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 'health it'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:59:14 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181690&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FPwDProPiXnM%2Fnatural-language-processing-electronic-health-records.html 80 percent of the clinical documentation that exists in healthcare today is unstructured.  It is sometimes referred to as “the text blob” and is buried within electronic health records (EHRs).  The inherent problem with “the text blob” is that locked within it lies an extraordinary amount of key clinical data – valuable information that can and should be leveraged to make more informed clinical decisions, to ultimately improve patient care and reduce healthcare costs.  To date, however, because it consists of copious amounts of text, the healthcare industry has struggled to unlock meaning from “the text blob” without intensive, manual analysis or has chosen to forego extracting the value completely.Read the rest of Natural language processing in electronic ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181690 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:00:03 +0100 5181690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181957&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F_VlWsGVP6dk%2F Normally this time of year, I’m making plans to attend the many fall conferences in health IT and related industries. This year, my decisions are harder. You see, it seems like everyone decided to schedule their events during the last week of October: AMIA 2011, Oct. 23-26, Washington MGMA Annual Conference, Oct. 23-26, Las Vegas TEDMED 2011 Oct. 25-28, San Diego CHIME11 Fall CIO Forum, Oct. 26-28, Austin, Texas Just for kicks, I’m scheduled to participate in the Institute for Health Technology Transformation’s Health IT Summit, Nov. 2-3 in Beverly Hills, Calif. All are worthwhile, and all will be great places to find relevant stories for this blog and my various media clients. It probably makes most sense to go west, hitting MGMA and TEDMED, then spending the weekend in ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181957 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:47:10 +0100 5181957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174586&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F29%2Faco-101-the-basics-of-accountable-care%2F Regarding the subject of “health care reform” during the past year, it is certain that more has been written about, more conferences have been devoted to, and more consultants have been engaged for the topic of “accountable care organizations” (ACOs) than any other.  ACOs are in the spotlight both because of several provisions in the [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174586 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:51:11 +0100 5174586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169501&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FLEb9WqGLWlY%2Ftrouble-dr-google.html Things have been a bit tough of late, the bad economy is starting to bite, and you’re feeling the pressure.  To top it all, your body has been acting strangely in ways it never has before.  Your muscles twitch in funny areas for hours at a time, you tire easily, and you have fleeting pins and needles in your limbs.  Over the weeks these symptoms have become worse. The last straw comes when you notice it is getting harder to swallow your food without thinking about it.You do what any overworked but doctor-shy person does in a free moment – you consult Dr. Google.  He takes your request in a fraction of a second. You learn the muscle twitches are called fasciculations.  You enter “muscle fasciculations, muscle fatigue and swallowing difficulty” into the Search window.Rea... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169501 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:00:29 +0100 5169501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158836&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2Fn-Ujqs5rBoE%2Fpatients-trust-sociable-humanoid-robots.html Within in five years primary care providers will begin being replaced by sociable humanoid robots, avatars, and computer programs. Within ten years you will no longer hear any complaints about medical students choosing specialty residencies over family practice because the role of the physician will be completely redefined to complement a rules based approach to the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. This transformation is inevitable because of demographics, economics, and progress in artificial intelligence, but the academic leaders of medical education and health policy are largely ignorant and unprepared for this massive disruption.Read the rest of Will patients trust sociable humanoid robots? on KevinMD.com.Category: Tech | Tags: Health IT, Primary care | 2 comments (Source: K... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158836 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:00:43 +0100 5158836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159385&cid=t_99669_114_f&fid=35708&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftypepad%2Frwjfblogs%2Fpioneer%2F%7E3%2FPf6p7JTU-tI%2Fmoving-mhealth-forward-through-evidence.html There is something magical that happens when talking about mHealth. People start believing all of the wonderful things that a phone, together with the right gadget, can do: remind me to take my medicine, monitor my vitals, inform my doctor when something goes wrong, just plain automatically keep me healthy. The last few years have seen a huge growth in cell phone companies, technology companies, governments, application and device developers rushing to deliver product in this space. Just look at the over 500% increase in attendance between the 2009 and 2010 mHealth Summit (with the 2011 meeting promising to be even larger.) Along with the hype and the hope, people are beginning to ask for evidence and to question the value of growing a collection of isolated gadgets and apps. I’d say tha... Pioneering Ideas blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159385 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5159385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139597&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FTKWQWl_-jDs%2Fchronic-disease-management-mobile-health.html The conundrum continued behind conference doors at the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) conference in Tampa about the efficacy of mobile phone usage to improve patient health.Lively discussions followed about the ROI for chronic disease management through mobile health and outcomes for remote patient monitoring focusing on whether telemedicine is excluded from meaningful use and reasons why telehealth should be a key component in Accountable Care Organizations (ACO).As the debate continued, Faye Bryant, browsed Tampa’s mega convention center conference actively shopping for solutions for her patients.Read the rest of Chronic disease management through mobile health on KevinMD.com.Category: Tech | Tags: Health IT, Patients | No comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139597 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:00:05 +0100 5139597 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125824&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftraffic.libsyn.com%2Fnversel%2FVi_Shaffer_AMDIS_2011.mp3 Back in June, I covered the Wisconsin Technology Network’s Digital Healthcare Conference in Madison. That conference featured a panel with Vi Shaffer, research vice president and industry services director for healthcare providers at Gartner, Judy Murphy, vice president of information services at Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee, and Epic Systems CEO Judy Faulkner, based in nearby Verona, Wis. The panel discussed the question, “Is meaningful use a floor or a ceiling?” as I reported for WTN News. The conference also featured several sessions on how business intelligence and health information exchange can support Accountable Care Organizations. A month later, I saw Shaffer again at AMDIS Physician-Computer Connection meeting in Ojai, Calif. There, she presented preliminary ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125824 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:24:05 +0100 5125824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125690&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FSoU1U9J0MYE%2Fprivacy-rules-robust-protect-patients.html Ok, imagine this.You take a video of your little girl’s soccer practice with your iPhone. Within moments it’s posted on YouTube for the grandparents to see.Minutes later search engines called spiders begin to crawl across the data set of images on your upload. Face recognition technology identifies a face on the video and, with some assistance from the geo-tagging of the built in GPS metadata that accompanied the upload, gets a general location of where the video was made.It determines that your child has other photos posted on Flickr and also a photo in the local newspaper. Now it associates a name with the face. The name might be associated with a Facebook account.Read the rest of Are our privacy rules robust enough to protect our patients? on KevinMD.com.Category: Tech | Tag... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125690 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 11:00:10 +0100 5125690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118557&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FfCV_C_Jth4I%2Fama-working-improve-eprescribing-incentives-physicians-adopt-health.html A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com.Health IT holds the promise of improving the efficiency of a physician’s practice, but physicians can easily become overwhelmed by the broad range of products and the multiple, varying federal incentive and penalty programs currently underway. The American Medical Association (AMA) continues to be in close contact with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), advocating for changes to the federal health IT programs so that as many physicians as possible can successfully participate and qualify for incentives.Read the rest of AMA working to improve e-prescribing incentives and help physicians adopt health IT on KevinMD.com.Category: Tech | Tags: Health IT, Patients | No comment (Source: Kevin, M.D.... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118557 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:00:41 +0100 5118557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118560&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FkaZ1_S5J6QU%2Fchoose-health-app.html From helping you wake up rested to getting couch potatoes ready for a 5K, there really is an app for everything.But when it comes to health apps, many don’t get the job done.Companies are often in such a hurry to sell their app that they don’t conduct a study to see if users will adopt real, lasting change. And, app stores don’t have medical reviewers who make sure health apps are medically sound.That means it can take some detective work to find a reliable health app. Before you download, separate the good from the bad with these tips.Read the rest of How to choose a better health app on KevinMD.com.Category: Tech | Tags: Health IT | No comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118560 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:00:40 +0100 5118560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118565&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FNXSrn6PFbDk%2Fgoogle-gave-electronic-personal-health-records-shouldnt.html Which will improve a person’s health more? Running around the block for 20 minutes or sitting at a computer entering their cholesterol and blood pressure readings?The answer is one reason why Google’s decision to end its electronic personal health record (PHR) service offers important lessons about health IT and will affect the way patients get their health information and the way physicians communicate with their patients. A recent survey found that only seven percent of Americans had used online personal health records, and less than 3.5 percent used them with any frequency. Probably more people still believe in laetrile than update their on-line medical records. And yet we are told PHRs and web portal-PHRs will revolutionize medical care by giving patients control over their data, r... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118565 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:00:04 +0100 5118565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096087&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FGXxhI_B2klA%2Ffree-market-smartphone-apps-teach-medicine-lesson.html So I have a Droid.  I purchased it in July, not long after taking my old flip-phone for an oceanic bath at Hilton Head, SC.  I waffled for a long time.  In fact, I almost purchased a Casio phone that was marketed as water and impact resistant.  ”Mil-spec,” was the phrase used … a phrase which appeals to me as a one-time Air-Guard flight surgeon.  What it meant to me was, “you can’t hurt it.”Still, I was attracted by medical applications and the assorted other cool things a Droid can do.  I mean, my old phone didn’t have a Magic 8 Ball, for crying out loud!  More to the point, my old phone didn’t have Epocrates, or the Emergency Medicine Residents Association Guide to Antibiotic Therapy.  It lacked a flashlight, an MP3 player, a protractor and a s... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096087 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:00:16 +0100 5096087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096396&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FBMZN5rweIRY%2F I really would not want to live in Sarnia, Ontario. And not because it’s a hardscrabble Rust Belt town directly across the border from the equally hardscrabble—and very depressing—Port Huron, Mich. I wouldn’t want to live there because it might as well be the capital of physician resistance to technology. According to a story in Canadian Healthcare Technology’s Technology For Doctors, fully half of the 150 physicians in town will choose to retire rather than adopt EMRs. At least that’s what Dr. Kunwar Singh, president of the Lambton County Medical Society, predicts. (Needless to say, Singh is a “veteran” physician, someone who’s been in practice for 42 years.) The government of Ontario, which runs the single-payer health system in Canada’... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096396 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 02:55:11 +0100 5096396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086312&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FyMY-qBt2Ugc%2F Rule No. 1 of blogging: post often enough to keep your audience. I seem to have broken that rule in the past eight days. The problem is, I’ve been doing so much (paying) work for others that I have neglected this site. For example, I have a new gig as a contributor to a fairly new, blog-style news site, EHR Outlook, published by Access Intelligence of Rockville, Md. (which just happens to be my home town). I’ll be writing weekly for that site, which provides fairly basic EHR-related information and advice for physician practices, a return of sorts to my roots in healthcare journalism. My first post went up last week, and a second should get posted Monday. I have a lot more to blog about, but for now, here’s another hilarious Xtranormal video about how all the mundane pape... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086312 Sat, 30 Jul 2011 22:45:43 +0100 5086312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069421&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F27%2Fthe-beacon-communities-at-one-year-the-mississippi-delta-experience%2F The federal government’s Beacon Program provides funding to 17 communities that have already made inroads in the development of secure, private, and accurate systems of electronic health record (EHR) adoption and health information exchange. This is the fifth in a series of Health Affairs Blog posts in which leaders of several Beacon communities discuss their [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069421 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:59:24 +0100 5069421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069389&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FiHqeaXcQryQ%2Fsecure-messaging-helps-doctor-connect-patients.html I commented on a blog post recently that cited a recent study called “Secure web messaging between patients and doctors: Not well received.” I was pleased to see that other professionals who left comments had the same reaction I did to the study: it is  simply not accurate. I have 4,900 patients and five other physicians in our practice who can attest that secure messaging, when used the right way, is an invaluable tool that has improved efficiency, and empowered our patients with access to their doctors and their health information.The study was published by Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The authors of the article studied how patients in an outpatient, academic pediatric respiratory clinic in New Haven were using the clinic’s Sec... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069389 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:00:36 +0100 5069389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036209&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FU_ra3p-aeIA%2Fpublic-private-cloud-computing-hospital.html by John Halamka, MDIn a meeting with senior management at Harvard Medical School, one of our leaders asked, “What is our cloud strategy?”My answer to this is simple.   The public cloud (defined as the rapid provisioning and de-provisioning of CPU cycles, software licenses, and storage) is good for many things, such as web hosting or non-critical applications that do not contain patient or confidential information.At Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), we’ve embraced public cloud technology, but transformed it into something with a guaranteed service level and compliance with Federal/State security regulations  - the private cloud.(...)Read the rest of Public and private cloud computing at a hospitalCategory: Tech | Tags: Health... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036209 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:00:02 +0100 5036209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036310&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FwDSUut5dc7o%2F From HL7 International‘s Chuck Jaffe, M.D., at the AMDIS conference in Ojai, Calif., this morning: Related posts:Podcast: Dr. David Kibbe on personal health information, medical homes, value in healthcare and more Podcast: Dr. Bill Bria on CMIOs and medical informatics Friday funny (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036310 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:26:53 +0100 5036310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028535&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FEmhQCEJbBwg%2F Consumerism hasn’t completely caught on in healthcare, but it has gained a bit of a toehold. Consider these two slides shown Monday at the Healthcare Unbound conference in San Diego: Look at the bottom of each slide, starting with the second one. According to GreatCall, maker of the Jitterbug phone for seniors, 35 percent of consumers plan to buy “wellness electronics” in the next year. That’s great news and a great opportunity for people in health IT to make sure such devices connect to larger networks to data collected will be usable. In the upper slide, Kaiser Permanente cites numbers showing one reason why healthcare is in such a crisis. Again, look at the bottom. Just 2 percent of current residents in internal medicine will end up in primary care. That&#821... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028535 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:11:08 +0100 5028535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028537&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FEz9y6jiX7Dc%2F I’m getting ready to head west for, among other things, the annual AMDIS Physician-Computer Connection in Ojai, Calif., a high-level gathering of chief medical information officers. After years of fighting for a seat at the table, CMIOs now are being held up as a model, at least overseas. Specifically, my friends at E-Health Insider in the UK have embarked on a mission to have every NHS hospital hire a chief clinical information officer, the British equivalent of the CMIO. Read more about the British perspective on the American CMIO here. Related posts:Google’s health plans, and more on CMIOs Podcast: Dr. Bill Bria on CMIOs and medical informatics England learns from America (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028537 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 15:55:11 +0100 5028537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008362&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fi.cdn.turner.com%2Fcnn%2F.element%2Fapps%2Fcvp%2F3.0%2Fswf%2Fcnn_416x234_embed.swf%3Fcontext%3Dembed%26amp%3BvideoId%3Dbestoftv%2F2011%2F07%2F08%2Fexp.am.imagine.cup.microsoft.cnn About three months ago, I wrote about the Imagine Cup, an annual student technology competition sponsored by Microsoft, in a commentary for MobiHealthNews. I mentioned a winning project in the U.S. competition, a smartphone-based imaging system that can help diagnose malaria in far-flung corners of the globe. Today, the creators of that system and a few other Imagine Cup participants are in New York for the international finals. A few of the students appeared on CNN’s American Morning with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. CNN said the malaria app is 94 percent accurate, better than the traditional field test for malaria. Another project, Harmonicare, incorporates a tablet computer to add a musical aspect to the “blowing” test used to help patients regain respiratory function ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008362 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:26:14 +0100 5008362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008115&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F05%2Fjosts-look-at-court-fight-over-reform-tops-ha-blogs-june-most-read-list%2F Tim Jost’s analysis of crucial appellate arguments over the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act leads June’s list of most-read Health Affairs Blog posts. Jost examines the arguments before the federal Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in a challenge to the legislation brought by more than half the states and the National Federation of Independent [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008115 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:31:47 +0100 5008115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997644&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FYMB32ntLg5o%2F For the Fourth of July, how about a little story of an American conquering France, with a health IT spin? Smith College in Amherst, Mass., is still an all-female school, so, needless to say, I did not go there. But a graduate I  know showed me the most recent issue of the alumnae magazine, Smith Alumnae Quarterly. There, on the cover of the Summer 2011 edition is a familiar face, Paris-based health IT consultant Denise Silber, a 1974 graduate. You may recall, I did a podcast with Silber in 2007. We talked about health IT initiatives in Europe in general and in France in particular, and compared progress there to that in the U.S. Since that time, though, Silber has founded the European chapter of the health 2.0 movement. I also learned through the Smith article that Silber in April was adm... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997644 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:23:29 +0100 4997644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997498&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FTFLfQ8zBwyg%2Fmedicine-examples-unintended-effects-technology.html by Mike Koriwchak, MDThe interaction of humans and technology will always be unpredictable.  A few months ago this thought was driven home to me in a rather malodorous manner.I have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and use a CPAP machine every night to sleep comfortably.  With OSA your airway collapses when you fall asleep.  A CPAP machine is a small technological marvel, quietly delivering heated, humidified air under gentle pressure through a nasal mask to keep your airway open while you sleep.One night while using the CPAP I was ripped out of a deep sleep by the worst odor I have ever encountered.  How bad does a smell have to be to violently awaken you?  Dazed and confused I sat up, clawed my CPAP mask off, gulped a few breaths and waited for the purple haze to clear.  I looked down... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997498 Sun, 03 Jul 2011 13:00:50 +0100 4997498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992645&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F01%2Fsmaller-practices-and-the-patient-centered-medical-home%2F A new national study of small and medium-size physician practices shows that this group is not using many of the organized care processes of the patient-centered medical home model of health system reform included in the Affordable Care Act of 2010. The study by Diane Rittenhouse of the University of California-San Francisco and coauthors was [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992645 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:13:35 +0100 4992645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984385&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FdMJRsDsrHXg%2Fonline-physician-access-key-future-patient-communications.html by Aaron J. StuppleImagine using Skype to contact your physician for a consult.In the midst of this rapidly progressing technologic era, our delivery of medical services is being transformed by health information technology (HIT), electronic medical records (EMR), and advanced telecommunications.  In meeting criteria for “meaningful use,” physicians are driven to use these technologies to empower patients with communication through electronic medical records.  A primary goal is to allow patients to obtain electronic copies of their medical records and share their health information securely over the Internet with their families.  An overarching  goal is to increase patient accessibility and communication with a physician to bolster continuity of care.(...)Read the rest of O... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984385 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:00:45 +0100 4984385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968444&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F23%2Fan-aco-is-born-in-camden-but-can-it-flourish-in-medicaid%2F Across the country, policy experts are heralding accountable care organizations (ACOs) as the way to rethink the delivery of higher quality and more efficient care. Yet Medicaid, which cares for many of the nation’s sickest and highest-cost patients, has been largely absent from the ACO conversation. Now that the June 6 deadline for comments to [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968444 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:41:08 +0100 4968444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968632&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2Fz-CZh0ii2vE%2F Has this been reported before, or have I just not been paying close enough attention? Yesterday at the Mobile Health Expo in New York, Sean Handel, vice president of subscriber business at Epocrates, said that the San Mateo, Calif.-based company known for its mobile medical reference tools, is building an EHR for small physician practices. “A significant portion of that product will be a patient portal,” Handel said. Handel also said to expect to see more integration of mobile apps into clinical systems as more people shift to tablets from traditional PCs. That’s no surprise. We have so little integration now that it really can only go up. While I’m being slightly cynical, I leave you with this thought from Google’s Dr. Roni Zeiger: #bbpBox_83635176860688385 a... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968632 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:28:22 +0100 4968632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934073&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F14%2Fstates-and-health-it-upcoming-conference%2F As mentioned before on this blog, Health Affairs is the official media sponsor for the upcoming 2011 State Healthcare IT Connect Summit, June 21-23 in Dulles, Virginia. If you are interested in the conference but can’t attend in person, you can participate via live Webcast. This option, which is complimentary for government participants and costs [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934073 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 20:55:31 +0100 4934073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934438&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FiwzPTMcTf9A%2F “Time’s Person of the Year is Mark Zuckerberg. Sorry, Julian Assange, I guess you didn’t violate enough people’s privacy.” — Stephen Colbert, Dec. 15, 2010. Yes, Facebook has issues with privacy. Just Monday, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Watchdog and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse formally asked the Federal Trade Commission to stop Facebook from launching a facial-recognition feature. Last week, European regulators said they would investigate Facebook after it came out that Facebook’s 500 million to 700 million users were automatically opted in to facial recognition. And now we hear that Microsoft is adding Facebook authentication to its HealthVault health information platform. Let me repeat: Y... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934438 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 04:25:56 +0100 4934438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921330&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2Fus5SW061_Vc%2Fsecuring-mobile-devices-healthcare.html by David TingWith the mobile market exploding, healthcare IT administrators are now faced with physicians and other clinicians requesting to use their personal devices, such as iPads and iPhones, to access patient information from anywhere, anytime.With this ability, clinicians are able to make faster decisions for their patients – improving their overall workflow and patient outcomes. This seductive mobile technology, however, is not without it risks and just as it offers faster access to information; it can also open up new ways for the information to be compromised.(...)Read the rest of Securing mobile devices in healthcareCategory: Tech | Tags: Health IT | 1 comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921330 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 13:00:11 +0100 4921330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921334&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F6v7sKuq3rF8%2Fshopping-ehr-buying-car.html by Margalit Gur-ArieSo you’ve been hearing all about the recent EHR buzz and decided to give it a try.Whether you are convinced that electronic records are the way to go, or you have reached a point where you are willing to give it a try, the first thing to do is buy one of those EHRs. You may be staring at a glossy brochure or website featuring a distinguished silver-haired doctor holding a cool little tablet computer and  smiling reassuringly at the little old lady sitting comfortably in front of him, with a large 1-800 number on the bottom urging you to call now.Don’t.(...)Read the rest of How shopping for an EHR is like buying a carCategory: Tech | Tags: Health IT | 5 comments (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921334 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:00:46 +0100 4921334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921335&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FYQe7Dx0qqbY%2Frobots-teach-humans.html by Kent Bottles, MDRecently, I took a Megabus from Philadelphia to Hunter College in New York City to attend Man-Made Minds: Living With Thinking Machines, a World Science Festival program.Rodney Brooks, who until recently was Panasonic Professor of Robotics at MIT and who now is Chief Technology Officer at Heartland Robotics, was the first expert to speak, and he emphasized a very practical approach that was not too concerned with any negative consequences of living with thinking machines.(...)Read the rest of How robots will teach us who we are as humansCategory: Tech | Tags: Health IT | 1 comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921335 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:00:27 +0100 4921335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921551&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2Fww47utH8bm0%2F Finally, health IT gets its due in Health Wonk Review. Usually an afterthought to this biweekly blog carnival, health IT leads off the latest edition, hosted by Matthew Holt and John Irvine at The Health Care Blog. My post on pushback against IBM’s Watson makes the cut. Check it out. Related posts:Health Wonk Review Check out the latest Health Wonk Review Vote Health Wonk Review ’08 (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921551 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:27:15 +0100 4921551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893452&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-arent-there-more-women-ceos-in-health-it%2F2011.06.03 The Health Tech 2011 Conference, held earlier this month in Boston, featured presentations from startup CEOs in the health and wellness space. The conference had nothing to do with gender issues or leadership per se. Yet the Twitter feed from the conference (#ciht11) contained this: @ml_barnett By my count, only 3 of 27 speakers are women. RT @taracousphd: where are the female entrepreneurs? It’s healthcare!!! taracousphd and @ml_barnett reminded us of a painful fact. There aren’t many female CEOs in Health IT. Why is this? Women certainly aren’t short on content knowledge in health care. In fact, they dominate men in this area. More than 40% of all practicing physicians and 50% of all medical school graduates are women. Women earn nearly 3 times more PhDs in psychology (useful cont... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893452 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:30:14 +0100 4893452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893373&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F01%2Fthe-beacon-communities-at-one-year-the-tulsa-experience%2F Editor’s note: The federal government’s Beacon Program provides funding to 17 communities that have already made inroads in the development of secure, private, and accurate systems of electronic health record (EHR) adoption and health information exchange. This is the fourth in a series of Health Affairs Blog posts in which leaders of several Beacon communities [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893373 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:19:25 +0100 4893373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893374&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F01%2Fa-way-forward-for-the-global-fund%2F The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria has saved millions of lives, but now it is in crisis.  A string of revelations about the misuse of its grants to governments in developing countries, culminating in the recent news of the theft of $2.5 million worth of malaria drugs, has led some backers of [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893374 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:51:41 +0100 4893374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883516&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FNa--JR9YKVs%2Fquestions-moving-paper-chart-ehr.html by Ron SterlingThe transition from paper to EHR is a major policy decision that can have repercussions on patient service, your operations and even your medical professional liability (MPL).Unfortunately, many practices are not taking the time to analyze their options and responsibilities from a patient care and compliance standpoint.  In order to set the correct framework for your effort, you should think about how you would answer questions about your paper chart transition strategy in order to prove due diligence in maintaining the patient record and/or in the transition from the paper chart to your EHR.(...)Read the rest of Questions to ask before moving from a paper chart to an EHRCategory: Tech | Tags: Health IT | No comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883516 Tue, 31 May 2011 17:00:19 +0100 4883516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872200&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FXHjyeLOuL98%2F Every Thursday, the Chicago Tribune’s “Play” section runs a little feature called “Love/Hate.” The paper picks three or four things that readers love and three or four things that readers hate. This week, EMRs entered the picture. This appeared in the “I hate …” category: … being a slave to computer programs to document my care as a nurse. It’s so ridiculously time-consuming. — Sheila Young, Orland Park That must be one terrible EMR—or perhaps a hodgepodge of disconnected legacy systems—if Young not only considers herself a slave to the computer programs, but feels compelled to share her disdain for the technology with a light-hearted feature section of the local newspaper. That’s quite a statement against the quality of t... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872200 Fri, 27 May 2011 13:00:23 +0100 4872200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872201&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FwDgU7yJHDwM%2F That’s the question I ask in my weekly post for EMR and HIPAA. Check it out, and share your opinion. Related posts:Another black eye for EHRs EHRs in the public eye EHRs and other health IT on the national radar screen (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872201 Thu, 26 May 2011 20:28:17 +0100 4872201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872049&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F26%2Fhealth-wonk-review-memorial-day-edition%2F If you’re traveling over the long weekend, you’ll want to take along some reading material. While some might reach for a good novel by John Grisham or Dan Brown, the health policy blogs in this edition of the Health Wonk Review tackle equally compelling mysteries. Was the Medicare Trustees report really that gloomy? If Workers [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872049 Thu, 26 May 2011 13:29:21 +0100 4872049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872202&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F-d6FIbRqpZM%2F Late last week, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology opened six exams to test the competency of health IT professionals who have completed short-term training programs. I’m not quite sure how I feel about this. Is it a good thing for the federal government to offer these voluntary exams? After all, ONC is funding the development of HIT training curriculum for community colleges and providing lots of scholarship money. Shouldn’t the government expect to get a return on its investment? Or should the feds stay out of the testing process? Related posts:Gates Foundation to fund global informatics training Self-certification? Scoop: AMIA’s 10×10 going global (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872202 Thu, 26 May 2011 04:39:14 +0100 4872202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862459&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F2yTknL0mNFs%2Fandroid-ipad-platform-dominate-hospitals.html by Jared Sinclair, RNFelasfa Wodajo, MD has written a post for iMedicalApps on the iPad’s future role in healthcare institutions. The title says it all: Why Locked Android Tablets Will Beat the iPad for Hospital Use.The gist of his argument is that Android’s “openness” and hardware-agnosticism will make it more ubiiquitous in the market in general, and a more robust and affordable platform for use in hospitals.(...)Read the rest of Will an Android or iPad platform dominate hospitals?Category: Tech | Tags: Health IT, Hospital | 7 comments (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862459 Tue, 24 May 2011 19:00:32 +0100 4862459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862490&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F24%2Fthe-beacon-communities-at-one-year-the-inland-nw-experience%2F Editor’s note: The federal government’s Beacon Program provides funding to 17 communities that have already made inroads in the development of secure, private, and accurate systems of electronic health record (EHR) adoption and health information exchange. This is the fourth in a series of Health Affairs Blog posts in which leaders of several Beacon communities [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862490 Tue, 24 May 2011 18:12:34 +0100 4862490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852835&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F23%2Fthe-beacon-communities-at-one-year-the-se-minnesota-experience%2F Editor’s note: The federal government’s Beacon Program provides funding to 17 communities that have already made inroads in the development of secure, private, and accurate systems of electronic health record (EHR) adoption and health information exchange. This is the third in a series of Health Affairs Blog posts in which leaders of several Beacon communities [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852835 Mon, 23 May 2011 18:13:00 +0100 4852835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841411&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2Fha-studies-focus-on-reducing-costs-reaching-the-underserved%2F The Affordable Care Act of 2010 is expected to extend health coverage to some thirty-two million previously uninsured Americans.  Two of the many challenges faced by both the private sector and the government are getting a handle on rapidly rising medical costs and providing care to the many new enrollees with chronic illnesses who are [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841411 Thu, 19 May 2011 19:36:27 +0100 4841411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841412&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2Fthe-beacon-communities-at-one-year-the-colorado-experience%2F Editor’s Note: The federal government’s Beacon Program provides funding to 17 communities that have already made inroads in the development of secure, private, and accurate systems of electronic health record (EHR) adoption and health information exchange. This is the second in a series of Health Affairs Blog posts in which leaders of several Beacon communities [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841412 Thu, 19 May 2011 18:56:51 +0100 4841412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828794&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FCpgcD7R1oDE%2F5-learned-md-inventor-serial-entrepreneur.html by Ashwin PatelAs a MD/PhD candidate, I enjoy learning how medicine interfaces with other fields. I found that MDs that have ventured into these fields have the best stories and insights to share.I recently had the privilege of interviewing Dr. David E. Albert, MD. He’s a physician, a successful inventor with 30+ patents, and a serial entrepreneur. He has sold two of his companies, one to GE, and licensed his patents to many others like TIMEX and HP. His most recent product, the iPhone ECG, is awaiting FDA approval and subsequent launch.(...)Read the rest of 5 things I learned from a MD inventor and serial entrepreneurCategory: Physician | Tags: Health IT | No comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828794 Tue, 17 May 2011 11:00:28 +0100 4828794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829034&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FBHnoLVW6vfw%2F Last month, I asked if anyone has been successful with an EMR for mental health. I wondered if an iPad might make it easier for a psychotherapist to take electronic notes during a session without making the patient feel like the computer was getting in the way, because a desktop PC certainly would be a distraction. I also wondered about where mental health fits in the realm of truly comprehensive EHRs. (Yes, I make a distinction between EHR and EMR here, since, while it’s important to have a complete medication list to avoid harmful interactions, there’s little reason why an orthopedist or dermatologist would need to know whether a patient had been diagnosed with a mental illness. The same goes for records of sexually transmitted diseases or any other condition that patients ma... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829034 Tue, 17 May 2011 03:09:29 +0100 4829034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828841&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F16%2Fthe-beacon-communities-at-one-year-the-central-indiana-experience%2F Editor’s note: The federal government’s Beacon Program provides funding to 17 communities that have already made inroads in the development of secure, private, and accurate systems of electronic health record (EHR) adoption and health information exchange. This is the first in a series of Health Affairs Blog posts in which leaders of several Beacon communities [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828841 Mon, 16 May 2011 16:14:39 +0100 4828841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820797&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F13%2Fadvanced-practice-registered-nurses-crucial-full-partners-in-acos-and-beyond%2F Are some primary care providers more equal than others in CMS’ proposed rule for accountable care organizations (ACOs)? As the June 6 deadline for comment approaches, we need to take a closer look at just how the proposed rule might shape the future of primary care. Here’s one big red flag: even though ACO participants [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820797 Fri, 13 May 2011 15:05:52 +0100 4820797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820950&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F-gmzgCD_78g%2F I’ve just finished my latest post for EMR and HIPAA, based on a session I moderated this week at the the Institute for Health Technology Transformation health IT summit in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Here’s a taste: The panelists did great job of articulating some of these conundrums and strategies to overcome them, but none better than Kevin Maher, director of clinical innovations for Horizon Healthcare Innovations, a new affiliate of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey tasked with testing new care models, and Victor Freeman, M.D., quality director in the Health Resources and Services Administration‘s Office of Health IT and Quality. The patient-centered medical home is a great idea for managing care, promoting prevention and, ultimately reducing costs. “We view the ba... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820950 Thu, 12 May 2011 21:59:53 +0100 4820950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813229&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F11%2Fclinical-registries-the-opportunity-for-the-nation%2F In the early 1970s, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation began tracking the health of patients with cystic fibrosis.  What began as a modest data collection effort is today a comprehensive clinical registry of 26,000 patients.  Caregivers and researchers use the registry to identify new trends in outcomes; recognize the most effective treatments; and design clinical trials [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813229 Wed, 11 May 2011 16:22:36 +0100 4813229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813204&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FoPvwNl4jkjw%2Fpodcasts-patients-health-literacy.html by Robert Rodvien, MDWhen a person is told that they have a serious illness, they are similar to Alice falling down the rabbit hole.They enter a bewildering new world of discussions, tests and treatment programs that must be navigated while maintaining a job, life obligations, and relationships with friends and family. Just when a person needs more resilience to stress, anxiety can occur. The ability to function is often diminished in such a state, and, like Alice, many begin to grope for solutions. Patients, family members and friends begin to rely on anecdotes. Others find hope-based messages more acceptable than evidence-based ones. Some patients are willing to do anything that appears constructive even if there is no evidence of success.(...)Read the rest of How podcasts can help patie... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813204 Wed, 11 May 2011 13:00:04 +0100 4813204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4802997&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FhicmujLopE4%2Fipad-surgery.html by Felasfa Wodajo, MDThe iPad has received a significant amount of attention in the health care arena since its introduction last year.The attraction is fairly obvious; it is a portable, lightweight, powerful computing device with an intui-tive interface and a large library of built-in applications. In fact, major medical schools such as Stanford and University of California, Irvine have made decisions to provide iPads to all incoming medical students this year. While predicting the future of medical technology is always precarious, here are a few things we have learned in the months since the iPad was introduced.(...)Read the rest of How to use an iPad in the OR during surgeryCategory: Tech | Tags: Health IT, Surgery | 3 comments (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4802997 Mon, 09 May 2011 19:00:13 +0100 4802997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780264&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FtHus5NnHbiQ%2Fmedicines-paradigm-shift-microcosm-trend-occurring-society.html by Paul FischerIn 1994 Jeff Bezos revolutionized how consumers shop. He founded Amazon.com.Shortly after, Ebay followed suit—solidifying a paradigm shift that has redefined shopping from an in-person to online experience. In 2004, Facebook capitalized on another trend: individuals were becoming more comfortable sharing personal information online. Interestingly, people did not wake up one morning and decide it would be convenient to shop from home, or that sharing pictures with their friends online could be fun. Rather, in both cases, there has been a sustained movement towards new values and preferences that have fundamentally changed how individuals shop and socialize.(...)Read the rest of Medicine’s paradigm shift is a microcosm of a trend occurring in societyCategory: Policy | ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780264 Tue, 03 May 2011 17:00:14 +0100 4780264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775458&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2Fz4y4AaS1E2M%2F Lots of journalists such as myself don’t have journalism degrees. When people ask me about my non-clinical background, I’m proud to say I’ve got a degree in history. I like to think it gives me an advantage over some journalists since a solid liberal-arts education taught me how to do more than just regurgitate information. I learned how to research, how to analyze, how to ask questions and, above all, how to think. Once in a while, I wonder how my career may have turned out had I actually studied journalism or perhaps pursued a master’s, but not often. One thing I’ve never wondered, is where I might be now if I had gotten a degree in English instead. Until today. Having just read “An Eligible Professional’s Soliloquy” on the HITECH Answers b... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775458 Tue, 03 May 2011 05:16:51 +0100 4775458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4767970&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2F29%2Fconference-to-focus-on-states-and-health-it%2F Health information technology can be a catalyst for the transformation of American health care, and the states have a major role to play when it comes to health IT, and indeed all aspects of health reform. That state role is the focus of the 2011 State Healthcare IT Connect Summit, June 21-23 in Dulles, Virginia. [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4767970 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:03:22 +0100 4767970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4767920&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2Fyg4Nwzx5m6k%2Fdoctors-find-incentives-elusive-meaningful-electronic-records.html by Scot Silverstein, MDA reader, Dr. Scott Monteith, a psychiatrist, shared his thoughts on government-mandated ‘Meaningful Use’ of Electronic Medical Records (‘MU’) with me after reading a number of my EHR posts, and asked if he could share his thoughts via Health Care Renewal.Dr. Monteith is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University where he was chief resident.(...)Read the rest of Doctors find incentives elusive for meaningful use of electronic recordsCategory: Tech | Tags: Health IT, Primary care | No comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4767920 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:00:56 +0100 4767920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4767922&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FE1cNvGWkPWk%2Forganizations-link-systems-share-electronic-health-records.html by George Lundberg, MDGlory be. There’s good news tonight in American healthcare.It did not come from laws, regulations, or government edict, although there has been much government activity in the field; it did not come from the behemoths of information technology like Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Cisco, although much hard work in IT did precede it; it did not come from the for-profit healthcare industry giants like GE, Big Pharma, United Healthcare, or Aetna, although many have talked a related good game for decades; and it did not come from the trade associations like AMA, AHA, AMIA, or even HIMSS.(...)Read the rest of Organizations that link their IT systems to share electronic health recordsCategory: Tech | Tags: Health IT, Health reform | 4 comments (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medic... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4767922 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:00:44 +0100 4767922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762721&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FI0f6w1xLiwk%2F9-websites-savvy-medical-practices.html by Rosemarie Nelson, MSIt’s easy to get caught in the surf on the Web. But plug these URLs into your browser and explore some simple tools that can help not only keep your practice above water but help it ride high.(...)Read the rest of 9 websites that savvy medical practices useCategory: Physician | Tags: Health IT, Primary care, Specialist | 2 comments (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762721 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:00:09 +0100 4762721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758695&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FwFXFOyhnDEk%2Fmoney-involved-good-medical-ideas-suffer.html by Martin Young, MBChB, FCS(SA)I read interesting link via Reuters about how students have developed a smart phone application with a microscope attachment to diagnose malaria.The article shows a picture of a child at risk somewhere in Africa.(...)Read the rest of When money gets involved, good medical ideas sufferCategory: Tech | Tags: Health IT, Patients | 2 comments (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758695 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:00:44 +0100 4758695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742491&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FIfPULHEeSYs%2F Since I’m starting to write a lot of daily/breaking news, I’m going to try something new today that might become a regular Friday feature: posting my week in review. It will consist of a quick rundown of stories I’ve written this week. Here goes: Monday “Patient Safety Initiative To Leverage Health IT: The $1 billion federal Partnership for Patients initiative aims to cut $35 billion in healthcare costs, save 60,000 lives, and decrease hospital-acquired conditions by 40% by 2013.” (InformationWeek) Tuesday “Medicare Opens EHR ‘Meaningful Use’ Attestation” (InformationWeek) “How mobile health can abide by HIPAA” (MobiHealthNews) “State of mobile and wireless healthcare” (video/slides of my recent presentation to M... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742491 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:21:52 +0100 4742491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742336&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2Fvx7meuAPVyc%2Fintegrating-social-media-everyday-health-care.html by Brian Klepper, PhDThe desire to be touched by and connected with others is among our most primal and, until recently, our most untapped qualities.There have always been powerful signs of it. Those of us who remember exchanging letters with distant friends and family know the palpable anticipation when a letter arrived.(...)Read the rest of Integrating social media into everyday health careCategory: Social media | Tags: Health IT, Patients, Primary care | 1 comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742336 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:00:51 +0100 4742336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742338&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FNoXuSDEzCc0%2Fgoogle-translate-medicine.html by Graham Walker, MDIn The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the Babel Fish was a fish you stuck in your ear that allowed you to understand any language spoken to you. We’re not far off.(...)Read the rest of Using Google Translate in medicineCategory: Tech | Tags: Health IT, Patients | 1 comment (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742338 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:00:41 +0100 4742338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734259&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.meaningfulhitnews.com%2Ffiles%2F2011%2F04%2FMeharry-presentation-041311.pdf As I previously mentioned, I was invited to speak last week at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., on the subject of mobile and wireless healthcare. Unlike past presentations I’ve given, this time I have video. But it’s not easy posting 65 minutes of HD video (a 4.5-GB file). YouTube limits uploads to 15 minutes. Vimeo has no time limit, but restricts file size. Finally I got some software to downsize my video to an acceptable size, so here it is via Vimeo. I actually gave the same presentation twice, first to about 50 people in an auditorium for Meharry’s grand rounds (plus a few more by videoconference from the local VA hospital), and later in the day to an audience of about 20 people in the Department of Family & Community Medicine. This is the latter, tak... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734259 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 03:46:21 +0100 4734259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723806&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fonline-health-information-can-be-more-trustworthy-than-printed-texts%2F2011.04.17 Recently Ed Silverman of Pharmalot considers the case of a ghost-written medical text’s mysterious disappearance. The 1999 book, “Recognition and Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: A Psychopharmacology Handbook for Primary Care,” (reviewed in a psychiatry journal here) came under scrutiny last fall when it became evident that the physician “authors” didn’t just receive money from a relevant drug maker, SmithKline Beecham; they received an outline and text for the book from pharmaceutical company-hired writers. poster for the X-Files Now the book’s listing is gone from the website of STI (Scientific Therapeutic Information), the company that provided the authorship “help.” I tried to get a copy of the handbook on Amazon.com, where it’s currently out-of-stock. The book ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723806 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:00:58 +0100 4723806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723748&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FgLiY0DZQ_Rg%2Fdata-overload-pace-genomic-science.html by W. Gregory Feero, MD, PhDArticles in several major journals (Nature, Science, etc.) have noted that genomics research has entered an era of data measured in petabytes.(...)Read the rest of Data overload and the pace of genomic science on KevinMD.comNo comment | Tags: Health IT | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723748 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 15:00:38 +0100 4723748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723751&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FXpOJ9UabHUI%2Femr-emotionally-disengages-physicians-patients.html by Richard Barager, MD“See me, feel me.”Yes, that’s right, the title of a song played at Woodstock by The Who—at sunrise of the third day, no less—is the title of my post. The song begins with those very words sung in dramatic refrain, followed by four more: Touch Me/Heal Me.(...)Read the rest of How an EMR emotionally disengages physicians from their patients on KevinMD.com15 comments | Tags: Health IT, Patients | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723751 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:00:24 +0100 4723751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719859&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FLyLlCnAItf0%2Folder-doctors-allowed-opt-emr.html by Mike Koriwchak, MDA fair amount has been written on EMR for the individual physician facing retirement.(...)Read the rest of Should older doctors be allowed to opt out of EMR? on KevinMD.com6 comments | Tags: Health IT, Primary care | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719859 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:00:28 +0100 4719859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714853&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FQKVVoNViRIg%2F The newest edition of the blog carnival Health Wonk Review is up, courtesy of David Williams and his Health Business Blog. My podcast with Peter Waegemann of the mHealth Initiative made this biweekly review of healthcare commentary from across the blogosphere. This Health Wonk Review seems to have more on health IT and healthcare quality than most editions, and that makes me happy. One post also rightly takes aim at some of the shortfalls in healthcare journalism. Related posts:Health Wonk Review … Health Wonk Review, Veterans Day edition Vote Health Wonk Review ’08 (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714853 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:12:29 +0100 4714853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709260&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FFOYHI80Otmk%2F I haven’t blogged in a couple of days because I’ve been preparing for a speaking engagement at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., on the subject of mobile healthcare. It’s about the fifth time I’ve spoken on this subject, but this presentation was longer than any of the previous ones, a little more than an hour. I gave my first talk earlier this morning and will repeat it after lunch for a different audience. I’ll post my slides after I’m done and I expect to have video at some point. I’ll put that up, too, once I get it. Related posts:Video: Overview of mobile healthcare technologies Podcast: Panel discussion on mobile healthcare Mobile phones for HIV/AIDS treatment (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709260 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:29:23 +0100 4709260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709182&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2F13%2Fat-onc-and-cms-resources-for-incentive-eligible-professionals%2F On January 3, 2011, registration for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs opened for America’s health care providers. Eligible professionals and hospitals that register may qualify for significant incentive payments under Medicare and Medicaid when they switch from paper-based medical records to certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. Congress established the Medicare and Medicaid [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709182 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:38:01 +0100 4709182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704608&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2F12%2Fmostashari-and-more-health-it-in-health-affairs%2F One of the biggest challenges to realizing the full benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) has been moving their adoption beyond large integrated systems to safety net providers and physicians in small and solo practices. The new National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Farzad Mostashari, may be particularly well prepared to deal with that challenge. Before [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704608 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:37:11 +0100 4704608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704572&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FxSyzelN5jEg%2Fgoogle-affects-clinicians-public-collect-diagnostic-information.html by William R. Yates, MDMy Google Reader accidentally picked up an intriguing abstract that examined a research study of resources that medical students use in solving diagnostic cases.