Wirehead Technology: EHR Update Issue

Featured Report: It's time to publicly compare EHR usability, IOM group says
Fierce Health IT
Sept,20,2012
by: Julie Bird
The world of electronic health records needs to open itself up to critical comparisons and earnest user evaluation if it wants to avoid formal regulation by the Food and Drug Administration, according to a discussion paper released this month by the Institute of Medicine. Not only is there nowhere for health IT users to share publicly their experiences with different products, but vendors often prohibit users from sharing screenshots or otherwise publicly discussing EHR problems, notes the paper, "Comparative User Experiences of Health IT Products: How User Experiences Would Be Reported and Used."
Read Report

This Week's Healthcare News
iHealthBeat
Survey: Most Physicians Using, Starting To Implement EHRs
Sept,04,2012
Most physicians currently use an electronic health record system or are in the process of implementing one, according to a new survey by Medscape, FierceEMR reports.The survey suggests that the widespread use of EHRs can be attributed in large part to the meaningful use program. Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments. Read more

Healthcare Info Security
Demand for Health InfoSec Pros Grows
Sept,18,2012
by: Marianne Kolbasuk McGee
When the HITECH Act electronic health record incentive program kicked off in 2009, the Department of Labor predicted a shortage of 50,000 health IT professionals in the coming years. As more organizations roll out EHRs, in part because of the billions of dollars in HITECH incentives now available, demand for information security expertise, in particular, is rapidly growing.
Read Report

Med City News
Some providers have found implementing EHR “traumatizing” (infographic)
Sept, 20, 2012
by: Stephanie Baum
The road for many providers implementing electronic health records has not been an easy one. But an infographic from health IT resource group HealthPOINT at Dakota State University revealed that 5 percent said the transition process was “traumatizing.” More than 50 percent of providers said it’s “been bumpy,” and another quarter of respondents said they “got through it.” The infographic combines fun facts like that with a sort of crib sheet for the 1,100+ page Meaningful Use Stage 2 core requirements for EHR set down by the the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Office of National Coordinator for Health IT last month.
Read Report

Small Business Healthcare Consortium

RE: November 16th Deadline to Establish Illinois' Insurance Exchange Blueprint-- Opportunity to advise Governor Quinn by signing on to a letter (sign-on letter) outlining our principles. Dear Small Business Owner, Health care reform implementation continues in Illinois. Governor Quinn has stated that Illinois will move forward in a two-step process by 1) establishing a State-Federal Partnership 2014, and 2) in 2015, establishing a State Based Exchange. He must explain the components that Illinois will oversee in a State-Federal Partnership and those Illinois will turn over to the Feds. SBHCC, along with out collaborative partners are asking our small businesses to sign on to this sign-on letter that outlines what we expect the Quinn Administration to include in their November 16th blueprint. Our blueprint priority letter will be submitted to Governor Quinn during the week of October 8th. We hope that you will sign on and forward this letter: Please forward this letter to your network. In general, we are asking Governor Quinn to advise the Federal government that: Illinois intends to establish a State Exchange beginning on 1/1/2015. A State Exchange is essential to provide direct oversight through a diverse governing board, the ability to negotiate rates to control insurance costs, design a 21st century health care system and develop a fair and sensible financing of the State Exchange that is not paid for on the backs of small businesses, providers, uninsured or insured. the blueprint enumerates the specific steps and components the Quinn Administration will undertake in the coming year that will move us towards a State Exchange in 2015. These steps include: -Consumer Assistance components -Illinois overseeing the creation of Qualified Health Insurance Plans -Asking the Federal government to assign authority to Illinois in the State- Federal Exchange to such decisions as negotiating insurance rates. Please sign your small business on to this letter by clicking here: sign-on letter. If you have any questions, please contact me. Sincerely, Joyce Harant Small Business Project Director jharant@cbhconline.org 309-648-3035

Share This: