability to obtain a copy of a Disclosure Report detailing what entities have accessed a patient’s confidential health care information in the HIE
.Notification of any breach of security of the HIE
.The right to terminate participation in the HIE
.The right to request that inaccurate HIE information be corrected
.Strong data security procedures
.The creation of an HIE Advisory Commission to provide community input into the use of confidential health care information in the HIE
Rhode Island
Rhode Island's recent legislation should help instill confidence in their Health Information Exchange. SV
The Rhode Island Health Information Exchange Act of 2008 creates a set of critical patient safeguards, many of which go well beyond existing state and federal privacy and data security protections. Baseline consumer protections in the bill include:
.Clear language that participation in the HIE is voluntary – both consumers and providers get to choose whether or not to participate
.The ability to obtain a copy of confidential health care information in the HIE
.The ability to obtain a copy of a Disclosure Report detailing what entities have accessed a patient’s confidential health care information in the HIE
.Notification of any breach of security of the HIE
.The right to terminate participation in the HIE
.The right to request that inaccurate HIE information be corrected
.Strong data security procedures
.The creation of an HIE Advisory Commission to provide community input into the use of confidential health care information in the HIE
Rhode Island
My Dinner with Ted Eytan
I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with Dr Ted Eytan.
Over a wonderful Croatian meal, we shared stories of respective experiences.
I was glad to finally meet someone from Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, WA, an organization that I hold in high esteem.
He and the other members of PCHIT (Patient Centered Health Information Technology) team are akin to anthropologists traveling across the country observing, documenting and sharing a broad spectrum of patient-physician interactions. His blog at PCHIT is a window through which we can share his experiences. A recurrent theme of our conversation was the goal of transparency. We all have something we can learn from each other. SV
Here is an excerpt from PCHIT:
"Our plan was to spend time in a cross section of health care, observing the patient-physician interaction. PCHIT was designed to look at factors present in different care environments at the level of the patient-physician interaction.
This initiative will improve adoption of health information technology (HIT) tools to better engage patients and families in their own care. We will support learning and implementation by working closely with a variety of organizations to better understand each organization’s key levers and barriers to adoption."
PCHIT
Dinner comments
I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with Dr Ted Eytan.
Over a wonderful Croatian meal, we shared stories of respective experiences.
I was glad to finally meet someone from Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, WA, an organization that I hold in high esteem.
He and the other members of PCHIT (Patient Centered Health Information Technology) team are akin to anthropologists traveling across the country observing, documenting and sharing a broad spectrum of patient-physician interactions. His blog at PCHIT is a window through which we can share his experiences. A recurrent theme of our conversation was the goal of transparency. We all have something we can learn from each other. SV
Here is an excerpt from PCHIT:
"Our plan was to spend time in a cross section of health care, observing the patient-physician interaction. PCHIT was designed to look at factors present in different care environments at the level of the patient-physician interaction.
This initiative will improve adoption of health information technology (HIT) tools to better engage patients and families in their own care. We will support learning and implementation by working closely with a variety of organizations to better understand each organization’s key levers and barriers to adoption."
PCHIT
Dinner comments
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
NY HIMSS Conference: HIT Gets Personal - Consumer Centric Technology
Thursday, April 3, 2008; Digital Sandbox Conference Center
Click here to register online.
Program
8 - 9: Breakfast
9 - 9:15: President's Message
William Delaney, HIMSS NY President
9:15 - 9:30: Advocacy Update
Christopher Harris, HIMSS NY Advocay Liaison & President Elect
9:30 - 10:30: Keynote Speaker
Lori M. Evans, MPH, MPP, serves as a Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health leading a new Office of Health Information Technology Transformation (OHITT). OHITT, created by Governor Spitzer in 2007, is responsible for government and private sector efforts to support improvements in health care quality, affordability and outcomes for all New Yorkers through widespread deployment of health information technology.
11:00 - 12:00: Break Out Session 1: Personal Health Record
• Moderator: Ken Ong, MD, MPH
• Description: The personal health record is a core technology for the consumer. A plethora of offerings are now available from commercial vendors, health care systems, and payers. What is the level of adoption? What successes have been won? What challenges remain? Is there one ideal technology venue for the PHR? What are the drivers for the PHR? What use cases apply?
• Panelists: Adrian Gropper, MD, MedCommons; Abha Agrawal, MD, Kings County Hospital Center; Glen Martin, MD, Queens Health Network
11:00 - 12:00: Break Out Session 2: Legal Aspect of Privacy Issues
• Moderator: Chris Harris
• Description: As Personal Health Records become increasingly more available to the consumer, there a number of legal considerations that will affect consumer views of privacy and hence adoption. This panel will explore questions and implications for consumer privacy based on use and current state of law in terms of protection and governance. Topics will include: what are consumer rights to privacy exist when using a PHR? How do these rights or risks change as the sponsoring agency changes; health insurance company, pharmaceutical company, Search software company?
• Panelists: Paul F. Macielak, President and CEO, New York Health Plan Association; Al Mercado, NY Bar Association; Peter Poleto, Vice President and CIO, Hospital Association of New York State
1:45 - 2:45: Break Out Session 3: The Consumer and Health Information Exchange
• Moderator: Ken Ong, MD, MPH
• Description: Health information exchange is a hot topic for HIT nationally. The promise of improved coordination, efficiency, and cost savings has prompted the formation of more than a hundred RHIOs. Most of which are still in development but a notable few are no more. What stake does the consumer have in HIE? What role should the consumer have in RHIOs? What information should and should not be accessible to the consumer, provider, payer, or government? Who should pay for HIE? What future do you see for HIE? What association is there if any between HIE and health care reform more broadly?
• Panelists: Sally E. Findley, PhD, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University; Arthur Levin, MPH, Center for Medical Consumers; Rachael Block, New York eHealth Collaborative
1:45 - 2:45: Break Out Session 4: Government Initiatives in Consumer Health
• Moderator: Sal Volpe, MD
• Description: Since 2004, there have been an increasing number of Government initiatives related to health information technology. Some examples include grants and the formation of national, statewide and local government agencies. What more can government do to foster the creation and acceptance of standards related to interoperability and privacy? What partnerships are available or are being planned with private industry and personal health records? How are consumer groups represented in the planning process for government initiatives? What initiatives are being planned to bring HIT access to the poor and underserved?
• Panelists: Pat Hale, MD, PhD, Deputy Director of HIT Transformation, New York State Department of Health; Farzad Mostashari, MD, Assistant Commissioner and Chair of the Primary Care Information Taskforce, New York City DOMH; George Hickman, CIO, Albany Medical Center
3:00 - 4:00: Breakout Session 5: Patient Portal
• Moderator: Leanne Currie, DNSc
• Patient portals come in an assortment of variations. Health care providers, health plans, and patient education web sites offer different functionality. What value do these different offerings provide? What challenges do patient portal providers confront? What privacy and legal concerns exist for patient portals? What services do patient portals now provide? What new services might they provide in the future? What promise do patient portals have for public health?
• Panelists: David Kaufman, PhD, DBMI, Columbia University; Melinda Jenkins, PhD, Coordinator of Consumer Informatics, New York City DOMH; Noel C. Brown MD, MBA, Montefiore Medical Group
4:00 - 6:00: Vendor Exhibition & Cocktail Reception
Sponsoring health care organizations:
• American College of Physicians, NY Chapter
• CAIM/Columbia Center for Advanced Information Management
• Greater New York Hospital Association
• HANYS/Healthcare Association of NY State
• HFMA Metro NY/Healthcare Financial Management Association
• IPRO/Island Peer Review Organization
• LIHIMA/Long Island Health Information Management Association
• MSSNY/ Medical Society State of NY
• MINY/Medical Informatics of NY
• NJ HIMSS
• NY eHealth Collaborative
• NYHIMA/NY Health Information Management Association
Click here to register online.
Thursday, April 3, 2008; Digital Sandbox Conference Center
Click here to register online.
Program
8 - 9: Breakfast
9 - 9:15: President's Message
William Delaney, HIMSS NY President
9:15 - 9:30: Advocacy Update
Christopher Harris, HIMSS NY Advocay Liaison & President Elect
9:30 - 10:30: Keynote Speaker
Lori M. Evans, MPH, MPP, serves as a Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health leading a new Office of Health Information Technology Transformation (OHITT). OHITT, created by Governor Spitzer in 2007, is responsible for government and private sector efforts to support improvements in health care quality, affordability and outcomes for all New Yorkers through widespread deployment of health information technology.
11:00 - 12:00: Break Out Session 1: Personal Health Record
• Moderator: Ken Ong, MD, MPH
• Description: The personal health record is a core technology for the consumer. A plethora of offerings are now available from commercial vendors, health care systems, and payers. What is the level of adoption? What successes have been won? What challenges remain? Is there one ideal technology venue for the PHR? What are the drivers for the PHR? What use cases apply?
• Panelists: Adrian Gropper, MD, MedCommons; Abha Agrawal, MD, Kings County Hospital Center; Glen Martin, MD, Queens Health Network
11:00 - 12:00: Break Out Session 2: Legal Aspect of Privacy Issues
• Moderator: Chris Harris
• Description: As Personal Health Records become increasingly more available to the consumer, there a number of legal considerations that will affect consumer views of privacy and hence adoption. This panel will explore questions and implications for consumer privacy based on use and current state of law in terms of protection and governance. Topics will include: what are consumer rights to privacy exist when using a PHR? How do these rights or risks change as the sponsoring agency changes; health insurance company, pharmaceutical company, Search software company?
• Panelists: Paul F. Macielak, President and CEO, New York Health Plan Association; Al Mercado, NY Bar Association; Peter Poleto, Vice President and CIO, Hospital Association of New York State
1:45 - 2:45: Break Out Session 3: The Consumer and Health Information Exchange
• Moderator: Ken Ong, MD, MPH
• Description: Health information exchange is a hot topic for HIT nationally. The promise of improved coordination, efficiency, and cost savings has prompted the formation of more than a hundred RHIOs. Most of which are still in development but a notable few are no more. What stake does the consumer have in HIE? What role should the consumer have in RHIOs? What information should and should not be accessible to the consumer, provider, payer, or government? Who should pay for HIE? What future do you see for HIE? What association is there if any between HIE and health care reform more broadly?
• Panelists: Sally E. Findley, PhD, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University; Arthur Levin, MPH, Center for Medical Consumers; Rachael Block, New York eHealth Collaborative
1:45 - 2:45: Break Out Session 4: Government Initiatives in Consumer Health
• Moderator: Sal Volpe, MD
• Description: Since 2004, there have been an increasing number of Government initiatives related to health information technology. Some examples include grants and the formation of national, statewide and local government agencies. What more can government do to foster the creation and acceptance of standards related to interoperability and privacy? What partnerships are available or are being planned with private industry and personal health records? How are consumer groups represented in the planning process for government initiatives? What initiatives are being planned to bring HIT access to the poor and underserved?
• Panelists: Pat Hale, MD, PhD, Deputy Director of HIT Transformation, New York State Department of Health; Farzad Mostashari, MD, Assistant Commissioner and Chair of the Primary Care Information Taskforce, New York City DOMH; George Hickman, CIO, Albany Medical Center
3:00 - 4:00: Breakout Session 5: Patient Portal
• Moderator: Leanne Currie, DNSc
• Patient portals come in an assortment of variations. Health care providers, health plans, and patient education web sites offer different functionality. What value do these different offerings provide? What challenges do patient portal providers confront? What privacy and legal concerns exist for patient portals? What services do patient portals now provide? What new services might they provide in the future? What promise do patient portals have for public health?
• Panelists: David Kaufman, PhD, DBMI, Columbia University; Melinda Jenkins, PhD, Coordinator of Consumer Informatics, New York City DOMH; Noel C. Brown MD, MBA, Montefiore Medical Group
4:00 - 6:00: Vendor Exhibition & Cocktail Reception
Sponsoring health care organizations:
• American College of Physicians, NY Chapter
• CAIM/Columbia Center for Advanced Information Management
• Greater New York Hospital Association
• HANYS/Healthcare Association of NY State
• HFMA Metro NY/Healthcare Financial Management Association
• IPRO/Island Peer Review Organization
• LIHIMA/Long Island Health Information Management Association
• MSSNY/ Medical Society State of NY
• MINY/Medical Informatics of NY
• NJ HIMSS
• NY eHealth Collaborative
• NYHIMA/NY Health Information Management Association
Click here to register online.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Brooklyn Health Information Exchange Selects Initiate Systems to Achieve Single, Accurate View of Patients
BHIX's approach should be followed closely as Brooklyn has more people than many cities. SV
CHICAGO – 4 February 2008 – The Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX) – a not-for-profit regional health information organization (RHIO) – has selected Initiate Patient™ software from Initiate Systems, Inc., as the foundational technology for locating, linking and matching of patient records. Initiate Patient is the high-performing enterprise master person index (EMPI) software application from Initiate Systems, a leader in master data management solutions. BHIX, comprised of several healthcare provider and payer organizations in New York, will offer health information exchange services in Brooklyn, New York's most populated borough.
Initiate’s technology will help BHIX create the foundational master person index, enabling patient identity resolution and linking of patients across multiple sources of data. Once a patient is uniquely identified and linked, Initiate Patient will also facilitate a portal application and Record Locator Service’s ability to search and establish context on a patient. Care teams will thus share a single, accurate view of any patient participating in BHIX.
Initiate Systems
BHIX's approach should be followed closely as Brooklyn has more people than many cities. SV
CHICAGO – 4 February 2008 – The Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX) – a not-for-profit regional health information organization (RHIO) – has selected Initiate Patient™ software from Initiate Systems, Inc., as the foundational technology for locating, linking and matching of patient records. Initiate Patient is the high-performing enterprise master person index (EMPI) software application from Initiate Systems, a leader in master data management solutions. BHIX, comprised of several healthcare provider and payer organizations in New York, will offer health information exchange services in Brooklyn, New York's most populated borough.
Initiate’s technology will help BHIX create the foundational master person index, enabling patient identity resolution and linking of patients across multiple sources of data. Once a patient is uniquely identified and linked, Initiate Patient will also facilitate a portal application and Record Locator Service’s ability to search and establish context on a patient. Care teams will thus share a single, accurate view of any patient participating in BHIX.
Initiate Systems
NYS SENATE BILL: NY SB 708 : promotes e-Prescribing of controlled substances
Please contact your representative. SV
Number: NY SB 708 Title: AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to authorizing the use of the electronic medical records system when issuing certain controlled substances
Abstract: Authorizes the use of an electronic medical records system when dispensing certain schedule II controlled substances; defines "electronic medical records system"; authorizes physicians with patients receiving Medicaid to dispense prescriptions through such electronic medical records system.
Introduced by Sen. NOZZOLIO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to authorizing the
use of the electronic medical records system when issuing certain
controlled substances
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section
2 3335 to read as follows:
3 S 3335. ISSUING UPON PRESCRIPTIONS VIA ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS
4 SYSTEM. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "ELECTRONIC
5 MEDICAL RECORDS SYSTEM" SHALL MEAN AN ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS SYSTEM
6 WHICH ENABLES A PHYSICIAN TO CONSOLIDATE RECORD KEEPING.
7 2. A PHYSICIAN MAY DISPENSE DIRECTLY TO A PHARMACY ANY CONTROLLED
8 SUBSTANCE PRESCRIPTION PURSUANT TO AN ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS SYSTEM.
9 3. IF A PHYSICIAN OPTS TO ISSUE PRESCRIPTIONS PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION
10 TWO OF THIS SECTION, SUCH PHYSICIAN SHALL BE ELIGIBLE AND PERMITTED TO
11 ISSUE ANY AND ALL PRESCRIPTIONS THROUGH SUCH ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS
12 SYSTEM, INCLUDING PRESCRIPTIONS FOR PATIENTS RECEIVING MEDICAID.
13 S 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
14 have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the
15 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
16 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
17 and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
NYS Assembly
Please contact your representative. SV
Number: NY SB 708 Title: AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to authorizing the use of the electronic medical records system when issuing certain controlled substances
Abstract: Authorizes the use of an electronic medical records system when dispensing certain schedule II controlled substances; defines "electronic medical records system"; authorizes physicians with patients receiving Medicaid to dispense prescriptions through such electronic medical records system.
Introduced by Sen. NOZZOLIO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to authorizing the
use of the electronic medical records system when issuing certain
controlled substances
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section
2 3335 to read as follows:
3 S 3335. ISSUING UPON PRESCRIPTIONS VIA ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS
4 SYSTEM. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "ELECTRONIC
5 MEDICAL RECORDS SYSTEM" SHALL MEAN AN ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS SYSTEM
6 WHICH ENABLES A PHYSICIAN TO CONSOLIDATE RECORD KEEPING.
7 2. A PHYSICIAN MAY DISPENSE DIRECTLY TO A PHARMACY ANY CONTROLLED
8 SUBSTANCE PRESCRIPTION PURSUANT TO AN ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS SYSTEM.
9 3. IF A PHYSICIAN OPTS TO ISSUE PRESCRIPTIONS PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION
10 TWO OF THIS SECTION, SUCH PHYSICIAN SHALL BE ELIGIBLE AND PERMITTED TO
11 ISSUE ANY AND ALL PRESCRIPTIONS THROUGH SUCH ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS
12 SYSTEM, INCLUDING PRESCRIPTIONS FOR PATIENTS RECEIVING MEDICAID.
13 S 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
14 have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the
15 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
16 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
17 and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
NYS Assembly
Sunday, February 03, 2008
InfoWorld tries to extend the life of Windows XP
If you are willing to sign a petition that includes your email click on the link.
Windows XP shrink version sales currently expires June 2008. SV
InfoWorld
If you are willing to sign a petition that includes your email click on the link.
Windows XP shrink version sales currently expires June 2008. SV
InfoWorld
Saturday, February 02, 2008
NY HIMSS Seminar: “HIT Gets Personal: Consumer-Centric Technology” April 3, 2008
Save the Date -
As we all know, Health Information Technology can transform our health care system. Prepare for consumer-centric and information-rich health care, in which medical information follows the consumer and information tools guide medical decisions.
Save the date to attend this year’s NY HIMSS seminar which will be held on Thursday April 3, 2008 at the Digital Sandbox at 55 Broad Street in downtown Manhattan, we will host a full day conference, “HIT Gets Personal: Consumer-Centric Technology”.
Planning for our event is underway and we expect over 300 local healthcare information technology professionals to attend. We are in the process of securing some of our industry’s most knowledgeable speakers on HIT and Consumerism.
This year’s event is being co-sponsored by the following local healthcare organizations:
• American College of Physicians, NY Chapter
• CAIM/Columbia Center for Advanced Information Management
• HANYS/Healthcare Association of NY State
• HFMA Metro NY/Healthcare Financial Management Association
• IPRO/Island Peer Review Organization
• MSSNY/ Medical Society State of NY
• LIHIMA/Long Island Health Information Management Association
• MINY/Medical Informatics of NY
• NJ HIMSS
• NY eHealth Collaborative
• NYHIMA/NY Health Information Management Association
Please visit www.himssnys.org for further details. Further communications will be forthcoming.
We hope to see you April 3rd in downtown Manhattan.
Save the Date -
As we all know, Health Information Technology can transform our health care system. Prepare for consumer-centric and information-rich health care, in which medical information follows the consumer and information tools guide medical decisions.
Save the date to attend this year’s NY HIMSS seminar which will be held on Thursday April 3, 2008 at the Digital Sandbox at 55 Broad Street in downtown Manhattan, we will host a full day conference, “HIT Gets Personal: Consumer-Centric Technology”.
Planning for our event is underway and we expect over 300 local healthcare information technology professionals to attend. We are in the process of securing some of our industry’s most knowledgeable speakers on HIT and Consumerism.
This year’s event is being co-sponsored by the following local healthcare organizations:
• American College of Physicians, NY Chapter
• CAIM/Columbia Center for Advanced Information Management
• HANYS/Healthcare Association of NY State
• HFMA Metro NY/Healthcare Financial Management Association
• IPRO/Island Peer Review Organization
• MSSNY/ Medical Society State of NY
• LIHIMA/Long Island Health Information Management Association
• MINY/Medical Informatics of NY
• NJ HIMSS
• NY eHealth Collaborative
• NYHIMA/NY Health Information Management Association
Please visit www.himssnys.org for further details. Further communications will be forthcoming.
We hope to see you April 3rd in downtown Manhattan.
Marriott hotels to offer ActiveHealth Management's PHR to 50,000 employees.
Yet another employer that realizes the value of the PHR.
No word yet on the ability to migrate the data from this PHR to another.
One of the system's goals is to look for "gaps" in care or potential drug/supplement/disease interactions and notify both the member and the physician. SV
ActiveHealth Management
Yet another employer that realizes the value of the PHR.
No word yet on the ability to migrate the data from this PHR to another.
One of the system's goals is to look for "gaps" in care or potential drug/supplement/disease interactions and notify both the member and the physician. SV
ActiveHealth Management
UnitedHealth Group's Online Personal Health Messages Tied to Increased Likelihood of Individuals
Email reminders via a Patient or Physician Portal are an excellent way to remind patients to avail themselves of preventative medicine services. SV
For example, women who opened their messages were 68-percent more likely to get a mammogram and 63-percent more likely to get a cervical cancer screening. The study compares CDH plan participants who accessed their online health messages throughout 2006 with those who were sent messages but did not open them.
Also, enrollees approaching their 50th birthday received a special message reminding them of a series of recommended preventive tests for their age group. Data show that members who opened this message were:
82-percent more likely to get a cervical cancer screening;
31-percent more likely to get a cholesterol screening;
71-percent more likely to have an office visit in which their blood pressure is checked.
UHC
Email reminders via a Patient or Physician Portal are an excellent way to remind patients to avail themselves of preventative medicine services. SV
For example, women who opened their messages were 68-percent more likely to get a mammogram and 63-percent more likely to get a cervical cancer screening. The study compares CDH plan participants who accessed their online health messages throughout 2006 with those who were sent messages but did not open them.
Also, enrollees approaching their 50th birthday received a special message reminding them of a series of recommended preventive tests for their age group. Data show that members who opened this message were:
82-percent more likely to get a cervical cancer screening;
31-percent more likely to get a cholesterol screening;
71-percent more likely to have an office visit in which their blood pressure is checked.
UHC
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Bridges to Excellence Launches Medical Home Program
Get electronic, do it right and earn up to $125.00 per patient per year! SV
Washington – Today Bridges to Excellence (BTE), the nation’s largest effort to reward physicians for delivery of high quality care, announced its support of the medical home approach to providing health care by launching the BTE Medical Home Program. The initiative will reward physicians that demonstrate they have adopted really good systems and processes of care, and are using those systems to deliver positive results in the management of their patients – in particular patients with chronic conditions.
BTE
Get electronic, do it right and earn up to $125.00 per patient per year! SV
Washington – Today Bridges to Excellence (BTE), the nation’s largest effort to reward physicians for delivery of high quality care, announced its support of the medical home approach to providing health care by launching the BTE Medical Home Program. The initiative will reward physicians that demonstrate they have adopted really good systems and processes of care, and are using those systems to deliver positive results in the management of their patients – in particular patients with chronic conditions.
BTE
Taking HIT to the next level
The Medical Society of the State of New York, in an effort to enhance the knowledge of physicians concerning the importance of adopting interoperative Health Information Technology (HIT), has received continued grant funding from the New York State Department of Health to educate physicians on the means and importance of integrating electronic medical records and electronic prescribing technologies into their practices.
Participants who attend the two-hour CME presentation will be exposed to information and tools to assist their practice with the EHR planning, selection and implementation processes.
