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 'fusion'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:11:28 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118933&cid=t_138368_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancerlifeandme.com%2F2011%2F06%2Ffourth-times-a-charm-it-better-be%2F About 2 weeks ago (June 8th) I had my first formal visit with the spine surgeon, along with a medical resident on the surgical team. The conversation was sobering. They admitted that it could be possible to improve my quality of life with another spinal fusion surgery. But, they said, the procedure would be a true challenge for them and the risks would be great for me. There are many factors to consider before surgery even begins, but first… what would they do in the actual surgery? Step 1: Make an incision on my (most likely) right side, across the ribs and under the arm. Step 2: Crack a rib or two open (to make room for their instruments and maybe…hands…ugh). Step 3: In that opening through my rib cage, they would then go in and move my organs to one side in order to ge... Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118933 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:29:39 +0100 5118933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960282&cid=t_138368_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancerlifeandme.com%2F2011%2F06%2Ffourth-times-a-charm-it-better-be%2F About 2 weeks ago (June 8th) I had my first formal visit with the spine surgeon, along with a medical resident on the surgical team. The conversation was sobering. They admitted that it could be possible to improve my quality of life with another spinal fusion surgery. But, they said, the procedure would be a true Continue reading Fourth time’s a charm? It better be. (Source: Cancer, life, and me) Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960282 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:29:39 +0100 4960282 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813406&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2Fr3wFZXxDmWE%2F In conclusion, we know for a fact that the free EHR model works now and we believe it will grow and expand dramatically in the future. Related posts:When EMR Software Became Free…Or Does It Cost I’ve been meaning to write about a new Free EMR... Practice Fusion’s Free EMR Reaches Milestone I’ve recently been rather critical of Practice Fusion’s free EMR... Free HD TV Giveaway Winner at HIMSS Sponsored by Practice Fusion Many of you that I saw at HIMSS were aware... (Source: EMR and HIPAA) EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813406 Tue, 10 May 2011 19:34:13 +0100 4813406 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714958&cid=t_138368_134_f&fid=35213&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fblogspot%2FYNchP%2F%7E3%2FX_7kacaKXwU%2Fdoctors-update.html We went to see his surgeon today. Brought up the fact that he is still anemic.  That he will get up at 7 am and be asleep at 9 am.  That he is having tunnel vision with a feeling of passing out. All the surgeon did was look at his back xrays, discuss the continuing numbness in his thighs, blame that on diabetic neuropathy and release him. We don't return til 1/12.  He can drive. He can start lifting things - as much as he wants. Xrays show that his back above the fusion is starting to curve.  No, he will never get it fixed. No matter how bad it gets. Numbness in his thighs. How does the surgeon think he's going to sense that he's pushing the brakes in far enough? I swear!  Doctors are all idiots!  And I actually really like this guy.  He is a great... Wife of a Diabetic blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714958 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 03:56:00 +0100 4714958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600634&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2011%2F03%2F10%2Ffree-hd-tv-giveaway-winner-at-himss-sponsored-by-practice-fusion%2F Many of you that I saw at HIMSS were aware that I participated in a Free HD TV Giveaway contest with fellow blogger: Dr. Joseph Kim. The giveaway was sponsored by Free EHR vendor Practice Fusion. I’m really happy to say that @WesBates picture with me won him a 42″ HD TV and thanks in large part to those who attended the New Media Meetup I was able to beat out Dr. Kim as well. I just got the TV yesterday and it’s awesome. Thanks Practice Fusion! It was pretty interesting wearing a Practice Fusion shirt around the HIMSS exhibit hall. Many of the people that I talked to asked about the shirt. However, I was a bit surprised that I didn’t get more people riping the Free EHR business model. Instead, it seemed like most people were familiar with it. The 3 questions I did ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600634 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:25:59 +0100 4600634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489762&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2Ff8KcY9f2j4E%2F I’m really excited to tell you about a cool little contest that I’m doing together with Practice Fusion at HIMSS next week. In this contest, all you have to do is find me on Tuesday 2/22 at HIMSS in Orlando. Once you find me, we’ll take a picture and then you can either tweet the picture with the tag #FreeEHR or email the picture to community@practicefusion.com. That’s all. Then, you’re entered to win a 42″ HD TV. The other part of the contest is that I’m competing with fellow blogger, Dr. Joseph Kim, to see who can get the most people to enter the contest. Whoever gets found the most, will win a TV also. There you have it. Nothing to it right? So, when you see me at HIMSS, be sure to stop and enter to win a 42″ HD TV! If you’re not su... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489762 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:26:53 +0100 4489762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433167&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=39278&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogsite.mdbuyline.com%2F%3Fp%3D167 What an opportunity!  In 2007, CMS moved artificial disc replacement from DRG 500 ($4,962) to 490 ($8,542), representing a reimbursement increase of over 40%.  This increase, combined with lower costs through discounting, has played a major role in a market projected to grow from $55 million in 2007 to $440 million by 2013. Although new technologies, such as nucleus repair devices, have helped extend the life of spinal discs, over 200,000 spinal surgeries are still performed each year.  Artificial discs (CHARITÉ), first FDA approved in 2004, are an alternative to spinal fusion, and clinical trials have shown that there is no statistical difference between artificial discs and anterior lumbar interbody fusion.   Studies revealed that the overall success rate was 57.8% for artificial d... MD Buyline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433167 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:56:23 +0100 4433167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4429002&cid=t_138368_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPdhP0nUq2RI%2F By David RittgersThe Tennessee ACLU sent a letter to public schools warning them not to celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. The Tennessee Fusion Center (H/T Uncle) put the communication on its map of “terrorism events and other suspicious activity”: “ACLU cautions Tennessee schools about observing ‘one religious holiday,’” the website’s explanation reads. Also among the map’s highlights: “McMinn County Teen Brings Gun to School,” and “Turkish National Salih Acarbulut Indicted in Chattanooga for Alleged $12 million Ponzi Scheme.” Mike Browning, a spokesman for the Fusion Center, said “that was a mistake” to label the ACLU letter as a suspicious activity. He said the Fusion Center meant to use the icon that means merely general information. The icon wa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4429002 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:02:58 +0100 4429002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4414546&cid=t_138368_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fseven-slices-of-science-stuff.html from David Bradley Vuja de – Thinking outside the box with new eyes? Haven't we see this managerial psychobabble before or is it just vuja de? Alchemist Newsletter – An element close to every Alchemist's heart, quicksilver, or more properly mercury, featured in the chemistry news roundup this week, as does the creation of life from the primordial soup and how that may have begun. In the world of agrichemicals there is a possible sting in the tale for a relatively new class of pesticides, although no definitive evidence is yet available. In materials science tiny, but microscopic particles can undergo self-assembly it seems, while depressing news emerges from Europe regarding the lack of efficacy of an antidepressant drug marketed there. Finally, a new, free chemical... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4414546 Sat, 29 Jan 2011 16:00:08 +0100 4414546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399507&cid=t_138368_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNb9gopEJD8o%2F By David RittgersIf you haven’t seen it already, I recommend the Frontline report Are We Safer? Since September 11, 2001, the government has gone on a spending spree without any regard for fiscal federalism, dumping $31 billion into grant programs. The program is based on The Washington Posts’ Top Secret America article, “Monitoring America.” Watch it below: Much of this spending has gone to local pork projects or allowed state and local governments to avoid the realities of budgeting – spend federal counterterrorism dollars on normal law enforcement requirements while spending the local tax base on unsustainable pensions for public employees. For a tally of this excess, check out the Price of Peril, an interactive map showing homeland security spending by state, courtesy of the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399507 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:49:22 +0100 4399507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214262&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FX6JFkQ_2Hy0%2F When I attended the Practice Fusion Connect conference in San Francisco, I had the opportunity to do a couple interviews for a segment on the XM radio station ReachMD. They’ve posted the segment I did on EMR and meaningful use on their website (Free registration required). In the radio segment I interviewed: -Camille Williams, practice manager from ENT Associates of South Atlanta in Marietta, Georgia -Ken Harrington, practice manager from Washington Endocrine Clinic in Washington, DC -Robert Rowley, MD, chief medical officer of Practice Fusion It was a fun experience recording something for radio. I learned a bit about