(...)Read the rest of Google affects how clinicians and the public collect diagnostic information on KevinMD.comNo comment | Tags: Health IT, Patients, Primary care | Category: Conditions (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704572 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:00:38 +0100 4704572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693353&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FoUdTkjhGhb4%2F Farzad Mostashari, M.D. has been named the new national coordinator for health IT, effective today. Though HHS has not put out a press release or other statement, it appears this is a permanent rather than an interim appointment. I had been hearing since February that Mostashari, who previously was deputy national coordinator, would be in charge of ONC at least on an interim basis when David Blumenthal, M.D., returned to Harvard. UPDATE, 3:25 p.m. CDT: The appointment is permanent. You can find this and more details in the story I wrote for InformationWeek today. Related posts:Blumenthal named national coordinator Poll for new national coordinator is rather laughable Kolodner named interim HIT coordinator (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693353 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:43:20 +0100 4693353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670192&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F_hBCdv1Il8k%2F It’s time for another baseball season, and Health Wonk Review is ready to go. as with the Spring Training Edition two weeks ago, optimism reigns. (Host Jason Shafrin of the Healthcare Economist blog proves it by calling for the Milwaukee Brewers to win the World Series this year. I guess cheeseheads are still from the Green Bay Packers’ victory in the Super Bowl two months ago.) I didn’t make the starting lineup, but am an early choice from the bullpen for my “Slams on Berwick are getting pathetic” post. Curiously, Shafrin wades away from the controversy a bit by highlighting something said by a person I’m critiquing, namely that comparative effectiveness research “doesn’t work in the real world.” Not surprisingly, no post related to he... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670192 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:05:28 +0100 4670192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664128&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2F01%2Fha-blog-health-it-posts-highlighted-in-wonk-review%2F Over at the Healthcare Economist, Jason Shafrin presents an opening day edition of the Health Wonk Review. Among the health policy blog posts Jason presents: Health Affairs Blog pieces by Mark Frisse and Carol Diamond on the state of the health information technology enterprise as we come to the end of  David Blumenthal’s tenure as [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664128 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:02:17 +0100 4664128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664106&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FEvH8NLraKR8%2Fartificial-intelligence-capturing-quality-information-ehr.html by Janet DillioneAre we ready to deliberate on how artificial intelligence will be used in healthcare? While the future role of innovation as part of healthcare is certain, it’s critical that we first focus on achieving what is possible and absolutely necessary today.(...)Read the rest of Artificial intelligence and capturing quality information into your EHR on KevinMD.comNo comment | Tags: Health IT | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664106 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:00:42 +0100 4664106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664110&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2Fb5SwZ6pK-v8%2Femr-shockingly-inconvenient-prescription-refills.html by Paul Sax, MDLet me start by confessing I’m something of a gadget freak.  I was an early Palm Pilot adoptor, loved the iPod from the get-go, and need to avoid CNET, Engadget, Gizmodo, and David Pogue’s columns for the New York Times when deadlines loom.(...)Read the rest of How an EMR can be shockingly inconvenient for prescription refills on KevinMD.com5 comments | Tags: Health IT | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664110 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:00:58 +0100 4664110 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664180&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcrowd-sourcing-for-medical-diagnoses%2F2011.03.31 The Times ran an intriguing experiment on its Well blog yesterday: a medical problem-solving contest. The challenge, based on the story of a real girl who lives near Philadelphia, drew 1379 posted comments and closed this morning with publication of the answer. Dr. Lisa Sanders, who moderated the piece, says today that the first submitted correct response came from a California physician; the second came from a Minnesota woman who is not a physician. Evidently she recognized the condition’s manifestations from her experience working with people who have it. The public contest – and even the concept of using the word “contest” – to solve a real person’s medical condition interests me a lot. This kind of puzzle is, as far as I know, unprecedented apart from the somewhat removed d... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664180 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:00:56 +0100 4664180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664131&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F31%2Facos-medical-homes-and-reform-a-crucial-consensus%2F With the federal government poised to propose rules governing accountable care organizations, a broad array of public and private health care stakeholders has laid out a consensus on how to use ACOs and patient-centered medical homes to move toward the “triple aim” of better health, better care, and lower costs. The report, Better to Best: [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664131 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:50:17 +0100 4664131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653274&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FZYrPknj9PRA%2Femr-programmers-physicians-stupid.html by Chris Rangel, MDEvery major industry is now computerized with one glaring exception; health care delivery. Thirty years after Steve Jobs began selling personal computers out of his garage, far less than 50% of physician practices and hospitals have converted to any form of electronic medical record.(...)Read the rest of Why some EMR programmers think physicians are stupid on KevinMD.comNo comment | Tags: Health IT | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653274 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:00:13 +0100 4653274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653298&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F29%2Fcamdens-roadmap-to-reform%2F In the eyes of some, health reform  threatens to burn down the old house of the American health system before it has built the country a new one.  There are many who will not mourn the passing of the old, but it is fair to say that most health care leaders are extremely anxious to [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653298 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:10:59 +0100 4653298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670081&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fthose-who-dismiss-heathcare-and-healht.html At my Sept. 2010 post "The Dangers of Critical Thinking in A Politicized, Irrational Culture" I wrote:... It's the EMR "anecdotalists" (as opposed to the "Markopolists") who say that "anecdotes" of HIT-related injury are meaningless. They deem reports of safety issues and HIT-related misadventures and risk as simply "anecdotal", and that "anecdotes don't make evidence" (or "anecdotes don't make data").For "anecdotes" of patient harm due to medical devices even from the most reliable of sources to be counted as "evidence" of device risk, apparently, the stories need to be blessed with Statistical Holy Water. The Holy Water must also be of a brand approved by the academic pundits.For me, this is no longer merely a professional debate. My elderly mother became one of those "anecdotes" in M... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670081 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 12:12:00 +0100 4670081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642550&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fthose-who-dismiss-heathcare-and-healht.html At my Sept. 2010 post "The Dangers of Critical Thinking in A Politicized, Irrational Culture" I wrote:... It's the EMR "anecdotalists" (as opposed to the "Markopolists") who say that "anecdotes" of HIT-related injury are meaningless. They deem reports of safety issues and HIT-related misadventures and risk as simply "anecdotal", and that "anecdotes don't make evidence" (or "anecdotes don't make data").For "anecdotes" of patient harm due to medical devices even from the most reliable of sources to be counted as "evidence" of device risk, apparently, the stories need to be blessed with Statistical Holy Water. The Holy Water must also be of a brand approved by the academic pundits.For me, this is no longer merely a professional debate. My elderly mother became one of those "anecdotes" in M... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642550 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 12:12:00 +0100 4642550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636523&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthit.hhs.gov%2Fportal%2Fserver.pt%2Fdocument%2F954074%2Ffederal_hit_strategic_plan_public_comment_period The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology today opened a four-week comment period on proposed revisions to the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan (pdf). Last updated in 2008, the plan spells out ONC’s strategy for meeting national health IT goals for the five-year period beginning in 2011. The HITECH Act requires this revision. According to a blog post by national coordinator Dr. David Blumenthal: Some components of the Plan may already be familiar, including the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs and the grant programs created by the HITECH Act, which are creating an infrastructure to support meaningful use. However, the Plan also charts new ground for the federal health IT agenda: In Goal I, the health information exchang... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636523 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:29:28 +0100 4636523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636408&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F25%2Fthe-road-ahead-for-the-new-health-it-coordinator%2F Editor’s Note” As David Blumenthal prepares to step down as the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, where does the United States stand in the continuing effort to promote widespread adoption of electronic health records? What are the challenges that the next health IT coordinator will face? Health Affairs Blog asked two leading experts to [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636408 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:34:45 +0100 4636408 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636409&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F25%2Fhealth-information-technology-the-work-is-only-beginning%2F Editor’s Note” As David Blumenthal prepares to step down as the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, where does the United States stand in the continuing effort to promote widespread adoption of electronic health records? What are the challenges that the next health IT coordinator will face? Health Affairs Blog asked two leading experts to [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636409 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:32:07 +0100 4636409 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636390&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F3PA33rAy_6c%2Fehr-solo-primary-care-physician.html by Margalit Gur-ArieRecently, I went to see a doctor about an EHR. Dr. Greene (not his real name) is a typical solo primary care physician in a typical small town in the typical middle of nowhere. Four hours from the closest airport and miles and miles of winding roads, cow pastures and corn fields away from medical centers of excellence. Dr. Greene is in his late fifties and has been practicing medicine for over thirty years in the same location.(...)Read the rest of EHR and the solo primary care physician on KevinMD.com9 comments | Tags: Health IT, Primary care | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636390 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:08 +0100 4636390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626763&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FvlPjJPsBtTU%2Freturn-investment-ehr-poor.html by Rosemarie Nelson, MSI had a déjà vu experience recently when I visited a medical practice that was like so many others I’ve been to before.This practice just wasn’t getting their investment back from their EHR.(...)Read the rest of Why the return on investment in an EHR is poor on KevinMD.com3 comments | Tags: Health IT | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626763 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:00:14 +0100 4626763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626764&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FqmsYDQ1VA24%2Fpatient-support-tool-works-patients-doctors.html by Ted Eytan, MDWhen you go to see the doctor, how do they know (a) if you are due for any preventive health screenings like mammography or (b) if you have a chronic condition, if it is being monitored and managed?(...)Read the rest of How a patient support tool works to help patients and doctors on KevinMD.comNo comment | Tags: Health IT, Patients, Primary care | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626764 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:00:21 +0100 4626764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626765&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FW304JPu29GU%2Fehr-physician-recruiting.html by John RossheimWhat’s the latest tool for recruiting the best clinicians to your hospital? Is it the professional pride of being associated with an organization that provides the best care in the region? Is it showing respect for the growing number of clinicians who seek to work hard but protect their personal lives from excessive intrusions in the form of frequent on-call duty or mandatory overtime?(...)Read the rest of How your EHR can help with physician recruiting on KevinMD.com2 comments | Tags: Health IT, Hospital | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626765 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:00:54 +0100 4626765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622190&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FC6W-WDXAoYk%2Fmicrosoft-kinect-radiology-view-ct-mri.html by Lukas Zinnagl, MDRadiology has transformed into a core subject of medicine, since imaging procedures are getting more and more crucial to clinical decisions. Whether these developments, be it over-diagnosing or unnecessary radiation on the one hand or a more detailed and enhanced way of diagnostics on the other, are worth a blog post alone.(...)Read the rest of How Microsoft Kinect can help in radiology to view a CT or MRI on KevinMD.com1 comment | Tags: Health IT, Radiology | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622190 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:00:53 +0100 4622190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622193&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FmwPHqiFM_XQ%2Fconvince-doctors-embrace-electronic-medical-records.html by Kevin Pho, MDDoctors are now incentivized to convert antiquated paper charts to electronic medical records.Despite a few doctors who love their EMR, most readers here at KevinMD.com are skeptical, as the difficulties in transitioning, along with questionable benefits, have been well chronicled.(...)Read the rest of How to convince doctors to embrace electronic medical records on KevinMD.com5 comments | Tags: Health IT | Category: Commentary (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622193 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:00:16 +0100 4622193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615074&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F21%2Fpre-tax-purchase-of-otc-drugs-a-prescription-for-compromise%2F One of the most contentious issues in drafting health reform legislation was the tax treatment of health care expenses.  From modifying the tax exclusion for employer-provided health coverage to imposing new fees on medical treatments and products, resistance to changing health tax policy underscored the immense difficulty of enacting reforms without a broad political consensus. [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615074 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:00:18 +0100 4615074 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4610767&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FMTxyNF7C9Zg%2Fsupportive-physicians-management-implement-ehr.html by Ron SterlingFrom Medicare/Medicaid incentives to EHR industry ads, it is hard to cut through the hype and determine if your practice is even ready to try to select and implement an EHR.