Kings CMS
1/31/08
6:30pm
Lai Yuen
Brooklyn
Linda Smith
718-745-5800
Bronx ACP/Bronx CMS
2/20/08
6:00pm
Mario's
Bronx
Diane Miller
718-548-4401
Queens CMS
2/26/08
6:00pm
Sheraton LaGuardia
Queens
Janine Regosin
718-268-7300
Nassau Academy of Med
3/19/08
6:00pm
Chateau Brian
Carle Palce
Mark Cappola
516-832-2300
Orleans CMS
TBA
TBA
Dr. Marie Crea
716-285-5780
Westchester CMS
3/26/08
6:00pm
Pleasantville CC
Pleasantville
Denise ONeill
914-967-9100
Suffolk CMS
5/7/08
6:00pm
Holiday Inn
Ronkonkoma
Stu Friedman
631-851-1400
New York CMS
5/13/08
6:00pm
PekingPark
New York
Natalie Ruoff
212-684-4670
Queens Family Physicians
5/20/08
6:00pm
Akbar Rest
Garden City
Mark Dumbleton
718-322-2903
MSSNY
The Medical Society of the State of New York, in an effort to enhance the knowledge of physicians concerning the importance of adopting interoperative Health Information Technology (HIT), has received continued grant funding from the New York State Department of Health to educate physicians on the means and importance of integrating electronic medical records and electronic prescribing technologies into their practices.
Participants who attend the two-hour CME presentation will be exposed to information and tools to assist their practice with the EHR planning, selection and implementation processes.
Kings CMS
1/31/08
6:30pm
Lai Yuen
Brooklyn
Linda Smith
718-745-5800
Bronx ACP/Bronx CMS
2/20/08
6:00pm
Mario's
Bronx
Diane Miller
718-548-4401
Queens CMS
2/26/08
6:00pm
Sheraton LaGuardia
Queens
Janine Regosin
718-268-7300
Nassau Academy of Med
3/19/08
6:00pm
Chateau Brian
Carle Palce
Mark Cappola
516-832-2300
Orleans CMS
TBA
TBA
Dr. Marie Crea
716-285-5780
Westchester CMS
3/26/08
6:00pm
Pleasantville CC
Pleasantville
Denise ONeill
914-967-9100
Suffolk CMS
5/7/08
6:00pm
Holiday Inn
Ronkonkoma
Stu Friedman
631-851-1400
New York CMS
5/13/08
6:00pm
PekingPark
New York
Natalie Ruoff
212-684-4670
Queens Family Physicians
5/20/08
6:00pm
Akbar Rest
Garden City
Mark Dumbleton
718-322-2903
MSSNY
Thursday, January 24, 2008
CCHIT INPATIENT EHR: UPDATED LIST
company (product version) date certified
Cerner Corporation
(Cerner Millennium PowerChart 2007) 1/22/2008
Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. (CPSI)
(CPSI System, 15) 11/5/2007
Eclipsys Corporation
(Sunrise Acute Care, 4.5 SP4) 11/5/2007
Epic Systems Corporation
(EpicCare Inpatient, Spring 2007) 11/5/2007
Healthcare Management Systems, Inc.
(Healthcare Management Systems, 7.0) 11/5/2007
MEDITECH
(Advanced Clinical Systems, MAGIC 5.6) 1/22/2008
Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc.
(Soarian Clinicals 2.0C5 with Siemens Pharmacy and Med Administration Check 24.0) 11/5/2007
Pre-market conditionally certified products*
company (product version) date certified
Prognosis Health Information Systems
(ChartAccess 1.0) 11/5/2007
Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc.
(INVISION Clinicals Version 27.0 with Siemens Pharmacy and Med Administration Check (MAK), Version 24.0) 1/22/2008
CCHIT
company (product version) date certified
Cerner Corporation
(Cerner Millennium PowerChart 2007) 1/22/2008
Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. (CPSI)
(CPSI System, 15) 11/5/2007
Eclipsys Corporation
(Sunrise Acute Care, 4.5 SP4) 11/5/2007
Epic Systems Corporation
(EpicCare Inpatient, Spring 2007) 11/5/2007
Healthcare Management Systems, Inc.
(Healthcare Management Systems, 7.0) 11/5/2007
MEDITECH
(Advanced Clinical Systems, MAGIC 5.6) 1/22/2008
Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc.
(Soarian Clinicals 2.0C5 with Siemens Pharmacy and Med Administration Check 24.0) 11/5/2007
Pre-market conditionally certified products*
company (product version) date certified
Prognosis Health Information Systems
(ChartAccess 1.0) 11/5/2007
Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc.
(INVISION Clinicals Version 27.0 with Siemens Pharmacy and Med Administration Check (MAK), Version 24.0) 1/22/2008
CCHIT
Monday, January 21, 2008
MedPlus to Implement Clinical Portal and Information Exchange for the Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX)
MADISON, N.J., Jan. 11, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- MedPlus, the healthcare information technology subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), today announced that it has been awarded a contract to implement a clinical portal and information exchange for the Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX). Organized by Maimonides Medical Center and other healthcare organizations in New York, the BHIX is a not-for-profit corporation that will offer health information exchange services in Brooklyn, New York State's most populous borough. The MedPlus system will enable physicians and other healthcare workers to securely collect, manage and share patient information in real time from Internet-enabled locations across the BHIX's eleven partner organizations.
"Technology can optimize patient care, minimize the risk of medical errors, and reduce administrative and other operating costs," said Pamela Brier, president of Maimonides Medical Center and chairperson of the board of directors of the BHIX. "Our goal for the BHIX is to provide exceptional patient care and service through the strategic deployment of technology, and we believe MedPlus is the right vendor to help us achieve this goal."
Medplus
MADISON, N.J., Jan. 11, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- MedPlus, the healthcare information technology subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), today announced that it has been awarded a contract to implement a clinical portal and information exchange for the Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX). Organized by Maimonides Medical Center and other healthcare organizations in New York, the BHIX is a not-for-profit corporation that will offer health information exchange services in Brooklyn, New York State's most populous borough. The MedPlus system will enable physicians and other healthcare workers to securely collect, manage and share patient information in real time from Internet-enabled locations across the BHIX's eleven partner organizations.
"Technology can optimize patient care, minimize the risk of medical errors, and reduce administrative and other operating costs," said Pamela Brier, president of Maimonides Medical Center and chairperson of the board of directors of the BHIX. "Our goal for the BHIX is to provide exceptional patient care and service through the strategic deployment of technology, and we believe MedPlus is the right vendor to help us achieve this goal."
Medplus
Sunday, January 20, 2008
RelayHealth expands partnerships with CIGNA and Aetna
CIGNA HealthCare to Offer National “Virtual House Calls” Program Through RelayHealth
Aetna Expands Availability of RelayHealth’s Secure Online Messaging and Consultations Nationwide, Includes Specialists
Aetna coverage for RelayHealth online visits will be available to most fully insured plan members. Self-insured plan sponsors may choose to participate.
CIGNA
Aetna
CIGNA HealthCare to Offer National “Virtual House Calls” Program Through RelayHealth
Aetna Expands Availability of RelayHealth’s Secure Online Messaging and Consultations Nationwide, Includes Specialists
Aetna coverage for RelayHealth online visits will be available to most fully insured plan members. Self-insured plan sponsors may choose to participate.
CIGNA
Aetna
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
CMS (Medicare) Home Health Pay for Performance demonstration
The Home Health Pay for Performance demonstration will offer incentive payments to a sample of Medicare home health agencies for maintaining high levels of quality care, or making significant improvement s in the quality of their services. HHP4P will be conducted in Illinois, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, California between Jan. 08 and Dec. 09.
An incentive pool will be generated out of savings accrued from the reduction in the use of more costly Medicare services. The pool will be shared with home health agencies that produced the highest level of patient care or produced the greatest improvement in patient care as measured by seven OASIS measures.
• Incidence of Acute Care Hospitalization
• Incidence of Any Emergent Care
• Improvement in Bathing
• Improvement in Ambulation / Locomotion
• Improvement in Transferring
• Improvement in Management of Oral Medications
• Improvement in Status of Surgical Wounds
Seventy-five percent of the incentive pool will be shared with those agencies in the top 20% of the highest level of patient care. Twenty-five percent of the incentive pool will be shared with the top 20% of those making the biggest improvements in patient care. If there are no savings, there will be no incentives.
CMS
The Home Health Pay for Performance demonstration will offer incentive payments to a sample of Medicare home health agencies for maintaining high levels of quality care, or making significant improvement s in the quality of their services. HHP4P will be conducted in Illinois, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, California between Jan. 08 and Dec. 09.