radio production and enjoyed interviewing people. If you’re pretty familiar with EMR, meaningful use and healthcare IT, then the segment probably won’t be ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214262 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:56:16 +0100 4214262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139323&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FCEL6VHuwfZE%2F It must have been a couple years ago when I first heard about a Free EMR called Practice Fusion. Shortly after hearing about this Free EMR, I got a note saying that Practice Fusion had a Live in Five program that would get a practice live on the Practice Fusion EMR in 5 minutes. Check out my initial reaction to the Practice Fusion Live in Five program from early 2009. Since that point, I’d wanted to try out this Live in Five challenge to see really how much I could get started in Five minutes with Practice Fusion. I still have the email from 9/15/09 when I first wanted to try this. Suffice it to say that I’ve been sufficiently busy with all the talk of the EMR stimulus that I hadn’t taken the chance to try it out myself. Plus, when I did it, I wanted to do a good job. Esp... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139323 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 21:25:23 +0100 4139323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629721&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F4Z5hmCgVOFY%2F I have quite a bit of history writing about the various Dell EMR offerings and also the Practice Fusion Free EMR. So, you can imagine my interest when I saw the announcement that Practice Fusion and Dell were partnering to offer a free EMR on Dell hardware. Of course, this is kind of a no brainer for Dell. At least if they like the Practice Fusion EMR product. Dell is all about getting distribution for it’s hardware. Why not bundle that hardware with a Free EMR? As long as it doesn’t hurt Dell’s existing EMR partnerships with: Allscripts, NextGen and eCW then it seems good for Dell. Dell obviously has a big interest in healthcare IT with all these EMR partnerships along with their purchase of Perot Systems. I did have a few questions about the Practice Fusion side which I... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629721 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:28:11 +0100 3629721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585541&cid=t_138368_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fanterior-cervical-fusion%2F 1. The patient is placed supine (face up) on the operating room table. 2. After anesthesia is induced, the area from the upper torso to the chin line from “table to table” is prepped and draped in the normal sterile fashion. 3. The previously performed MRI is viewed to recheck the assessment of level of pathology. 4. A needle is placed at the level of the pathology with flouroscopy performed to judge the correct site of the incision. 5. A horizontal skin incision is made approximately 5 cm in length lateral to the trachea on the right sidewith a No 15 blade. 6. The Bovie cautery is used to dissection through the subcutaneous tissues until the platysma muscle is appreciated. 7. The platysma muscle is then carefully incised with the bovie cautery with care taken to avoid penetrat... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585541 Thu, 20 May 2010 21:45:16 +0100 3585541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581697&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fehr-software-market-share-analysis Calculating market share for the electronic health record (EHR) market is no easy task. There are over 300 software vendors, many market segments (consider: size of practice served, specialties services, inpatient/outpatient) and very “fuzzy” sources of data. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581697 Thu, 20 May 2010 14:18:03 +0100 3581697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3335435&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2010%2F03%2F03%2Fhimss-2010-day-4%2F Once again, you can go and check out many of the tweets I did during my various activities at HIMSS on my two twitter accounts: @techguy and @ehrandhit. The day started with the Blumenthal keynote. I can’t say that he really said anything earth shattering. It was a bit interesting to hear an overview of his perspectives. However, my favorite part of his speech was his opening story about how he got involved in healthcare IT and the time when he was a doctor and his EMR saved him from making a major medical mistake. It was really smart of him to tell a story like this. He also had some really good one liners (see my twitter accounts) that indicate his goals. So, I guess the David Blumenthal HIMSS keynote wasn’t completely meaningless. Then, the rest of the afternoon was fantasti... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3335435 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:20:51 +0100 3335435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3287419&cid=t_138368_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FKsK0AgKil_M%2F Broad spectrum antibiotics are available that act against a wide range of bacteria, including both gram-positive and gram-negative species. In contrast, our antiviral arsenal is exceedingly specific. Nearly all the known antivirals block infection with one or two different viruses. The discovery of a compound that blocks infection with many different enveloped viruses may change the landscape of antiviral therapy. A small molecule has been discovered that inhibits infection by a wide range of viruses with membranes, the so-called enveloped viruses. The compound, called LJ001, is a derivative of aryl methylene rhodanine. It was discovered in a search for compounds that block the entry of Nipah virus into cells. LJ001 was then found to block infection of cells by a wide variety of enveloped ... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3287419 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:59:23 +0100 3287419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3123430&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FKAAM6UXxGDA%2F Brian at new EMR vendor Health Fusion sent me an email discussing some of the posts I’d done about CCHIT certification. In the email, he talked about how many doctors would ask him if his EMR is CCHIT certified. He then told me that his response to those doctors is that it’s not CCHIT certified, but it is is “Stimulus Ready.” I like the concept of “stimulus ready” instead of certified. First, because I think that CCHIT offers doctors no benefit (as is well documented in my previous CCHIT posts). However, more important is to consider what I think doctors are really asking. When a doctor asks an EMR vendor if they are CCHIT certified, what they’re really asking is one of two questions (or possibly both). 1. Can you give me some assurance that your E... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3123430 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:15:20 +0100 3123430 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3066735&cid=t_138368_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FfVPd2Mu0nD4%2F Xenotropic murine leukemia virus related virus (XMRV) has been implicated in prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Because XMRV is a retrovirus, it has been suggested that it might be susceptible to some of the many drugs available for treatment of AIDS. Of ten licensed compounds evaluated for activity against XMRV, just one, AZT (azidothymidine), was found to inhibit viral replication. Compounds used to treat HIV-1 infection fall into distinct classes: protease inhibitors (Ritonavir, Saquinavir, or Indinavir), nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI, AZT, 3TC, Tnofovir, D4T), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI, Efavirenz, Nevirapine), integrase inhibitors (118-D-24), and fusion inhibitors (Maraviroc). None of the HIV-1 protease inhibitors, NNRTI... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3066735 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:00:33 +0100 3066735 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2876138&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2009%2F10%2F05%2Femr-vendor-practice-fusions-ceo-interview%2F Many of you probably realize how much fun I have ragging on the SaaS (hosted) EMR model. I admit that I love playing devil’s advocate. I think that’s what makes me great when working with an EMR, but I digress. What people don’t realize is that I really love the SaaS EMR model and I think it’s just as viable an option as a client server EMR. I just haven’t drank the Kool-aid for either side yet. With that background, I was excited for the chance to do an interview with one of the biggest fans of the SaaS EMR model, Practice Fusion. In fact, they’ve even taken it one step further in providing a free, ad-based EMR. The following is an email interview I did with Practice Fusion CEO, Ryan Howard. Give us a summary of Practice Fusion for those who aren’... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2876138 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:25:08 +0100 2876138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2741109&cid=t_138368_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2F3ksT5YsXk1A%2F The influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) is the viral protein that attaches to cell receptors. The HA also plays an important role in the release of the viral RNA into the cell, by causing fusion of viral and cellular membranes. HA must be cleaved by cellular proteases to be active as a fusion protein. The HA on the influenza virion is a trimer: it is made up of three copies of the HA polypeptide. The cleavage site for cell proteases on the HA protein is located near the viral membrane. In the diagram, the globular head of the HA protein, which attaches to cell receptors, is at the top, and the viral membrane is at the bottom. For clarity, only one HA cleavage site is labeled. The uncleaved form of the protein is called HA0; after cleavage by a cellular enzyme, two proteins are produced, ... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2741109 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:35:10 +0100 2741109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452371&cid=t_138368_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgquInbQ88YY%2F Most people don’t care about government surveillance — just so long as they are not affected by it.  We want the police to be on lookout for trouble — so some surveillance is necessary for the work they do.  But how much? After 9/11, state officials said they had difficulty “connecting all the dots.”  Fusion centers are supposed to remedy that problem.  