MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'e prescribing'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:12:08 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107649&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2011%2F08%2F03%2Feprescribing-controlled-substances%2F Back on September 13, 2009 I wrote a post titled, “FDA Approves Pilot Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances.” I’d link to the post, but unfortunately the news got sent to me prematurely and so I had to take the post down. It was unfortunate, since there was and still is a lot of interest in being able to ePrescribe controlled substances. In fact, I’d say that not being able to prescribe controlled substances electronically is the current Achilles heal of ePrescribing. Fast forward to the recent announcement that DrFirst’s announcement of the Nationwide Launch of their ePrescribing Controlled Substances product. Their latest ePrescribing product for controlled substances is called EPCS Gold and is fully certified to meet the prescription processing re... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107649 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:33:22 +0100 5107649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077826&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fpolicymakers-separating-perception-reality-may-be-job-1 When it comes to sustaining proactive initiatives like the programs coming out of the HITECH Act, one of the bigger challenges for policymakers is figuring out how to manage the divide between perception and reality. Here, for example, is a list of problems one doctor has observed as the role of HIT has increased in his daily practice. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077826 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:48:19 +0100 5077826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028570&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Favoid-1-e-prescribing-penalty The Federal Government’s commitment to advancing healthcare IT is seen in its “carrot and stick” approach. Now, for the first time, physicians who are not yet e-prescribing are feeling the “stick” end of the equation. Those doctors who did not report at least 10 paperless drug orders to CMS by the end of June will be penalized by a 1% reduction in Medicare payments. A limited number of hardship exceptions exist: read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028570 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:25:05 +0100 5028570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872476&cid=t_322384_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fl6OCIRjRzwE%2F And so another working week is about to come to an end, which means we can daydream about weekend plans. Our modest agenda includes hanging out with the short people and catching up on some reading. What about you? Maybe a dip in the pool? A walk in the park? Perhaps gazing into the future? This side of the pond has a three-day break, of course, so there will be more time to indulge. Whatever you do, have a great time and see you soon… Novartis Found Not Liable For Jaw Disease (Reuters) Medco Loses Blue Cross Blue Shield Contract (Reuters) Trimeris Gets $5M In Roche Settlement (Triangle Business Journal) Pharma Protests UK Pricing Plan (Bloomberg News) AstraZeneca Confirms Endings Payments For Docs To Attend Meetings (Reuters) CMS Proposes Looser E-Prescribing Rules (Internal Medicin... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872476 Fri, 27 May 2011 12:09:07 +0100 4872476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4478158&cid=t_322384_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F4zPu4D1nOpc%2F A behind-the-scenes battle is brewing in nearly a dozen states where legislation has been introduced to more closely regulate e-prescribing. And a trade group for pharmacy benefit managers claims that brand-name drugmakers are trying to use the proposals to restrict access to lower-cost generics. The bills would, essentially, prohibit docs from seeing messages from third-party information providers as they write an e-prescription. In doing so, info about other prescribing options, including drug interactions, would not be displayed on screens. “By removing the third party message, the legislation doesn’t allow the technology to get to the doctor,” a spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association tells us. Legislation is pending in 11 states, including Indiana, K... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4478158 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:36:47 +0100 4478158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294765&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F1D-_uPfvY48%2Fblumenthal-talks-e-prescribing.html As you may have already heard, Surescripts today gave its annual update of progress in e-prescribing. About one-third of office-based clinicians now write at least some prescriptions electronically and the overall e-prescribing rate is up to 12 percent.Surescripts had a transcription service present and provided these remarks from featured speaker Dr. David Blumenthal:Well, thank you, Mr. [Harry] Totonis [president and CEO of Surescripts]. I appreciate your kind words. And it's a pleasure to be here. It's a pleasure to be part of the recognition of these ten states, who are pioneering and meeting on a very important contribution to the health and welfare of Americans.As I go down the list, I can't help noticing that my home State of Massachusetts is at the top. (Laughter.)And I want you to... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294765 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 22:00:00 +0100 4294765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3790785&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fprotecting-privacy As we all implement Meaningful Use stages 1, 2, and 3 from 2011-2015, we will increasingly share data among payers, providers and patients. Protecting privacy is foundational and we should only exchange data per patient preference. How will we achieve that in Massachusetts? Stage 1 In the first stage of meaningful use, there are limited data exchanges - ePrescribing, a demonstration of pushing data from provider to provider, and public/population health exchanges for lab, immunizations, and syndromic surveillance. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3790785 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:07:18 +0100 3790785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753923&cid=t_322384_114_f&fid=34648&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBlawg%2F%7E3%2FVcpI21OUncI%2Fmeaningful-use-the-final-rule.html Meaningful use was given its final definition yesterday, in the meaningful use final rule released by HHS.  Secretary Sebelius, CMS Adminsitrator Berwick, ONC chief Blumenthal and the two Reginas spoke -- U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, and Regina Holliday, whose late husband's last days were complicated by the failure of health care facilities to release and share health records.  Berwick, in his first full day on the job as CMS Adminstrator, waxed rhapsodic about the pleasures of practicing as a pediatrician at Harvard Community Health Plan using its pioneering electronic health record system.  (Years later, I am still a patient at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, which used to be part of HCHP, and I am still spoiled by the EHR system there.)  Blumenthal and Benjamin also s... HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753923 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:27:14 +0100 3753923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733153&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fblog-worlds-worst-ehr-vendor When I was first forwarded a press release from Extormity, the Aspen-based EHR maker, I assumed it was a new vendor I hadn't heard of. In fact, it wasn't. The company doesn't exist. Its sleek and well-designed Web site is a parody – dreamed up and designed by an exec at a real-life personal health records company who remains anonymous (until a later date which, he says, is coming soon). (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733153 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:26:49 +0100 3733153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538253&cid=t_322384_114_f&fid=34648&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBlawg%2F%7E3%2FJsTiCYleTIA%2Fhit-incentives-in-massachusetts-less-carrot-more-stick.html Health care providers all over the country are all worked up because they say that the federales' regulations on meaningful use of certified EHRs go too far, too fast.  They should be glad they're not in Massachusetts, where EHR use will soon be required as a condition of licensure of physicians, hospitals and community health centers.  The word got out, thanks to Secretary of Health and Human Services JudyAnn Bigby, who spoke at last week's HIT conference hosted by Governor Deval Patrick and the MA Health Data Consortium.  This seemed to be news to some folks out there, but these requirements are deep in the heart of Part II of the Massachusetts health reform law (Chapter 305 of the Acts of 2008).  Much of the coverage in August 2008 didn't mention the EHR-for-licensure provisions, bu... HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538253 Thu, 06 May 2010 00:54:04 +0100 3538253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499159&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fnew-report-shows-why-change-takes-time A new report on the challenges presented by the first stage of Meaningful Use (MU) compliance provides a good road map for healthcare providers making the transition to new HIT. But, whether intentionally or not, it also offers a glimpse at just how much new responsibility it requires providers to assume in order to make the jump successfully. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499159 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:51:41 +0100 3499159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374223&cid=t_322384_114_f&fid=34648&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBlawg%2F%7E3%2FGoZmGo7u-GA%2Fdavid-harlow-quoted-on-electronic-health-records-implementation-and-incentives-in-mass-medical-law-r.html Just a few days before the comment period closed on the draft regulations defining meaningful use (see all meaningful use comments), the Massachusetts Medical Law Report ran a piece on the HITECH Act incentives for implementation of electronic health records systems, quoting me and a couple other usual suspects.  I highlighted some shortcomings in the proposed rule, and also noted that health care providers need to be implementing EHRs not just for the stimulus kicker ... that alone is not worth it:[T]he regulation calls for all physicians to use e-prescribing 75 percent of the time by 2012.David Harlow, a Newton-based lawyer and health care consultant, said that this won’t be an easy task, noting that Massachusetts is considered a leader in e-prescribing even though only 10 percent of ... HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374223 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:46:42 +0100 3374223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346722&cid=t_322384_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FKha28oDlsaA%2F The number of physicians using e-prescribing tools to prescribe meds and access a patient’s drug benefit info and prescription histories is growing significantly, according to a report by Surescripts, which operates an e-prescribing network. A few findings: electronic requests for prescription benefit info grew from 79 million in 2008 to 303 million in 2009; prescription histories delivered to prescribers grew from over 16 million in 2008 to 81 million in 2009, and prescriptions routed electronically grew from 68 million in 2008 to 191 million in 2009. Also, the number of prescribers routing scrips electronically reached 156,000 at the end of 2009, up from 74,000 at the end of 2008 – representing about 25 percent of all office-based prescribers(see executive summary). In discussi... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346722 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:46:24 +0100 3346722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133672&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2F2009-review-part-2 As I've said in my blog about "The Number 5" I tend to organize my life and my projects in groups of 5. My 2009 Review has five segments - Harvard Medical School, State projects, and Federal projects which I presented yesterday plus Beth Israel Deaconess and my personal life which I'll present today. BIDMC Beth Israel Deaconess had a turbocharged 2009 which included a new alliance with Atrius Health, numerous new applications, and significant infrastructure improvements. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133672 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:03:11 +0100 3133672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3075532&cid=t_322384_105_f&fid=38964&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrwes.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fcontrolled-drug-e-prescriptions-policy.html "Hello, Dr. Fisher?""Yes, this is Dr. Fisher""This is Sam Smart, pharmacist at Walgreens over in East Elsewhere.""Yes, sir, how can I help you?""Well it's about that prescription you gave to Mr. Pacertoday for Norco.""What about it?""Well, it's not printed on the right controlled drug presciption paper.""But that's how we've been issuing prescriptions. I haven't seen any of that special printer paper with that squiggly-lined paper for months. I know we're 'sposed to use in that kind of paper, but it's never in the printer and there's no special printer for controlled drugs, so we just use regular paper. It has my signature, right?""Well, there's a signature, but I really can't tell if this is an authorized signature without the proper paper...""But you're talking to me, right?""Uh, yeah.""... Dr. Wes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3075532 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:30:00 +0100 3075532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879491&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F-Lo21DhCyFI%2F ePrescribing seems like the in vogue thing to do these days. It’s part of the proposed meaningful use matrix and so no doubt we’re going to hear a lot more about it (and we should). However, ePrescribing isn’t without its challenges. A little while ago I put the question to you my readers about the challenges associated with ePrescribing. The following are a couple of the responses that I received from people about their experience with ePrescribing. Doctor’s advocate that I am, I’ll start off with a doctor’s experience… E-Rx has been one of the best additions to our EHR. We have reduced paper use significantly, and rarely have problems with transmission. The problems mainly relate to the extra work of entering which pharmacy the patient ants to us... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879491 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:20:46 +0100 2879491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2876139&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2009%2F10%2F04%2Feprescribing-challenges%2F I’ve heard a number of good and bad things about ePrescribing. I think that e-Prescribing is one of those things that people generally love, but has some major challenges that are still yet to be overcome. Those challenges can absolutely drive people nuts. Since my readers are much smarter than me, let’s hear the challenges you’ve faced as you’ve used or implemented ePrescribing. Let it all hang out. If you have ideas or solutions to the problems you’ve faced, let us know those too. Assuming I get enough responses, I’ll take your responses and do a summary post of people’s comments along with a link to your website (if you leave one). Related posts:ePrescribing Through Online AMA Platform I was recently sent a news release about DrFirst offering.... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2876139 Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:25:19 +0100 2876139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2824199&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2009%2F09%2F19%2Fhow-many-will-actually-collect-arra-emr-stimulus-money%2F In my last post Michael Milne made the following comment that I think was worth discussing: I firmly believe that less than 5% of all doctors who do buy a “certified” EMR are going to collect. … For example, how many here, or even heard of someone, have actually collected the e-prescribing incentive? I think that 5% is a low estimate of who will collect on the EMR stimulus money. Although not that much lower. What do you think? Related posts:ARRA EHR Stimulus Money Poll Results A few days ago, I posted a poll to try...ARRA EHR Stimulus Money Poll Time for another poll about the topic on everyone’s mind:...Many Doctors Won’t See EHR Stimulus Money One of my biggest fears about the carrot and stick... (Source: EMR and HIPAA) EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2824199 Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:19:08 +0100 2824199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2598313&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=36504&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicalRecordShow%2F%7E3%2Fsn4e9DH7TxM%2F I’ve alluded to this in a past post: it’s not easy outlining the fatal features that will sink an EHR implementation. Most EHR vendors prefer to focus on the success stories, the “best practices” of their star performers, and rightly so. “Never repeat a mistake,” my French teacher used to tell me (if “mademoiselle” isn’t pronounced “madame as well,” don’t say it that way, even when asking the question). Don’t stare at the pothole that you’re trying to avoid, unless you want to ride right into it. It’s easier to exhort folks with positive action steps — DO xyz — rather than negative ones — AVOID abc so you can get to xyz. But with a tip o’ the hat to Battlestar Galactica, we&#82... The EMR/EHR Show: Making Your Electronic Medical Records Really Work blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2598313 Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:00:03 +0100 2598313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2576679&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fama-and-emrs-continued.html Last month, I wrote a rather scathing piece on the BNET Healthcare blog about the American Medical Association's annual House of Delegates meeting. I wrote another one for FierceEMR. Admittedly, I focused on a handful of fringe ideas, though one of the more audacious ones actually wound up in a resolution that the House of Delegates adopted as AMA policy. For BNET, I wrote:[A]nother resolution directs the AMA to tell the federal government that the EMR incentive program "should be made compliant with AMA principles by removing penalties for non-compliance and by providing inflation-adjusted funds to cover all costs of implementation and maintenance of EMR systems."It's one thing to ask for more money to cover ongoing expenses. It’s another thing altogether to conclude that the government... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2576679 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:34:00 +0100 2576679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2576672&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Finternational-ehr-adoption I was recently asked to compare EHR adoption in the US to other countries. Based on my own experience and the comments I received from colleagues, there are three aspects to consider: * Use of Ambulatory EHR * Use of Inpatient EHR * Interoperability Ambulatory (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2576672 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:56:02 +0100 2576672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511372&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fnew-approach-certification Last week I spoke with Mark Leavitt, the CEO of CCHIT, about his best thinking regarding certification in a post-ARRA world. In the past there have been 3 groups who have requested improvements to existing certification criteria: 1. Self developers who achieve a high degree of functionality through continuous improvement of home built software 2. The Open Source community 3. The Health 2.0/iPhone as application platform/multiple thin web-application combined to provide EHR-Lite functionality community (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511372 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:11:39 +0100 2511372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2458193&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fcatalyzing-app-store-ehrs (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2458193 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:18:11 +0100 2458193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376297&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fpoint-point-interoperability-and-persistent-document-exchange   In a recent letter to the HITSP panel describing the interoperability needed for meaningful use, I discussed point to point interoperability and persistent document exchange. Here are a few additional details about these approaches. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376297 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:58:59 +0100 2376297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348734&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-meaningful-use The definition of "Meaningful Use" in ARRA is one of the most critical decision points of the new administration's healthcare IT efforts. That definition will influence the types of products that will be implemented in clinician offices and the types of standards used for healthcare exchange to qualify for stimulus dollars. For example, if meaningful use is defined as e-prescribing, then standalone products such as Dr. First's Rcopia could be used as part of a clinician's office compliance in lieu of a complete EHR. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348734 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:47:48 +0100 2348734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2288922&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhealthcare-it-primer Now that Healthcare IT is part of the stimulus and newsworthy, I receive many questions from reporters about the fundamentals of healthcare IT. Here's a primer with the Top 10 questions and answers: 1. Can you define EHR, EMR, PHR and PM in simple terms? 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. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2288922 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:38:30 +0100 2288922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2272559&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2Ff2kKKqMHT3k%2F An EMR and HIPAA reader, recently pointed me to a post on a Google Group called “Response to HIMSS ‘Call to Action’: Interoperability First.” The response starts with a short discussion of the need for government to promote and support some sort of interoperability standards. I’ve said a number of times before that interoperability should be a focus of government, because interoperability is more of a public health benefit than it is a benefit to doctors. After discussing interoperability, the response discusses reasons why CCHIT certification is an inappropriate standard for the HITECH act to use to determine “certified EHR.” Take a look at the reasoning: As it currently exists, CCHIT certification is an inappropriate standard for federal funding,... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2272559 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:13:57 +0100 2272559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232325&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fmore-on-e-prescribing.html I recently had a long feature story published in MDNG about e-prescribing. It's pretty basic, but fairly comprehensive. Check it out here. I'm not sure what happened with the paragraph breaks to make so much of the text run together in the online version. (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232325 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:14:00 +0100 2232325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240785&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34621&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthcareGuy%2F%7E3%2FNWd8DvXCAlM%2F490 Last week I asked Charlie Harp to explain what clinical interoperability is – in plain english. Charlie is the CEO and founder of Clinical Architecture and has spent the last twenty years designing and developing software solutions in the healthcare industry.  Here’s what he had to say in his second part of a series I’ll be doing on interoperability. Now that we have a documented definition for clinical interoperability and its macro components, the next reasonable question is: “Why is clinical interoperability important?” Before continuing, please consider the following interoperability scale. This scale represents the potential signal loss when information is exchanged between systems through a computer interface. The line represents the clarity of the information as the ... The Healthcare IT Guy blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240785 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:27:14 +0100 2240785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2126497&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D536 We’ve been on a bit of a blog writing hiatus. Laura went to DC for Obama’s inauguration and I’ve been busy bringing a few clinics live. But when I saw a posting by Paul Land on the popular NextGen Yahoo Users Group, I knew I had to write something. Turns out that FDA allows drug manufacturers to reuse NDCs, or National Drug Codes. This means if Potassium Chloride  prescribed for me last week. it could now have the same NDC  as Oxycodone HCL. Further, if my EHR record is using the NDC as the identifying key for medications, my medical record could suddenly change from Potassium Chloride to Oxycodone HCL. Even worse, now that Medicare is pushing e-prescribing, my refill request for Potassium Chloride could turn into a bottle of Oxycodone. That’d be a surprise! The g... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2126497 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 07:10:51 +0100 2126497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2039794&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fhit-advertising-section-in-fridays.html There's a special advertising pull-out section on healthcare IT running in Friday's print edition of the Washington Post. How do I know this? Because I wrote the majority of it. I also helped with the questions posed to the "panel of experts."Normally I would not get involved in marketing communications, but I had pretty good editorial control over the message. I was instructed to interview representatives of the advertisers, whose quotes were to appear on the same page as their ads—normally a red flag for me—but I could add any additional information or interviews that I saw necessary. Furthermore, the advertisers did not have authority to review the copy prior to publication, so I was satisfied with the arrangements. I only had to answer to the publisher, Mediaplanet, a Swedish marke... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2039794 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:04:00 +0100 2039794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027782&cid=t_322384_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F479469702%2F Doctors who prescribe medicines electronically may be more likely to choose lower-cost drugs, saving money for patients and insurers, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. But only about 6 percent of US doctors are using “e-prescribing,” even though they may improve efficiency and reduce dispensing errors at pharmacies. The study of 17.4 million prescriptions filled by more than 1.5 million patients of nearly 1,200 Massachusetts physicians found that use of the least expensive drugs - classified as “tier 1″ for the study, such as those available generically - increased by 3.3 percent when e-prescribing was used. Use of more expensive “tier 2″ preferred brand-name drugs decreased by 1.9 percent, and use of “tier 3″ non-pre... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027782 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:08:31 +0100 2027782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1645816&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fpodcast-dr-robert-kolodner-on-national.html I love the annual Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems (AMDIS) Physician-Computer Connection. It's a chance to hear some of the smartest people and most accomplished people in healthcare, namely medical informaticists, in a small, informal setting. This year's event, held last week in beautiful, laid-back Ojai, Calif., featured an appearance by Robert Kolodner, M.D., the national coordinator for health information technology.After Dr. Kolodner's presentation—more of a Q&A with his peers in medical informatics—he graciously sat down for an audio interview with me. Here is the result.Podcast details: Robert Kolodner, M.D., on the national health IT strategy. Recorded July 16, 2008, in Ojai, Calif. MP3, stereo, 64 kbps, 14.3 MB, running time 31:24.0:40 Background on... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1645816 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:12:00 +0100 1645816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1605804&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fcongress-includes-erx-in-medicare-bill.html Finally Congress has paid more than lip service to health IT. Late yesterday afternoon, the Senate approved the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, halting the planned 10.6 percent physician fee rollback and, significantly, including financial incentives for physicians to move to electronic prescribing.Reportedly, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), a strong advocate of health IT, surprised a lot of his colleagues by returning to the Senate in time for the vote, his first appearance there since his cancer surgery last month.According to the eHealth Initiative, calls for bonuses of up to 2 percent for providers who use "qualified" e-prescribing systems for five years, beginning in 2009. Starting in 2012, providers would be subject to 2 percent penalties for not writi... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1605804 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:26:00 +0100 1605804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1561300&cid=t_322384_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F323984056%2F The deal is expected to accelerate the move toward paperless prescribing, which has so far been embraced by only a fraction of physicians. That’s because one of the networks is operated by big pharmacy benefits managers - Medco Health, CVS Caremark and Express Scripts - and the other by drugstore chains such as Walgreen, Rite Aid and Wal-Mart Stores. Right now, about 35,000, or less than 10 percent of docs, prescribe drugs electronically, and roughly 25 million of the 4 billion prescriptions dispensed annually were sent electronically. The merged network believes the number of e-prescriptions could rise to more than 100 million this year, according to Rick Ratliff, acting ceo of SureScripts, one of the two networks. Health insurers, business groups and the federal government have be... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1561300 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:44:05 +0100 1561300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1537804&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Ffiercehealthit.html Just a quick note: I'm the guest host, as it were, of FierceHealthIT this week. I wasn't sure until it was too late if I was supposed to write a commentary, so I didn't, but four of the top five story summaries this week carry my byline:"Study: Physician adoption of EHRs continues to lag""MI, WI advance health information exchange""PHRs make inroads with health plans""WellPoint says e-prescribing could be a Trojan horse for HIE"The one I didn't write, "Top P4P hospitals to score $7m in bonuses from CMS," ran in the daily FierceHealthcare last Thursday. (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1537804 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:10:00 +0100 1537804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1253182&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fpre-himss-scuttlebutt.html ORLANDO, Fla.—Congress, are you listening? Steroids have hit health IT. National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Robert Kolodner, M.D., admitted to me this morning that he’s juicing. He even showed me the pills, surreptitiously hidden in the inside pocket of his suit jacket.Yeah, so what if he had a prescription, and he was using the ’roids to cure his laryngitis before he has to deliver a keynote address Wednesday morning to thousands of HIMSS conference attendees? If other media can hype steroid use in baseball, why can’t I do it in health IT?One person I mentioned this to today said he would support the use of performance-enhancing substances for anyone promoting greater adoption of health IT. So I guess the consensus is to take the Bud Selig approach and look the ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1253182 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:16:00 +0100 1253182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252795&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fpodcast-himss-ceo-steve-lieber.html ORLANDO, Fla.