An incentive pool will be generated out of savings accrued from the reduction in the use of more costly Medicare services. The pool will be shared with home health agencies that produced the highest level of patient care or produced the greatest improvement in patient care as measured by seven OASIS measures.
• Incidence of Acute Care Hospitalization
• Incidence of Any Emergent Care
• Improvement in Bathing
• Improvement in Ambulation / Locomotion
• Improvement in Transferring
• Improvement in Management of Oral Medications
• Improvement in Status of Surgical Wounds
Seventy-five percent of the incentive pool will be shared with those agencies in the top 20% of the highest level of patient care. Twenty-five percent of the incentive pool will be shared with the top 20% of those making the biggest improvements in patient care. If there are no savings, there will be no incentives.
CMS
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Maine Governor John E. Baldacci Congratulates New England Telehealth Consortium on Health Care Grant
As broadband technology evolves, the ability to network rural area on a limited budget has significantly improved. SV
BANGOR - Governor John E. Baldacci congratulated the New England Telehealth Consortium today for receiving a $24.6 million Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rural health care grant. The grant is the largest award issued by the FCC under the Rural Health Care Pilot Program. The Consortium’s winning proposal calls for the connection of rural and urban nonprofit health care centers in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
ProInfoNet of Bangor developed the coalition that sought the award. The New England Telehealth Consortium consists of 31 members, representing 555 health care sites in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, including hospitals, the University of Maine, the University of New England, The Jackson Laboratory and others. The consortium will link regional health care providers with urban public practices, research institutions, academic institutions and medical specialists to provide greater efficiency in the sharing of information relevant to health care applications. Once the network is complete, the opportunity exists to connect with a similar network in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Maine
As broadband technology evolves, the ability to network rural area on a limited budget has significantly improved. SV
BANGOR - Governor John E. Baldacci congratulated the New England Telehealth Consortium today for receiving a $24.6 million Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rural health care grant. The grant is the largest award issued by the FCC under the Rural Health Care Pilot Program. The Consortium’s winning proposal calls for the connection of rural and urban nonprofit health care centers in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
ProInfoNet of Bangor developed the coalition that sought the award. The New England Telehealth Consortium consists of 31 members, representing 555 health care sites in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, including hospitals, the University of Maine, the University of New England, The Jackson Laboratory and others. The consortium will link regional health care providers with urban public practices, research institutions, academic institutions and medical specialists to provide greater efficiency in the sharing of information relevant to health care applications. Once the network is complete, the opportunity exists to connect with a similar network in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Maine
Missouri Gov. Blunt Recommends $15 Million to Enhance Health Care Technology
Gov. Blunt created the Healthcare Technology Fund in 2006, and it has been supported by the General Assembly as the preferred means to secure the latest technology for the Mo HealthNet program, as well as mental health and public health initiatives. The governor has secured $25 million to create the Healthcare Technology Fund to build a foundation for the state to enhance technology in its health care programs.
Missouri Governor
Gov. Blunt created the Healthcare Technology Fund in 2006, and it has been supported by the General Assembly as the preferred means to secure the latest technology for the Mo HealthNet program, as well as mental health and public health initiatives. The governor has secured $25 million to create the Healthcare Technology Fund to build a foundation for the state to enhance technology in its health care programs.
Missouri Governor
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
MSSNY Health Information Technology (HIT) CME Seminar Series 2008
Health Info Tech Seminars
Major Health Info Technology Programs for NYS
Physicians and office managers in New York State are urged to register early for the Health Information Technology programs being scheduled for the New York medical community over the coming months. Here are the coming date and locations:
* Albany Area… Saturday, January 19th at the Desmond Hotel at the Albany Airport. Click here to Register
* Lower Hudson Area… Wednesday, February 13th at the Marriott in Tarrytown. Click Here to Register
* New York City Area… Friday, April 4th at Park Central Hotel at Seventh Avenue and 56th Street Click Here to Register
* Central NY Area…… Wednesday, April 30 at the Double Tree at Carrier Circle. Click Here to Register
* Western NY Area…… Friday, May 2 at the RITConferenceCenter in Rochester. Click Here to Register
* Long Island Area… Friday, May 9th at the Huntington Hilton on Route 110. Click Here to Register
These day-long events are loaded with information to help the physician and office manager quickly analyze their electronic health record and practice management systems needs to make informed decisions on their next steps. In addition to briefings by physicians who have already made the change to electronic systems, attendees will also have the opportunity to meet information technology vendors, see system demonstrations and discuss their unique office needs.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Session II: How to Conduct the Critical Office Assessment and Workflow Review (.75 CME Category 1 Credit)
– Transition to Paperless Office and the Importance of Operational Redesign: define a ‘paperless office’; identify possible problems and solutions to complete the transformation to a paperless office; describe the benefits of a paperless office; how to develop a migration plan from paper to paperless office; describe the benefits of operational redesign; describe workflow problems and various approaches to analyzing them; present a workflow problem and diagram; and identify how the EMR will change the flow of patients in the office;
Session IV: NYS Medicaid HIT/HIE Strategy (.75 CME Category 1 Credit)
- Inform physicians of the HIT strategies and standards endorsed by the Medicaid Program and the roles of EHR and ePrescribing in relation to reimbursement reform.
Session V: How to Configure EMRs to Meet Quality Standards for Chronic Disease and Qualify for BtE and P4P Incentives (.75 CME Category 1 Credit)
– Use of Analytics and Reporting: inform physicians about the analytics and reports necessary for EMRs to enable them to comply with Disease tracking and reporting of results and measurements to agencies such as CMS and Bridges to Excellence and/or Pay for Participation Programs;
Session VII: How EMRs use Clinical Decision Support to Improve Patient Safety (.75 CME Category 1 Credit)
– Inform physicians of the importance of engaging critical components, alerts, and query report mechanisms: describes the importance of drug interaction alerts, out-of-range lab results; trending features to illustrate condition activity over time and querying of patient data base to locate and notify patients affected by drug recalls/warnings such as VIOXX, Avandia, etc.; and the significance of how participation in a community patient data exchange leads to additional improvements in patient safety and quality outcomes.
MSSNY
Taking HIT to the Next Level
Health Info Tech Seminars
Major Health Info Technology Programs for NYS
Physicians and office managers in New York State are urged to register early for the Health Information Technology programs being scheduled for the New York medical community over the coming months. Here are the coming date and locations:
* Albany Area… Saturday, January 19th at the Desmond Hotel at the Albany Airport. Click here to Register
* Lower Hudson Area… Wednesday, February 13th at the Marriott in Tarrytown. Click Here to Register
* New York City Area… Friday, April 4th at Park Central Hotel at Seventh Avenue and 56th Street Click Here to Register
* Central NY Area…… Wednesday, April 30 at the Double Tree at Carrier Circle. Click Here to Register
* Western NY Area…… Friday, May 2 at the RITConferenceCenter in Rochester. Click Here to Register
* Long Island Area… Friday, May 9th at the Huntington Hilton on Route 110. Click Here to Register
These day-long events are loaded with information to help the physician and office manager quickly analyze their electronic health record and practice management systems needs to make informed decisions on their next steps. In addition to briefings by physicians who have already made the change to electronic systems, attendees will also have the opportunity to meet information technology vendors, see system demonstrations and discuss their unique office needs.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Session II: How to Conduct the Critical Office Assessment and Workflow Review (.75 CME Category 1 Credit)
– Transition to Paperless Office and the Importance of Operational Redesign: define a ‘paperless office’; identify possible problems and solutions to complete the transformation to a paperless office; describe the benefits of a paperless office; how to develop a migration plan from paper to paperless office; describe the benefits of operational redesign; describe workflow problems and various approaches to analyzing them; present a workflow problem and diagram; and identify how the EMR will change the flow of patients in the office;
Session IV: NYS Medicaid HIT/HIE Strategy (.75 CME Category 1 Credit)
- Inform physicians of the HIT strategies and standards endorsed by the Medicaid Program and the roles of EHR and ePrescribing in relation to reimbursement reform.
Session V: How to Configure EMRs to Meet Quality Standards for Chronic Disease and Qualify for BtE and P4P Incentives (.75 CME Category 1 Credit)
– Use of Analytics and Reporting: inform physicians about the analytics and reports necessary for EMRs to enable them to comply with Disease tracking and reporting of results and measurements to agencies such as CMS and Bridges to Excellence and/or Pay for Participation Programs;
Session VII: How EMRs use Clinical Decision Support to Improve Patient Safety (.75 CME Category 1 Credit)
– Inform physicians of the importance of engaging critical components, alerts, and query report mechanisms: describes the importance of drug interaction alerts, out-of-range lab results; trending features to illustrate condition activity over time and querying of patient data base to locate and notify patients affected by drug recalls/warnings such as VIOXX, Avandia, etc.; and the significance of how participation in a community patient data exchange leads to additional improvements in patient safety and quality outcomes.
MSSNY
Taking HIT to the Next Level
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Harvard partners with Dossia = Indivo and Dossia
This system uses XML as its framework. I look forward to seeing discussion between Dossia and the current group of CCHIT EHRs. SV
On September 17th, 2007, the Children's Hospital Informatics Program and the Dossia Consortium announced that they would be partnering to make the Indivo PCHR the core of the anticipated Dossia Personally Controlled Health Record system. Dossia will provide resources to extend the core Indivo functionality and server architecture, which will remain open source and freely available. CHIP will also serve as an industry adviser to Dossia as the consortium pursues development of a national PCHR ecosystem.
Distinguishing Features of Indivo
The Indivo personally controlled health record differs from other PHR efforts in important ways:
Indivo places a strict emphasis on patient control and ownership of medical information and offers the detailed technical infrastructure to provide this control. Hence we use the term "personally controlled health record" to describe Indivo.
Indivo is an actual medical record, not a portal. (Portals, often provided by healthcare institutions, are windows through which patients can view, but not own or control, a portion of their health data stored at that institution.)
Indivo stores fully detailed clinical encounter records, taken from either electronic systems, paper reports or patient entry. Indivo's XML-based storage allows for a flexible data model and Indivo developers are working closely with the HITSP process to ensure broad interoperability.
Indivo's multi-level security model provides strong data security. Each record is encrypted, protecting against unauthorized access to servers or backup tapes.
Source code for Indivo is open and freely available to all developers, enabling straightforward local customization of Indivo, as well as interoperability between Indivo and other vendor products.
Indivo record owners can subscribe to data updates from hospital information systems, practices, and regional health information organizations (RHIOs) also known as subnetwork organizations (SNOs). Indivo records can also be registered with regional record locator services making their data available to institutions within the RHIOs/SNOs.
Indivo
This system uses XML as its framework. I look forward to seeing discussion between Dossia and the current group of CCHIT EHRs. SV
On September 17th, 2007, the Children's Hospital Informatics Program and the Dossia Consortium announced that they would be partnering to make the Indivo PCHR the core of the anticipated Dossia Personally Controlled Health Record system. Dossia will provide resources to extend the core Indivo functionality and server architecture, which will remain open source and freely available. CHIP will also serve as an industry adviser to Dossia as the consortium pursues development of a national PCHR ecosystem.
Distinguishing Features of Indivo
The Indivo personally controlled health record differs from other PHR efforts in important ways:
Indivo places a strict emphasis on patient control and ownership of medical information and offers the detailed technical infrastructure to provide this control. Hence we use the term "personally controlled health record" to describe Indivo.
Indivo is an actual medical record, not a portal. (Portals, often provided by healthcare institutions, are windows through which patients can view, but not own or control, a portion of their health data stored at that institution.)
Indivo stores fully detailed clinical encounter records, taken from either electronic systems, paper reports or patient entry. Indivo's XML-based storage allows for a flexible data model and Indivo developers are working closely with the HITSP process to ensure broad interoperability.
Indivo's multi-level security model provides strong data security. Each record is encrypted, protecting against unauthorized access to servers or backup tapes.
Source code for Indivo is open and freely available to all developers, enabling straightforward local customization of Indivo, as well as interoperability between Indivo and other vendor products.
Indivo record owners can subscribe to data updates from hospital information systems, practices, and regional health information organizations (RHIOs) also known as subnetwork organizations (SNOs). Indivo records can also be registered with regional record locator services making their data available to institutions within the RHIOs/SNOs.
Indivo
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Senators Kerry, Ensign Introduce E-Prescribing Bill to Modernize Medicine and Save Lives
I saw one source say the one time grant could be as high as $2000.00.
Similar incentives are being proposed by others for Medicaid and the Commercial plans.
Waivers are in place for hardship cases, though the time line for completion is shorter than many would find reasonable.
Contact your local Senator let them know what you think about e-Prescribing and the time line.
Thank you Senators Kerry and Ensign. SV
Specifically, the bill would:
1. Provide permanent Medicare funding for one-time grants to physicians to help offset the start-up costs to physicians of acquiring and implementing e-prescribing technology.
2. Provide permanent Medicare funding for payment bonuses to physicians for use of e-prescribing. For every Medicare prescription that is written electronically, physicians will be paid an extra 1% bonus.
3. Starting on Jan 1, 2011, physicians will be required to write their Medicare outpatient prescriptions electronically. Physicians that continue to write prescriptions by hand will face a per-claim financial penalty.
4. The Secretary of HHS will be given authority to grant one- or two-year hardship waivers for physicians who face particular difficulties in acquiring and implementing e-prescribing – especially those from rural areas or very small (or solo) practices
5. GAO and CMS will be directed to report within two years on the status of e-prescribing adoption within Medicare
Kerry
I saw one source say the one time grant could be as high as $2000.00.
Similar incentives are being proposed by others for Medicaid and the Commercial plans.
Waivers are in place for hardship cases, though the time line for completion is shorter than many would find reasonable.
Contact your local Senator let them know what you think about e-Prescribing and the time line.
Thank you Senators Kerry and Ensign. SV
Specifically, the bill would:
1. Provide permanent Medicare funding for one-time grants to physicians to help offset the start-up costs to physicians of acquiring and implementing e-prescribing technology.
2. Provide permanent Medicare funding for payment bonuses to physicians for use of e-prescribing. For every Medicare prescription that is written electronically, physicians will be paid an extra 1% bonus.
3. Starting on Jan 1, 2011, physicians will be required to write their Medicare outpatient prescriptions electronically. Physicians that continue to write prescriptions by hand will face a per-claim financial penalty.
4. The Secretary of HHS will be given authority to grant one- or two-year hardship waivers for physicians who face particular difficulties in acquiring and implementing e-prescribing – especially those from rural areas or very small (or solo) practices
5. GAO and CMS will be directed to report within two years on the status of e-prescribing adoption within Medicare
Kerry
Network Magic and Carbonite back up
I've used Network Magic for two years and have been impressed with the ease of use.
It especially comes in handy when a I bring home a new wireless toy or Uncle Billy comes to visit with his laptop.
For a limited time, you can get a one year subscription to Carbonite unlimited backup, a $49 value. SV
Network Magic
Carbonite
I've used Network Magic for two years and have been impressed with the ease of use.
It especially comes in handy when a I bring home a new wireless toy or Uncle Billy comes to visit with his laptop.
For a limited time, you can get a one year subscription to Carbonite unlimited backup, a $49 value. SV
Network Magic
Carbonite
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Health Level Seven, America’s Health Insurance Plans, and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Sign MOU to Collaborate on Portability Standards for Personal Health Records
This collaboration will help promote standards across the Insurance Company based PHRs and will benefit people who may need to migrate between plans. SV
ANN ARBOR, Mich., – December 4, 2007 -- Health Level Seven, Inc. (HL7), America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), today announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create a collaborative process for the maintenance of portability standards for personal health records (PHR).
This MOU expands the number of stakeholders involved in the standards development process to help facilitate data portability between health insurance plans to give plan members the ability to move their personal health data when their health coverage changes.
Charles Jaffe, MD, PhD, and CEO of HL7 said, “We applaud AHIP and BCBSA for investing in the early development efforts of the PHR data portability standards and for entrusting HL7 to maintain the standards. PHR’s will give consumers the power to integrate and manage their personal healthcare information and it provides a framework for standards-based interoperability between the consumer and the provider.”
Health insurance plan-based PHRs contain claims encounter and administrative data drawn from health insurance plan data sources as well as individuals’ self-entered information.