Police departments around the country are creating databases (”fusion centers”) and the objective is to link them together so that the police can spot patterns of behavior so that crimes or terrorist attacks can be thwarted. The goal seems sensible and worthwhile but as the details emerge on how fusion centers operate, the concept gets controversial fast.  Who will be monitored? What kind of... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452371 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:40:16 +0100 2452371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2150122&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D552 Dr. Robert Rowley wrote a blog over over at The Health Care Blog about Freenomics and Healthcare IT. Now I have to say that I’m very intrigued by the idea of EMR/EHR Freenomics, but then again I live in the heart of Silicon Valley. I also make my living from the implementation/integration of EMRs so it would hurt my pocketbook if everyone signed up for Practice Fusion, I might not have much of a career in that field. However, it does have Ben and I talking about what we could to implement our solutions at a reduced cost to the practice utilizing some of these ideas. I found the comments on the blog a bit amusing with people complaining about ads. Can anyone remember a time when they went into a provider’s office and there wasn’t an ad on a pen, pad of a paper, poster on t... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2150122 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 07:07:42 +0100 2150122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2093713&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D508 So this post probably isn’t the best one for a consultant to write but I’ve been thinking about things since Practice Fusion’s Dr. Robert Rowley (their Chief Medical Officer) has replied to our posts and there are quite a few things I like about this company and the way they do things. I haven’t used their EMR, nor have I implemented it but there are certain ideas about the company. I couldn’t roll it out to my huge clients in its current state but with some improvements, it could quickly become a force to be reckoned with. So here are the things I find innovate about Practice Fusion and where other EMR companies should really step up and take notice: It’s free! You can also purchase a no-ad version for very reasonable price. I’m not saying that e... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2093713 Sat, 10 Jan 2009 07:23:43 +0100 2093713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2086805&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2009%2F01%2F06%2Fehr-data-sharing-example%2F In my recent post about hosted EHR versus client server EHR Dr. Rowley commented on the various scenarios that could occur for sharing a patient record. The comment was so worthwhile that I wanted to make it it’s own blog post and add a few comments of my own. Here’s Dr. Rowley’s comments on data sharing scenarios with various EHR: Whether you are an enthusiast of free, hosted, web-based EMRs, or an enthusiast of local client/server installations (or a wait-and-see skeptic), the question of data sharing is one that is important to us all. Maybe the discussion can be best moved forward by considering a real-life scenario and examining how data sharing can occur in different situations. Let’s say that I am the Family Practitioner taking care of Mr. Chest-Hurts, who just w... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2086805 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:20:05 +0100 2086805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2077112&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D454 The other day, I posted a guest blog by Dr. Robert Rowley, Chief Medical Officer for Practice Fusion. In his posting, Dr. Rowley explains that Practice Fusion is approaching “EMR 2.0″ while NextGen and other client-server based applications are “dinosaurs”. While I completely agree with Dr. Rowley’s assertion that EMRs must evolve from stand-alone systems to a network of interconnected tools,  I don’t agree that a web-based architecture by itself is indicative of EMR 2.0. For the sake of this posting, I am going to define EMR 2.0 as an electronic medical record system that can share data in real-time with a variety of systems. These other systems should include, at a minimum, a patient portal, major PHR (HealthVault or Google Health), other health syste... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2077112 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 05:00:45 +0100 2077112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2077114&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D437 A few days ago Dr. Robert Rowley, Chief Medical Officer at Practice Fusion, posted a comment on my entry about NextGen renaming their product from EHR to EMR. I asked Dr. Rowley if he would be interested in writing a guest blog comparing Practice Fusion’s business model to that being utilized by NextGen. He provided this interesting analysis from the other side of the EMR universe: __________________________________________________________________ NextGen vs Practice Fusion: a case study in two very different approaches to EMR The EMR/EHR space has seen  divergent approaches to medical records software development – NextGen is an example of one approach, and PracticeFusion is an example of a fundamentally different approach. Rather than seeing them as “a spectrum” of approache... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2077114 Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:49:00 +0100 2077114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1682878&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2008%2F08%2F05%2Fpractice-fusions-free-emr-reaches-milestone%2F I’ve recently been rather critical of Practice Fusion’s free EMR offering. I honestly don’t think that any of my feelings have changed about their offering. However, here’s a part of their press release that at least shows they’re getting some traction Practice Fusion, the leader in free, web-based physician practice applications, announced today the addition of 1,300 medical professionals since its launch in November of 2007 and is currently serving more than a quarter million patients. That should be a large enough sample size to get some interesting feedback about the product. The question is whether the product is really that good or whether the people at Practice Fusion are just great at marketing. Granted, marketing a free product is easier than getting... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1682878 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:38:40 +0100 1682878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1622016&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2008%2F07%2F14%2Fwhen-emr-software-became-freeor-does-it-cost%2F I’ve been meaning to write about a new Free EMR for a while. One of my most blogged and searched about topics is free EMR. I guess everyone loves to get something free. Why should free EMR be any different? The problem with free EMR is that while it may be free from a financial perspective there are always other costs associated with free EMR. Here’s an example of a parts of an email I recently got about a new Free EMR. The company is called Practice Fusion and the following is excerpts from the email I received: Today we have a press release going out (below) about Practice Fusion releasing a suite of physician applications, including Practice Management, Scheduling, Secure Email and Patient Management that are free and web-based. These are effectively ‘Google Apps’ for do... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1622016 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:50:06 +0100 1622016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=539748&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fmaybe-theres-something-to-it.html Now that everyone has had a turn trashing Practice Fusion for its apparent attempt to use Google's name to promote itself, I'm thinking that perhaps there is a future for an advertising-supported EMR. Given my propensity for letting things pile up, I just read the Feb. 15 commentary by Michael Millenson in HHN Most Wired OnLine. Millenson, who's been covering health IT a lot longer than I have, suggests with tongue only slightly in cheek that the profit motive will lead to all kinds of corporate sponsorships of healthcare technologies and even facilities. What's cool about this article is that it was published a full month before the Practice Fusion story broke. Could it be that advertising really is the future of medicine?And speaking of advertising, I'm going to use this space to promote... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=539748 Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:22:00 +0100 539748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=519730&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fgoing-multimedia.html Watch the hit counter at the bottom of the right-hand column. Watch it carefully as it approaches and hopefully passes 20,000 since I began tracking traffic in September 2004. Thank you for your continued readership.And now for a reality check. The HIStalk blog had 186,445 hits in March alone. While I count visits more than hits (a.k.a. total page views) still I can only aspire to provide a fraction of the entertainment value as Mr. HIStalk—or for that matter, a fraction of the entertainment value of those fun-loving hipsters at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, who have gone all YouTube on us. Yes, AHRQ and the Ad Council have teamed up to produce the following public-service announcement aimed at encouraging patients to seek information from their healthcare providers as ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=519730 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 21:54:00 +0100 519730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=510276&cid=t_138368_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fwhole-truth.html Health IT vendor Practice Fusion grabbed headlines a couple of weeks ago with the news, first reported March 16 in the San Francisco Chronicle, that it would offer a free EMR to physician practices, thanks to a "deal" with Google.Publications nationwide jumped on this story, which some interpreted as Google's long-anticipated entry into the world of healthcare. As of this morning, Practice Fusion's own Web site lists no less than 17 instances of media coverage the company has received since then, including my story in Digital HealthCare & Productivity last week.Thanks to the publication schedule, my story didn’t appear until March 20, which gave me time to put in a call to Google and get spokesman Brandon McCormick to say, "This shouldn’t be interpreted as a product move on Google’s ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=510276 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:43:00 +0100 510276