(...)Read the rest of Supportive physicians and management to implement an EHR from KevinMD.com1 comment | Tags: Health IT, Primary care, Specialist | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4610767 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:00:08 +0100 4610767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600628&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F6VthUUiXp08%2F Looking for more commentary about another aspect of health IT? Don’t forget that I’m now a regular contributor to MobiHealthNews. This week, I comment on the rave reviews coming in for the iPad 2, particularly from the healthcare sector, and note the significance of Microsoft discontinuing its Zune digital music player, the product that never did gain much traction against Apple’s ubiquitous iPod. While it looks as if the Android platform may be losing out to the iPad in healthcare, I say don’t call this one for Apple just yet, at least not until Research in Motion comes out with its BlackBerry PlayBook next month. I also recently wrote a special report for HFM, the magazine of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, on the subject of optimizing and enhanci... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600628 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:36:33 +0100 4600628 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4580877&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2Fe2WxpdAAFpE%2Fdanger-multiple-emergency-room-visits-hospitals.html by Jeffrey I. Kreisberg, PhDIf you are one of the more than 100 million Americans who visit emergency rooms (ER) at least once a year, you’re not alone.Americans, insured and not, make ample use of hospital emergency rooms. One out of every five visited an ER at least once in 2007, the latest year for which the National Center for Health Statistics has data. Among the uninsured, 7.4 percent made two or more visits to an ER, but so did 5.1 percent of people with private insurance.(...)Read the rest of Danger of multiple emergency room visits to different hospitals from KevinMD.comNo comment | Tags: Emergency, Health IT, Health reform, Patients | Category: Patient (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4580877 Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:00:24 +0100 4580877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575017&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2Fng5OPEep5B8%2Fprevent-ipad-dominating-health-care.html by Jared Sinclair, RNiMedicalApps reviewed some recent news articles regarding business/enterprise adoption of the iPad as a legitimate alternative to Windows machines in the workplace, taking it as a sign that healthcare IT is poised to adopt it, too: “All in all, these developments bode well for the adoption of the iPhone and iPad as a mainstream, IT-blessed mobile healthcare solution.”iPad enthusiast medical bloggers, and there are many, have been making optimistic predictions like these since the iPad was first revealed. I wish that I could share in their optimism, but I think that they too easily confuse a vision of what is possible with what is probable.(...)Read the rest of What will prevent the iPad from dominating health care IT? from KevinMD.com2 comments | Tags: Heal... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575017 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:00:20 +0100 4575017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4565854&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2Fi0n2fLV07EQ%2Fsigns-practice-ready-emr.html by Mary Pat WhaleyMy current practice is getting ready to go live on Electronic Medical Records (EMR), but it’s taken us over a year to get here.  When I first started this job, we were supposed to go live with EMR in two months.  After I’d had a chance to speak with everyone, I just knew the timing wasn’t right for the EMR.  We would need to be able to run, and at that moment we were just starting to crawl.(...)Read the rest of Signs that your practice is ready for EMR from KevinMD.comNo comment | Tags: Health IT | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4565854 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:00:44 +0100 4565854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560192&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FQrrAvWdy3q0%2F5-ways-ipad-pediatric-point-care.html by Natasha Burgert, MDI love experimenting with different ways to use technology within my pediatric practice. The iPad has been an amazing device to adapt and use with my families.Here are 5 different ways I use the iPad with my patients at the point-of-care.(...)Read the rest of 5 ways I use my iPad at pediatric point of care from KevinMD.com5 comments | Tags: Health IT, Primary care | Category: Tech (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560192 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:00:03 +0100 4560192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560223&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F08%2Fmarch-health-affairs-issue-innovations-in-health-care-delivery%2F Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government was handed an unprecedented set of tools to forge innovation in health care delivery through the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Now, as the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation begins its work, the goal is to achieve the vaunted “Triple Aim” of improving individuals’ experience of [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560223 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:04:13 +0100 4560223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560195&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FS3OQiIcmMCk%2Femr-patients-perspective.html by Ann SilbermanMy oncologist’s office implemented a new EMR system when I was in the middle of chemo. Once the nurses learned the system, I saw no difference in the care I got from them.Not quite so with the doctor. My experience with him changed dramatically.Before EMR I would enter the exam room and sit on a chair, play Angry Birds on my iPhone and wait. My doctor would walk in, make eye-contact and ask me how I was doing. Then he’d sit down and face me, my chart on his lap. I would put away my phone and describe any concerns I had while I admired the oddball tie he was wearing that day. He would answer while actually looking at me, occasionally glancing down to jot notes. There was a human connection there, albeit on a professional level. We had a conversation. He’d ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560195 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:00:41 +0100 4560195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560274&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fadvice-from-the-emr-trenches%2F2011.03.07 The latest from moi: “Implementing Electronic Medical Records: Advice from the Trenches” in the March/April 2011 issue of HIT Exchange magazine. An excerpt: The news released in late December from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that more than half of the nation’s physicians are now using electronic medical records (EMR)—double the adoption rate of just five years ago—is surely worth celebrating. Until, that is, you take a look and realize that just a fourth of office-based physicians have access to a “basic” EMR system including patient history, demographics, problem lists, clinical notes, and computerized physician order entry (CPOE), while just one in 10 has a “fully functional” system, which also includes the communication system required for me... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560274 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4560274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4552042&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FSQp2t2pRPK8%2Fmobile-internet-transform-healthcare.html by Dave deBronkartOur colleague Susannah Fox of the Pew Internet & American Life Project has done much research about trends in mobile, particularly about health.In contrast, Meeker focuses on overall big trends. She sees aspects I’ve never noticed, like what-all constitutes mobile: when I hear the term, I think handheld phones (iPhone, Droid, Blackberry), but she makes the case that mobile web access (and other wireless) is much more than phones.As we think about how mobile can transform what’s possible in healthcare – especially access to health info and services for people globally who don’t have home PCs – this is important.(...)Read the rest of How the mobile internet can transform healthcare from KevinMD.comNo comment | Tags: Health IT, Patients | Category: Tech (Source... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4552042 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:00:18 +0100 4552042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549711&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FK6KHPzUSiNw%2Fdoctor-computer-overlords.html by angienadia, MDIn February, IBM supercomputer Watson won Jeopardy! against its two human opponents, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter.Watson’s victory rests on its power in speech recognition and the ability to understand colloquial human language used in game shows like Jeopardy!. The most interesting development of this story is that after Watson’s celebrated win on national television, IBM will partner with Nuance Communications to explore how Watson could help with medical diagnosis and treatment in a hospital setting, using speech recognition and the ability to quickly index data from case studies and medical histories of patients.(...)Read the rest of Welcome our new (doctor) computer overlords from KevinMD.comNo comment | Tags: Health IT, Primary care, Specialist | Category: Tech (... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549711 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:00:52 +0100 4549711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549712&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F0N66FxilyuE%2Fhire-director-medical-practice.html by Peter J Polack, MD, FACSAbout 8 years ago or so, our practice decided to move from paper records to electronic records. The decision was helped along by the fact that we were literally running out of space for our paper charts. I had been looking at electronic medical records systems (EMRs) for years prior to this but could not justify the cost to my partners – apart from the “gee-whiz” factor – until we were up against the wall, so to speak. Our administrator had previously worked in a non-profit where he met an individual who was doing contract information technology (IT) work and recommended we hire him to help us achieve our goal of having a paperless practice.(...)Read the rest of How to hire an IT director for your medical practice from KevinMD.comNo comment | Tags: Health... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549712 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:00:51 +0100 4549712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545030&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FyENL-jmhHiI%2F The first Health Wonk Review since last week’s HIMSS conference is up, courtesy of Jared M. Rhoads of the Lucidicus Project. While I’m no fan of organization’s ideological bent (it seems to think CMS Administrator Don Berwick is more interested in socialism than in improving healthcare), I’m happy to say this roundup has more IT than normal. For one thing, Rhoads mentions my post detailing my injury at HIMSS and the consumerism and EMR use that played into the care I received at a walk-in clinic in Orlando, Fla. I’m happy to report that I got the stitches out on Tuesday and the deep laceration is healing well. There’s a good chance that the resulting scar might kind of blend into my eyebrow, so I’m hoping it won’t be too conspicuous. Four oth... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545030 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:58:59 +0100 4545030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544933&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F03%2Fworld-health-care-congress-convenes-april-4-6%2F The 8th Annual World Health Care Congress (WHCC) will convene April 4-6, 2011 in Washington D.C. with more than 1,800 health care leaders to address the challenges of health care cost, quality and delivery. Health Affairs is a supporting publication for this event, which presents leading-edge case studies and best practices from all industry sectors, [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544933 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:58:58 +0100 4544933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536038&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F02%2Fhealth-affairs-briefing-innovation-and-health-care-delivery-updated%2F On Tuesday morning, March 8, please join Health Affairs at the W Hotel Washington for a briefing tied to the release of the March 2011 issue of the journal, “Profiles of Innovation in Health Care Delivery.” You can also follow the briefing on Twitter through live Tweets at #HA_Innovation on HA_Events.  Topics covered in the issue [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536038 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:39:39 +0100 4536038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536022&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FqWwunipndS0%2Fapple-ipad-amazon-kindle-nook-medical-students.html by Scrub, MDThe e-reader battles are clearly heating up, with the Apple iPad, the aggressive marketing of the Kindle and the Nook trying to sneak its way into the conversation. What does this mean for medical students? Should iPads be mandatory in medical school?Joseph Kim of Mobile Health Computing argues that it certainly should be, but I think the argument is not well formed. Of course we want medical students to have the latest whizbang technological gadgetry, but the real question is: what role will this technology play? For example, we could provide all medical students with electron microscopes during their study of histology, but clearly this would be ridiculous: the knowledge yield would not justify the cost at all.(...)Read the rest of Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle, or the Nook for... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536022 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:00:48 +0100 4536022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545031&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fv%2FNnYiPbIAzEQ%3Fhl%3Den%26amp%3Bfs%3D1 As has become custom at HIMSS, I sat down with Jonathan Bush, chairman, CEO and president of athenahealth, at the 2011 conference in Orlando, Fla., last week. But due to some technical difficulties in getting the room we thought we had reserved and in getting my audio recorder to work (OK, OK, I didn’t have fresh batteries on me), I busted out the HD video camera. (Wouldn’t you know, the battery was losing steam there, too, so I had to plug the camera in. I have since determined that the USB port wasn’t working, so I exchanged it this past weekend. But I seriously digress.) In this interview, we talk athena’s business, meaningful use, 5010/ICD-10, ACOs, cloud computing and health reform. We poke a little fun at the “boat show” that the vendor expo has be... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545031 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:00:18 +0100 4545031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517149&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F24%2Fhealth-affairs-briefing-innovation-and-health-care-delivery%2F On March 8, 2011, please join Health Affairs for a briefing tied to the release of the March 2011 issue of the journal, “Profiles of Innovation in Health Care Delivery.”  Topics covered in the issue and discussed at the briefing will include: Innovation Profiles — how 15 health systems, health plans and others are restructuring [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517149 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:34:04 +0100 4517149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512345&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FjyflbjZM9-o%2Fevolution-tablet-devices-hospital.html by David Ahn, MDWhen working in the hospital, I intentionally minimize the time I spend on my iPhone because I don’t want people to assume that I’m just checking Facebook or playing Angry Birds.Even though medical apps and the vast depths of the internet are at my fingertips, it’s just too easy to appear distracted. This represents a subtle, yet meaningful, glimpse of just one reason why I eagerly await the continued evolution of tablet devices for the hospital.Apple’s iPad has replaced the DVD player as the fastest-selling non-phone electronic device of all time and some analysts predict that as many as 45 million iPads could be sold next year. Not to be left out, competitors from Google (eg. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab), Blackberry (Research in Motion’s PlayBook), Dell’s Streak, ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512345 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:00:26 +0100 4512345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501650&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2Fw1cFiobjOKQ%2F Discussion of tactics for dealing with detractors. Listen to them, understand their motivation. Some will be right #CDS #HIMSS11about 22 hours ago via TweetDeckpsweetman_livePauline Sweetman and #bbpBox_39357644800000001{background:#C0DEED url(http://a3.twimg.com/a/1298064126/images/themes/theme1/bg.png) no-repeat !important;padding:20px;}#bbpBox_39357644800000001 p.bbpTweet{background:#fff;padding:10px 12px 10px 12px !important;margin:0 !important;min-height:48px;color:#333333 !important;font-size:18px !important;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px}#bbpBox_39357644800000001 p.bbpTweet a {color:#0084B4 !important}#bbpBox_39357644800000001 p.bbpTweet span.metadata{display:block;width:100%;clear:both;margin-top:8px !important;padding-top:12px !important;he... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501650 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 04:17:50 +0100 4501650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501562&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FeOzB225gB8Y%2Felectronic-medical-records-usability-affect-implementation.html by Mark HendricksonOne sport that really bothers me is Major League Baseball. Why? It seems as though the hard-headed people calling the shots, and games for that matter, would rather keep their pride than make the right call.Instant replay is no secret. It isn’t a new, untested technology—its been around since the mid 50’s and every professional sports league uses it with game-changing results, except the MLB. This has annoyed me for awhile now, but not enough to actually bother me until Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers was robbed of a perfect game due to an umpire’s (admitted) error. This feat has only been done twenty times in the history of the league. A man’s legacy was taken from him simply due to the MLB opting not to use the technology it has available. Sure, baseb... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501562 Sun, 20 Feb 2011 16:00:09 +0100 4501562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540544&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F17%2Ffoundation-blogs-round-up-health-reform-disparities-global-health-obesity-and-more%2F%3Fcat%3Dgrantwatch As my work week draws to a close, I have put together a quick listing of some foundation-related posts that I think you might want to check out. If your foundation has a blog about health care and it is not listed on GrantWatch Blog’s Blogroll, let me know about it! Disparities in Health: “Poll [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540544 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:56:06 +0100 4540544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482713&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F46gzCiMwbE0%2Finsurance-status-arranging-followup-ed.html by Katherine Fullerton, MDAs a pediatric emergency physician in Northern Virginia, I have the good fortune to work with an amazing staff in a busy pediatric emergency department (ED) that sees a wide range of patients with both minor and life-threatening illnesses. Of note, we have a wonderful electronic medical record (EMR) that allows us to see past visits, lab tests, and medical problems.My last shift was an overnight during which I treated approximately 35 children. About 2/3 of these children had medical problems listed in the EMR. Many children had a history of asthma, several had febrile seizures in the past, and a few had more complicated chronic illnesses such as congenital heart disease or hemophilia.(...)Read the rest of Insurance status when arranging follow-up from the EDNo co... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482713 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:46:49 +0100 4482713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477656&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F4tIq6v84cV4%2Fdoctor-loves-electronic-medical-records.html by Davis Liu, MDA recent post in the Wall Street Journal’s Health Blog noted that a study found electronic medical records don’t improve outpatient quality.  The authors of the Archives of Internal Medicine article, Electronic Health Records and Clinical Decision Support Systems, correctly points out that we should be skeptical and “doubt [the] argument that the use of EHRs is a “magic bullet” for health care quality improvement, as some advocates imply.”This should surprise no one.  Were we that naive to think that simply installing health information technology (HIT) in the medical field would generate significant improvement in outcomes?  Does simply installing computers in our classrooms improve educational test scores?Of course not.(...)Read the ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477656 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:00:32 +0100 4477656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470457&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FOJbSxg3uq_M%2F I know I’ve talked far too much about HIMSS already, but I figured it’s the weekend and so not many of you are reading the site any way. So, I’ll take the topic du jour it seems and talk about my thoughts on making the most of your time at HIMSS. I will offer the disclaimer that this is only my second year, so I’m interested to hear your ideas as well. However, I learned a lot my first year and so I figured I’d share a few thoughts. Be Selective My biggest suggestion for people is to be selective in what they want to do. 30,000 people, a ton of overlapping sessions and a ginormous (it’s not a word, but should be) exhibit hall. Yet, you have to pack that all into a couple days. It’s really important for you to be selective about who and what you wan... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470457 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:53:06 +0100 4470457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464446&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FhaVzaXPHuNU%2Fhealth-records-online-improve-health-save-money.html by Trisha TorreyI exchange thoughts with healthcare IT people on a daily basis over at Twitter.  So many of them seem perplexed at why we patients look at putting our medical records on the internet with trepidation.Then along comes this video from Elizabeth Cohen at CNN.  In a matter of minutes, she was able to pull up one of her CNN colleague’s medical records, his kids’ records. She could see which doctors they’ve visited, and what took place during those meetings.HIPAA is supposed to protect us from others getting our medical records right?(...)Read the rest of Health records need to be online to improve health and save moneyNo comment | Tags: Health IT | Category: Health IT and EMR (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464446 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:00:52 +0100 4464446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464470&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F11%2Fthe-case-for-meaningful-use-strengthened-not-weakened%2F Last week the Archives of Internal Medicine published a study that calls into question the value of electronic health records, or EHRs, clinical decision support, and the federal “meaningful use” program, which provides financial incentives to physicians and hospitals who adopt EHRs and use them in ways which should improve care.  A close look reveals [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464470 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:42:17 +0100 4464470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464447&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FObqYWD3F09g%2Fmedication-lists-shared-meaningful.html by John Halamka, MDRecently, I spent a few days in California when both my parents ended up in the hospital with different issues.   They’re home, settled and doing well at this point.Just as when I first wrote about experiencing healthcare with my family, there are important lessons to learn about this trip.As we strive to achieve meaningful use and create health information exchange in the US, the need for smart medication lists is critical.(...)Read the rest of Medication lists need to be shared in a meaningful wayNo comment | Tags: Drugs, Health IT | Category: Drugs and pharma (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464447 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:00:40 +0100 4464447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464471&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F11%2Fwhy-are-life-sciences-mia-in-national-innovation-policy%2F In his State of the Union address, President Obama raised the political stakes for innovative American industries by calling for concerted, bipartisan action to enhance U.S. competitiveness through heightened innovation.  Signaling that “this is our generation’s Sputnik moment” that requires “a level of research and development we haven’t seen since the height of the Space [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464471 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:52:50 +0100 4464471 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464449&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FwiIpAzB0aSk%2Ffda-regulate-medical-apps.html by Chad HyettThere’s a storm brewing around the regulation of medical apps. The FDA has been skirting the issue for too long and it’s having detrimental effects on the potential for such apps. Recent FDA hearings have revealed that the agency is watching the apps stores for potential alarms and that they are drafting guidance. Whatever that means.(...)Read the rest of Should the FDA regulate medical apps?6 comments | Tags: Health IT | Category: Health IT and EMR (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464449 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:00:09 +0100 4464449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455217&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FQvmhWIxpiys%2Fbuild-emr-functionality-exam-room.html by Mike Koriwchak, MDIn 2003 our practice had a rare opportunity to build EMR functionality into the floor plan of our new office.  I thought I had the perfect design for the EMR-based exam room.The spring-loaded, cantilevered arms used to hold monitors and keyboards in ICU rooms would be perfect.  Fitting a touch screen monitor to a standard PC would allow the provider to work without a mouse.  I could turn the screen toward me or toward the patient, depending on what I was doing.  Could see it all in my mind’s eye, plain as day.  Fortunately my partners had more sense than I did; the group limited the idea to 2 of 8 exam rooms.  Six months after we moved into our new space the idea had been tried and had died, and the 2 arms now sit unused.(...)Read the rest of Build EMR function... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455217 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:00:53 +0100 4455217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450241&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FrfyLSOV99PY%2Fonline-tools-shop-affordable-health-care.html by Ray CarlsonTwo recent articles posted here at KevinMD.com regarding the inclusion of discussions about the cost of health care services between doctor and patient highlighted the growing emphasis on not only the quality of care but the cost of that care to the patient as well. The first article was written by Dr. Leslie Ramirez, who advocated for a more proactive stance by doctors regarding the subject of costs in order to gauge patients’ ability to pay for the drugs/procedures that had been prescribed or ordered by the doctor. The second article – written by Dennis Grace, medical billing advocate – likewise advocated for the inclusion of ‘cost of care’ discussions in the interaction between doctor and patient.(...)Read the rest of Online tools to help shop for the most afford... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450241 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:00:15 +0100 4450241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450244&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FnQL6lR0byu0%2Fphysicians-love-cio-lets-focus-patients-technology.html by Donald Burt, MDMany hospital CIOs face an uphill battle winning the hearts, minds and fingers of physicians. It’s not because doctors are technology phobic. Quite the opposite: physicians are some of the most ravenous consumers of new information technology.  Smartphones and tablets are becoming as ubiquitous as stethoscopes at many hospitals.The truth is doctors are happy to make screen touches, mouse clicks and keyboard strokes if the application is right.  But all too often it’s not – at least not for them; and that gets to the heart of the issue.(...)Read the rest of Physicians love a CIO who lets them focus on patients, not technology3 comments | Tags: Health IT, Hospital, Primary care | Category: Health IT and EMR (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450244 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 12:00:03 +0100 4450244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445741&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F5TmGxzm7azg%2Fiphone-medical-apps-patients-migraine-headaches.html by Diana E. LeeSome are free, others are not, but there are some great, off the beaten path apps on this list that are well worth downloading to your iPhone.1. iHeadache (free version, with ads).This app isn’t bad, but I did find some features less than ideal. You’re limited to their list of symptoms, which may not include all of your symptoms. It didn’t include all of mine, such as dizziness, overheating and sensitivity to touch and smell. It also has a set list of possible triggers. It covers most of the most popular triggers, but if your migraine was triggered by tomatoes, soy or nuts, for example, there is no way to make note of this. One feature I love is that the app allows you to put in the list of all the medications you take for treatment so you can easily choos... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445741 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:00:35 +0100 4445741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405710&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FQrTD9lJAu2E%2Felectronic-medical-records-pay-performance-improve-care.html by Kevin Pho, MDElectronic medical records and pay for performance are among the ways health reformers are going to improve patient care.It’s a fundamental shift in how doctors practice, with more practices adopting expensive EMRs. And with the advent of Accountable Care Organizations, doctors will soon be compensated in part by quality measures.But will they work? Well, the jury’s still out.Two articles caught my eye recently.(...)Read the rest of Electronic medical records and pay for performance don’t improve care1 comment | Tags: Health IT, Health reform, Patient, Primary care | Category: Health policy and politics (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405710 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:11:07 +0100 4405710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405714&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FOF-loO4Bt-Q%2Fehr-implementation-ambulatory-hospital-setting.html by Robert Rowley, MDAdoption of electronic health records (EHR) systems remains a challenge, both for hospitals as well as for physicians in ambulatory practice. The process of adoption, implementation, and meaningful use of EHRs (let us keep in mind) is actually quite different between those two setting.Much has been written concerning EHR adoption within hospitals. Much of the experience in computerized physician order entry (CPOE) comes from hospital EHR adoption, and many of the concerns about poor EHR design and down-side (including actual patient harm) also come from the hospital experience.(...)Read the rest of EHR implementation in the ambulatory or hospital settingNo comment | Tags: Health IT, Hospital, Primary care | Category: Health IT and EMR (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Webl... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405714 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 12:00:40 +0100 4405714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377524&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FbyQPkuNyEXs%2Fehr-data-ill-suited-clinical-research.html by Margalit Gur-ArieOne of the most promising uses of Electronic Health Records (EHR) is research.As EHRs become more and more widespread and the clinical data previously held in silos of paper charts becomes fluid, exchangeable and duly collected, large clinical repositories should emerge and be made available to those engaged in research, presumably medical research. The results of such research are expected to help us identify cost effective therapies, health care trends and a myriad other quality improving, cost reducing strategies. With such lofty goals in mind, it may be beneficial to look at the actual contents of an EHR as they are today and as they may be tomorrow.(...)Read the rest of EHR data is currently ill suited for clinical research1 comment | Tags: Health IT | Category: He... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377524 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:00:04 +0100 4377524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377526&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FkkcTwvGJrOg%2Fpatients-google-symptoms-doctors-deal.html by Kevin Pho, MDMany doctors roll their eyes whenever patients bring in a stack of research they printed out, stemming from a Google search of their symptoms.A piece by Zachary Meisel in TIME.com describes a familiar scenario:The medical intern started her presentation with an eye roll. “The patient in Room 3 had some blood in the toilet bowl this morning and is here with a pile of Internet printouts listing all the crazy things she thinks she might have.”The intern continued, “I think she has a hemorrhoid.”“Another case of cyberchondria,” added the nurse behind me.It’s time to stop debating whether patients should research their own symptoms.  It’s happening already, and the medical profession would be better served to handle this new rea... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377526 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:34:37 +0100 4377526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4371996&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FpLNcJLd0d20%2Fbenefits-computerization-patientspecific-clinical-information.html by Adam Rothschild, MDElectronic health record (EHR) systems are big news (and big money) these days.Our government is pushing adoption and “meaningful use” of EHR systems because computerizing patient-specific clinical information can benefit our nation’s health care system. The primary focus has been on the benefit to the care of individual patients, but computerizing patient-specific clinical information can also benefit other parties in the health care system.I believe that there are 6 major parties that serve to benefit from the computerization of and access to patient-specific clinical information. I refer to these parties as the 6 P’s.(...)Read the rest of Who benefits from computerization of patient-specific clinical information?5 comments | Tags: Health IT, Patient | Categ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4371996 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:00:07 +0100 4371996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360906&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F8zXV99t5aME%2Fimprove-patient-satisfaction-electronic-records.html by John RossheimTo many physicians, it may appear self-evident that electronic records will improve the patient experience. After all, the doctor has speedier access to notes, labs and other patient data, and that’s got to increase the patient’s confidence in the doctor’s understanding of his health status.But whether patient records are confined to a private-practice EMR or live in an EHR system, the usefulness of electronic records can be undercut by clinicians who don’t consider how this technology affects patients. It comes down to this: “If patients don’t understand that the technology is there for their benefit, that it’s a safety and quality measure, they may see it as a barrier to their relationship with their physician,” says Barry Chaiken, M.D., immediate past boa... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360906 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:00:25 +0100 4360906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337893&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F01%2F12%2Funfreezing-the-health-it-market%2F Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein recently described the Obama administration’s consistent efforts to improve troubled private markets: Isolate the eight key economic decisions of the Obama presidency: The intervention in the financial sector, the intervention in the auto sector, the intervention in the housing sector, the stimulus package, the health-care bill, financial regulation, and the [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337893 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:38:44 +0100 4337893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4338086&cid=t_99669_114_f&fid=35708&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftypepad%2Frwjfblogs%2Fpioneer%2F%7E3%2Fh3F-08kFwXQ%2Fgrant-announcement-iftf-announces-partnership-with-quantified-self-to-build-the-complete-guide-to-se.html This post originally appeared on The Institute for the Future's blog on Jan. 12, 2011.  The increasingly widespread behavior of self-tracking is a regular thread that weaves its way through many of the forecasts at IFTF, from our Health Care 2020 map to our Map for the Programmable World. After following this trend for some time, we are thrilled to announce a formal partnership that will make self-tracking resources more widely accessible to the public and continue to support our mission of social action research. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Pioneer Portfolio, which supports bold ideas at the cutting edge of health and health care, has awarded us a year-long grant, in partnership with The Quantified Self, to support the... Pioneering Ideas blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4338086 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4338086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322466&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2Fr33S6K4x3As%2Fmodest-proposal-emr.html by Lucy Hornstein, MDI love computers. Really, I do. Despite my oft-repeated claims about the shortcomings of electronic medical records in their current form, I do believe that information technology has the potential to be of great help to me and other physicians in providing quality care to Americans.Stop laughing. I really mean it.I do not believe, however, that IT best serves the medical needs of our patients when used to create non-interactive silos of information sequestered in the offices and clinics of individual doctors. Even hospitals and large integrated health systems information remains stuck within that system, providing limited utility when patients travel, or even go to a doctor not affiliated with the system.Although some (especially in government) seem to feel that expan... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322466 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:00:26 +0100 4322466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322467&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F3UIC4MWGjLI%2Fexplore-information-technology-safely-digitize-medicine.html by Aaron J. StuppleWe have an intuitive sense of what is meant by those urging medicine to “go digital.” It seems to refer to modernizing, becoming more flexible, and basically following the path of modern computing and information technology.Is it useful to think more rigorously than this hazy conception, without necessarily reading a special report from The Economist?Digital information is special because it can be transmitted to and instantiated within any number of devices that are now cheap and portable. The information is can be located at several places at once, and can travel instantly and cheaply. Lord Harold Samuel was talking about more than property when he said “The three things that matter in property: Location, location, location.”(...)Read the rest o... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322467 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 18:00:53 +0100 4322467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318279&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FajHvM_rjbME%2Fsecrets-good-health-website-design.html by Lisa Gualtieri, PhD, ScMI interviewed Tania Schlatter, one of the best designers I know and a guest-lecturer for Web Strategies for Health Communication, about color, imagery, and other aspects of health website design.Lisa: How is the design of health websites different than for other types of sites?Tania: The design of any site goes back to the goals of an organization and what people coming to a site need. Healthcare consumers can be overwhelmed and are in need of highly credible information. While every individual has different issues, healthcare consumers are similar in their need to conduct research and apply what they find to their situation.(...)Read the rest of Secrets of good health website designNo comment | Tags: Health IT, Patient | Category: Patient care (Source: Kevin, M.... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318279 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:00:49 +0100 4318279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309696&cid=t_99669_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fv%2Fv2b_4xQad9Y%3Fversion%3D3 First came blogging, then podcasting. Now I'm venturing into vodcasting with my very own YouTube channel.Here's my first short video, with me cleaning out my filing cabinet and riffing on the evolution of the health IT industry over the last 10 years, focusing on Physician Micro Systems. The company, which dates to 1983, changed its name to Practice Partner and later was bought by McKesson. The video is in HD, thanks to my new Kodak PlaySport ZX3 camera (no, I didn't get the purple). I may be a bit hard to hear when not looking at the camera because the microphone is built into the camera. At least there's not a lot of background noise. I'm learning, and the videos will get better.So, without further ado, here is my short video.Now, who wants to teach me how to embed ads in the videos so I... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309696 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:48:25 +0100 4309696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4304843&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FnlNizzDEJPs%2Facp-clinical-decision-support-time.html A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.by John Tooker, MD, MBA, MACPThe recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, 2009) and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, 2010) contain provisions that, if implemented, will fundamentally change the way that medicine will be practiced in the future.As I indicated in a prior post, the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) will be testing new delivery models such as the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and accountable care organizations (ACOs). To achieve the desired goals of improved outcomes and value of care in these models, patient-centered decision making will require enhanced clinical decision support (CDS) that couples patient specific data with the be... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4304843 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:00:11 +0100 4304843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4298595&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2Fv0svZ0D0IsE%2Femr-necessarily-deliver-patient-care.html by Kevin Pho, MDRegular readers of this blog know that the mere introduction of an electronic medical record doesn’t necessarily guarantee better patient care.There are multiple reasons for that, including the fact that many systems are archaic in nature, counter-intuitive, and doctors are forced to learn multiple systems.Yesterday, the WSJ’s Health Blog posted a study showing that hospitals with an EMR don’t necessarily have better quality measures.Shocker.(...)Read the rest of Why an EMR doesn’t necessarily deliver better patient care6 comments | Tags: Health IT | Category: Health IT and EMR (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4298595 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 12:53:55 +0100 4298595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4288543&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2Fgw8vbWOrbxM%2Fposts-year-kevinmdcom-2010-edition.html Merry Christmas!I’d like to thank everyone for your continued readership.Doctors, patients and other health care professionals need to be heard, and there’s no better place to do so than here, on social media’s leading physician voice.This year, KevinMD.com had a regular rotation of 175 guest contributors, and surpassed 1.75 million visits, 2.95 million pageviews, 33,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter, and 40,000 RSS subscribers.I am truly humbled and grateful to all of you for making KevinMD.com the web’s leading site for provocative health care opinion.In alphabetical order, here are the top posts from 2010, based both on traffic and my editorial judgment.Have a happy and safe holiday weekend. Regular posting will resume Tuesday.7 social media mistakes made in ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4288543 Sat, 25 Dec 2010 05:00:41 +0100 4288543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285198&cid=t_99669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Finterconnected-medical-apps-of-the-future%2F2010.12.23 At this past October’s Health 2.0 meeting in San Francisco, many great new ideas about the future of healthcare were presented with a special emphasis on technology. For a great overview check out the keynotes by Jeff Goldsmith & Tim O’Reilly. The conference, organized by Matthew Holt & Indu Subaiya started in 2007 and bills itself as the “the leading showcase of cutting-edge technologies in healthcare.” Those not lucky enough to attend the conferences can follow along on the Health 2.0 blog. Besides exploring the overarching themes of the future of healthcare in general and health IT in particular, many innovative companies, young and old, gave on-stage demos at the conference. One demonstration in particular stood out for me. This was the demo by the Accelerator Apps Netw... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285198 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:00:56 +0100 4285198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277791&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FV4nNKmtzNQM%2Fipad-replacing-medical-textbooks.html by Kal ShahKal Shah, a first year medical student at the University of California Irvine who recieved his undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley in Bioengineering, has given iMedicalApps the scoop on how the iPad is being used by himself and classmates.He highlights how medical textbooks are being utilized, along with an app he feels is better at note taking than the popular iAnnotate. I recently gave up my previous note-taking methods and adopted the iPad for all aspects of my education. Here are some brief examples of how I use it.(...)Read the rest of How an iPad is replacing medical textbooksNo comment | Tags: Health IT, Medical school | Category: Health IT and EMR (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277791 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:00:58 +0100 4277791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275288&cid=t_99669_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F5LMuFlNlrYs%2Fprogressive-commercialization-american-medicine.html by Lucas Restrepo, MDThere is only one fundamental problem with American medicine: its progressive commercialization.Every other problem derives from it centrifugally. Medicine, wrote William Osler, is “a calling, not a business.” Patients are not clients, nor physicians businessmen. People do not spend over a decade studying medicine ―living years in poverty or overburdened with debt― merely hoping to get rich. While it is perfectly legitimate to expect a salary that enables a dignified living and financial stability, any medical student who dreams a life of luxury is misguided. Even doctors or nurses in private practice rarely consider their call a conduit to personal wealth. People become health care providers for many reasons that can’t be encompassed with a neat word; howeve... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275288 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:00:57 +0100 4275288