HL7
This collaboration will help promote standards across the Insurance Company based PHRs and will benefit people who may need to migrate between plans. SV
ANN ARBOR, Mich., – December 4, 2007 -- Health Level Seven, Inc. (HL7), America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), today announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create a collaborative process for the maintenance of portability standards for personal health records (PHR).
This MOU expands the number of stakeholders involved in the standards development process to help facilitate data portability between health insurance plans to give plan members the ability to move their personal health data when their health coverage changes.
Charles Jaffe, MD, PhD, and CEO of HL7 said, “We applaud AHIP and BCBSA for investing in the early development efforts of the PHR data portability standards and for entrusting HL7 to maintain the standards. PHR’s will give consumers the power to integrate and manage their personal healthcare information and it provides a framework for standards-based interoperability between the consumer and the provider.”
Health insurance plan-based PHRs contain claims encounter and administrative data drawn from health insurance plan data sources as well as individuals’ self-entered information.
HL7
Saturday, December 01, 2007
NORMAN PHYSICIAN HOSPITAL ORGANIZATION SELECTS eCLINICALWORKS UNIFIED EMR/PM SOLUTION
WESTBOROUGH, Mass.—November 28, 2007— eClinicalWorksTM, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, today announced that Norman Physician Hospital Organization (NPHO) has purchased licenses of eClinicalWorks electronic medical record (EMR) software to streamline practice operations for more than 100 providers in 31 affiliated practices. E-prescribing along with an interface between eClinicalWorks and Meditech, Norman Regional Health System’s laboratory component, will further automate physicians in their efforts to foster better, more efficient care in both the inpatient and ambulatory settings.
“NPHO’s long-term goal is to create a community health record for its patients,” said Gary Clinton, executive director of Norman Physician Hospital Organization (NPHO). “Implementing a clinical integration system is a major step in achieving this goal. NPHO selected eClinicalWorks for its superior track record in customer satisfaction and its commitment to ensuring its solutions work well with our current systems, including interfacing with Meditech.”
“I am very excited about this development. It is a critical first step towards improving health care and innovation in Norman for the next decade,” said Stephen Connery, MD, NPHO president.
NPHO is implementing eClinicalWorks unified EMR/PM system to streamline the clinical processes between practice locations and promote patient safety while reducing costs. eClinicalWorks is working with the Norman Regional Health System to create an interface with Meditech to streamline the sending and receiving of lab work. NPHO is also utilizing e-prescribing, providing a direct link between the practice and the computer at the pharmacy (not the fax machine), establishing a two-way electronic connection. eClinicalWorks Electronic Health eXchange (eEHX) may be added at a later date to create a community health record.
eClinicalWorks
WESTBOROUGH, Mass.—November 28, 2007— eClinicalWorksTM, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, today announced that Norman Physician Hospital Organization (NPHO) has purchased licenses of eClinicalWorks electronic medical record (EMR) software to streamline practice operations for more than 100 providers in 31 affiliated practices. E-prescribing along with an interface between eClinicalWorks and Meditech, Norman Regional Health System’s laboratory component, will further automate physicians in their efforts to foster better, more efficient care in both the inpatient and ambulatory settings.
“NPHO’s long-term goal is to create a community health record for its patients,” said Gary Clinton, executive director of Norman Physician Hospital Organization (NPHO). “Implementing a clinical integration system is a major step in achieving this goal. NPHO selected eClinicalWorks for its superior track record in customer satisfaction and its commitment to ensuring its solutions work well with our current systems, including interfacing with Meditech.”
“I am very excited about this development. It is a critical first step towards improving health care and innovation in Norman for the next decade,” said Stephen Connery, MD, NPHO president.
NPHO is implementing eClinicalWorks unified EMR/PM system to streamline the clinical processes between practice locations and promote patient safety while reducing costs. eClinicalWorks is working with the Norman Regional Health System to create an interface with Meditech to streamline the sending and receiving of lab work. NPHO is also utilizing e-prescribing, providing a direct link between the practice and the computer at the pharmacy (not the fax machine), establishing a two-way electronic connection. eClinicalWorks Electronic Health eXchange (eEHX) may be added at a later date to create a community health record.
eClinicalWorks
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Brooklyn’s Kings County Hospital Center to Introduce Self-Service Kiosks in the Emergency Department
As a person who had the benefit of training at Kings County Hospital, I am proud to see the institution continue its progressive vision. The local community will benefit from the option. SV
MAITLAND, Fla. – Kings County Hospital Center, a 627-bed public hospital located in Brooklyn, N.Y., plans to deploy self-service kiosks in its emergency department to streamline the check-in and triage process. The MediKiosk™ software solution, from Galvanon, an NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) company, automates patient registration and helps emergency department staff prioritize treatment based on medical urgency.
“Like many emergency departments, we experience extremely high patient volumes every day,” said Albert Porco, CIO of Kings County Hospital Center. “By using MediKiosk to expedite the check-in process, we will be able to better manage wait times and decrease stress associated with a visit to the emergency department.”
Galvanon
As a person who had the benefit of training at Kings County Hospital, I am proud to see the institution continue its progressive vision. The local community will benefit from the option. SV
MAITLAND, Fla. – Kings County Hospital Center, a 627-bed public hospital located in Brooklyn, N.Y., plans to deploy self-service kiosks in its emergency department to streamline the check-in and triage process. The MediKiosk™ software solution, from Galvanon, an NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) company, automates patient registration and helps emergency department staff prioritize treatment based on medical urgency.
“Like many emergency departments, we experience extremely high patient volumes every day,” said Albert Porco, CIO of Kings County Hospital Center. “By using MediKiosk to expedite the check-in process, we will be able to better manage wait times and decrease stress associated with a visit to the emergency department.”
Galvanon
Saturday, November 17, 2007
MSSNY HIT GRANT AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
A total of six winners of listed, one in each of the major regions of New York State for an approximate total of $4.58 Million. SV
MSSNY
A total of six winners of listed, one in each of the major regions of New York State for an approximate total of $4.58 Million. SV
MSSNY
Friday, November 16, 2007
CMS Proposes E-Prescribing Standards
On Nov. 13, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced that the department, through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is proposing rules to adopt new standards to advance the use of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) for formulary and benefit as well as medication history transactions used under the Medicare prescription drug benefit. The proposed standards will be published in the Nov. 16 Federal Register.
The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 requires CMS to adopt final standards for e-prescribing. All providers and pharmacies transmitting prescriptions electronically for Medicare-covered drugs are required to comply with any CMS standards in effect. The standards cover:
Transactions between prescribers and dispensers for new prescriptions; refill requests and responses; prescription change requests and responses; prescription cancellation, request, and response; and related messaging and administrative transactions
Eligibility and benefits queries and responses between prescribers and Part D sponsors
Eligibility queries between dispensers and Part D sponsors
E-prescribing standards (104 pages)
On Nov. 13, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced that the department, through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is proposing rules to adopt new standards to advance the use of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) for formulary and benefit as well as medication history transactions used under the Medicare prescription drug benefit. The proposed standards will be published in the Nov. 16 Federal Register.
The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 requires CMS to adopt final standards for e-prescribing. All providers and pharmacies transmitting prescriptions electronically for Medicare-covered drugs are required to comply with any CMS standards in effect. The standards cover:
Transactions between prescribers and dispensers for new prescriptions; refill requests and responses; prescription change requests and responses; prescription cancellation, request, and response; and related messaging and administrative transactions
Eligibility and benefits queries and responses between prescribers and Part D sponsors
Eligibility queries between dispensers and Part D sponsors
E-prescribing standards (104 pages)
Sunday, November 11, 2007
NYC DOHMH helps EHR software vendor develop features to monitor and improve population health
I have seen the team in action and it is very impressive. Under Dr Mostashari's leadership, a highly motivated group including physicians and public health professionals have significantly accelerated the evolution of Electronic Health Records. SV
Although e-health records are often touted as supporting disease prevention and better patient care, the systems available to doctors and clinics do not achieve those goals, an assistant commissioner of New York City’s health department told a congressional panel.
Even systems certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology generally lack four features needed to improve population health, said Dr. Farzad Mostashari, who heads New York City’s Primary Care Information Project.