—Here’s a podcast that’s been a year in the making. Actually, it was a year plus an hour and a half. Last year in New Orleans, I had a lively, hour-long conversation with HIMSS President and CEO Steve Lieber that was supposed to be for a podcast, but the recording didn’t work.On Saturday, I showed up at the appointed hour for another sit-down with Lieber, and realized I’d forgotten my recorder back at my hotel, so we rescheduled for about 90 minutes later. Well, the third time was a charm, and the result is this podcast, a lively, half-hour-long conversation with Steve Lieber, just ahead of the opening of the annual HIMSS conference.Podcast details: Interview with Steve Lieber at HIMSS ’08. MP3, mono, 64kbps, 13.8 MB. Running time 30:10.0:30 Expected attendance of ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252795 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:15:00 +0100 1252795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1138036&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fupdate.html In my Dec. 27 post, I referenced a letter from HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt to members of Congress regarding EHRs and the planned 10.1% Medicare physician fee cut for 2008 that eventually was postponed for six months.I said that the letter was not available online. I was wrong. Here it is.It seems I confused that letter, from Leavitt to Senate Finance Committee leadership, with another one from members of the Senate regarding e-prescribing. In the latter correspondence, 19 senators asked Attorney General Michael Mukasey to push the Drug Enforcement Agency to revisit its ban on electronic prescribing of controlled substances.Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) issued a press release about that Dec. 17 letter. The letter followed a Dec. 4 hearing on the topic in front of the Senate Judiciary Comm... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1138036 Wed, 09 Jan 2008 07:52:00 +0100 1138036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=802164&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fcatching-up.html It's been a while since I've blogged, but being busy means I'm working. Usually.In this case, I certainly have been working hard for the last few weeks, but I've also been toying with the idea of going to Australia for the triennial MedInfo conference, which takes place next week in Brisbane. After much contemplation, story pitching and even a preliminary discussion with someone who may have been able to cover the considerable expenses until the boss said no, I will indeed be departing for Australia this weekend.With 17.5 hours of flying time each way—not counting connection time—and the need to do a whole lot of work to pay for the trip, this could be the last blog post for a while. It probably won't, however, since I have something else to write tonight or tomorrow that I believe war... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=802164 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 03:44:00 +0100 802164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=716379&cid=t_322384_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fpodcast-surescripts-coo-rick-ratliff-on.html Right before America effectively shut down for an Independence Day that fell on a Wednesday and surely prompted some very long weekends, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed some modifications to various Medicare payment and provider eligibility rules. Among the proposals is a plan to remove computer-generated faxing from the CMS definition of electronic prescribing.alter the Medicare Part D electronic prescribing regulations.This move is bound to make some e-prescribing advocates very happy, particularly on the pharmacy side and among the patient-safety crowd. Case in point is Rick Ratliff, chief operating officer of e-prescribing connectivity network SureScripts, who joins me for this podcast to discuss the CMS proposal and the future of e-prescribing.Podcast details: ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=716379 Thu, 05 Jul 2007 17:28:00 +0100 716379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=397036&cid=t_322384_86_f&fid=34466&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalevidence.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F01%2Fnews-on-e-prescribing.html Time this week published a small piece by Jeremy Caplan discussing the role of electronic prescribing tools in eliminating some medication errors - "Cause of death: sloppy doctors." It focuses on the National ePrescribing Patient Safety Initiative, which launched this week and will provide a free web-based eprescribing tool to doctors.The article also notes that Google is working with the NEPSI project to develop a search engine to aid physicians in finding health data.Related:- the National e-prescribing Patient Safety Initiative, discussed on CNN Money and GovernmentHealth IT (also includes a list of collaborating companies and healthcare organizations)- related federal regulations- a PubMed search, retrieving a number of articles discussing challenges and benefits of e-prescribing (Sour... Clinical Evidence, Searching Tidbits, and Other Minutiae blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=397036 Mon, 15 Jan 2007 18:47:00 +0100 397036