He listed these features:
Structured data collection -- using standard terms and codes that can be interpreted by computers -- for a minimal set of priority clinical terms, such as smoking status.
Registry functions, which enable users to generate lists of patients needing certain treatments or tests. For example, a medical practice should be able to compile a list of all patients over age 50 who have not had colon exams and send them reminders.
Quality measures, or built-in capabilities to assess the health of a set of patients and how well they are being treated for priority conditions.
Decision support tools, which deliver reminders and warnings to doctors and inform them of best practices in treatment.
Mostashari said the city is working with its chosen EHR vendor to build these features into its system and will work with users of other products and their software providers to add functionality to those systems. Although Mostashari did not name the vendor, it is Westborough, Mass.-based eClinicalWorks.
He spoke at a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization and Procurement.
GovHit
I have seen the team in action and it is very impressive. Under Dr Mostashari's leadership, a highly motivated group including physicians and public health professionals have significantly accelerated the evolution of Electronic Health Records. SV
Although e-health records are often touted as supporting disease prevention and better patient care, the systems available to doctors and clinics do not achieve those goals, an assistant commissioner of New York City’s health department told a congressional panel.
Even systems certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology generally lack four features needed to improve population health, said Dr. Farzad Mostashari, who heads New York City’s Primary Care Information Project.
He listed these features:
Structured data collection -- using standard terms and codes that can be interpreted by computers -- for a minimal set of priority clinical terms, such as smoking status.
Registry functions, which enable users to generate lists of patients needing certain treatments or tests. For example, a medical practice should be able to compile a list of all patients over age 50 who have not had colon exams and send them reminders.
Quality measures, or built-in capabilities to assess the health of a set of patients and how well they are being treated for priority conditions.
Decision support tools, which deliver reminders and warnings to doctors and inform them of best practices in treatment.
Mostashari said the city is working with its chosen EHR vendor to build these features into its system and will work with users of other products and their software providers to add functionality to those systems. Although Mostashari did not name the vendor, it is Westborough, Mass.-based eClinicalWorks.
He spoke at a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization and Procurement.
GovHit
Friday, November 09, 2007
Oregon to receive federal grant money to create database for Medicaid patients
I wonder which company will get the contract. SV
A two-year $5.5 million federal grant aims to help Oregon create a secure online database of health records for the states 400,000 plus Medicaid beneficiaries.
Portland Tribune
I wonder which company will get the contract. SV
A two-year $5.5 million federal grant aims to help Oregon create a secure online database of health records for the states 400,000 plus Medicaid beneficiaries.
Portland Tribune
CMS Medicare to reward use of Electronic medical records and e-prescribing in 2008
In addition to PQRI bonuses related to HIT (up to 1.5% of the their total allowed charges), CMS has pushed back the deadline for conversion to e-prescribing (non-faxed) to January 1, 2009. SV
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued a final physician payment rule designed to improve accuracy of Medicare payments and give physicians and health care professionals additional financial incentives to provide higher quality and value in the delivery of care.
These structural measures, which focus on whether a health care professional uses electronic health records and/or electronic prescribing, emphasize the importance of this technology for delivery of high-quality health care services. Physician and non-physician professionals not meeting PQRI measures will be allowed to participate by reporting on their use of health information technology. The Physician Assistance and Quality Initiative Fund will provide $1.35 billion for physician payment and quality improvement initiatives for services furnished in 2008.
CMS
In addition to PQRI bonuses related to HIT (up to 1.5% of the their total allowed charges), CMS has pushed back the deadline for conversion to e-prescribing (non-faxed) to January 1, 2009. SV
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued a final physician payment rule designed to improve accuracy of Medicare payments and give physicians and health care professionals additional financial incentives to provide higher quality and value in the delivery of care.
These structural measures, which focus on whether a health care professional uses electronic health records and/or electronic prescribing, emphasize the importance of this technology for delivery of high-quality health care services. Physician and non-physician professionals not meeting PQRI measures will be allowed to participate by reporting on their use of health information technology. The Physician Assistance and Quality Initiative Fund will provide $1.35 billion for physician payment and quality improvement initiatives for services furnished in 2008.
CMS
2007 CCHIT inpatient EHR certifications
Here are the product versions and dates of certification.
Just as with the 2007 outpatient certifications, the list is short. SV
Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. (CPSI) (CPSI System, 15) 11/5/2007
Eclipsys Corporation (Sunrise Acute Care, 4.5 SP4) 11/5/2007
Epic Systems Corporation (EpicCare Inpatient, Spring 2007) 11/5/2007
Healthcare Management Systems, Inc. (Healthcare Management Systems, 7.0) 11/5/2007
Pre-market conditionally certified products*
Prognosis Health Information Systems(ChartAccess 1.0) 11/5/2007
Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc.(Soarian Clinicals 2.0C5 with Siemens Pharmacy and Med Administration Check 24.0) 11/5/2007
CCHIT inpatient certification criteria
Here are the product versions and dates of certification.
Just as with the 2007 outpatient certifications, the list is short. SV
Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. (CPSI) (CPSI System, 15) 11/5/2007
Eclipsys Corporation (Sunrise Acute Care, 4.5 SP4) 11/5/2007
Epic Systems Corporation (EpicCare Inpatient, Spring 2007) 11/5/2007
Healthcare Management Systems, Inc. (Healthcare Management Systems, 7.0) 11/5/2007
Pre-market conditionally certified products*
Prognosis Health Information Systems(ChartAccess 1.0) 11/5/2007
Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc.(Soarian Clinicals 2.0C5 with Siemens Pharmacy and Med Administration Check 24.0) 11/5/2007
CCHIT inpatient certification criteria
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Kaiser Permanente Personal Health Record, My Health Manager, has 1.6 million registrants
With 8.7 million insured members, this PHR could become the most used of all. This is a rather robust application. It will be interesting to see if the equipment vendors provide interfaces as they have with Microsoft's HealthVault. SV
My health manager provides critical time-saving features, including online appointment scheduling and prescription refills. In addition, users have 24/7 online access to lab test results, eligibility and benefits information, and even their children's immunization records. With secure e-mail messaging, members can also communicate with their doctors at anytime, from anywhere. More than 275,000 secure e-mail messages are sent each month to Kaiser Permanente doctors and clinicians, demonstrating growing consumer interest in e-visits.
Kaiser Permanente
With 8.7 million insured members, this PHR could become the most used of all. This is a rather robust application. It will be interesting to see if the equipment vendors provide interfaces as they have with Microsoft's HealthVault. SV
My health manager provides critical time-saving features, including online appointment scheduling and prescription refills. In addition, users have 24/7 online access to lab test results, eligibility and benefits information, and even their children's immunization records. With secure e-mail messaging, members can also communicate with their doctors at anytime, from anywhere. More than 275,000 secure e-mail messages are sent each month to Kaiser Permanente doctors and clinicians, demonstrating growing consumer interest in e-visits.
Kaiser Permanente
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Medical Mutual of Ohio and The Doctors Company Join Forces With Ohio Physicians to Deliver Personal Health Records
CLEVELAND, OH--(Marketwire - November 6, 2007) - Today, the largest Ohio-based healthcare insurer, Medical Mutual of Ohio, and one of Ohio's largest medical liability carriers, The Doctors Company, and its Ohio based subsidiary OHIC Insurance Company (OHIC) announced an initiative to better connect patients to their physicians using iHealth, a secure, online and transportable personal health record (PHR) service. The initiative will reach out to Medical Mutual's network of physicians in Ohio, several of whom already offer the iHealth service, regarding the patient and practice benefits of secure online connectivity and patient-owned PHRs.
Medem
CLEVELAND, OH--(Marketwire - November 6, 2007) - Today, the largest Ohio-based healthcare insurer, Medical Mutual of Ohio, and one of Ohio's largest medical liability carriers, The Doctors Company, and its Ohio based subsidiary OHIC Insurance Company (OHIC) announced an initiative to better connect patients to their physicians using iHealth, a secure, online and transportable personal health record (PHR) service. The initiative will reach out to Medical Mutual's network of physicians in Ohio, several of whom already offer the iHealth service, regarding the patient and practice benefits of secure online connectivity and patient-owned PHRs.
Medem
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