Healthcare Informatics

Browse past and current articles from this publication.

Safety matters: a growing numbers of organizations are tackling CPOE in pursuit of improved patient safety.(LAST WORD)(computer-
There's a reason why the adoption rate of computer-based provider order entry (CPOE) systems has grown so slowly. Implementation is demanding and requires highly competent leadership to create the c . . .

P4P program discrepancies.(BACK BEAT)(pay for performance)(Brief article)
A recent survey conducted by Health Industry Insights, an IDC company, reveals a major disconnect between healthcare payers' pay for performance (P4P) program objectives and provider incentives and . . .

CAQH identifies automated identification.(BACK BEAT)(California HealthCare Foundation)(Brief article)
Automated systems to verify patient insurance eligibility and benefits information could significantly reduce administrative costs for both, according to a recent survey of health insurance plans an . . .

An HL7 profile.(BACK BEAT)(Health Level Seven)(Brief article)
Health Level Seven (HL7), a healthcare IT standards development organization, has put in place the Emergency Care Functional Profile (EC FM) as the first registered profile based upon HL7's EHR Syst . . .

President of the Commonwealth.(BACK BEAT)(The Commonwealth Fund's chairman James Tallon Jr.)(Brief article)
James Tallon, Jr., president of the United Hospital Fund of New York, was recently elected chairman of The Commonwealth Fund, New York, N.Y. He takes office on Nov. 14, succeeding Samuel Thier, M.D. . . .

Commitment to consumer-directed healthcare.(BACK BEAT)(Brief article)
In a survey of 301 executives and officials from health plans and government health agencies, 90 percent of respondents said that a commitment to consumer-directed healthcare is a priority. Key fi . . .

N.J. hospitals leap forward.(BACK BEAT)(New Jersey)(Brief article)
Seven additional New Jersey hospitals have recently joined The Leapfrog Hospital Rewards Program (LHRP), a nationally standardized method to assess patient care by measuring performance along two di . . .

CMS proposes rule.(BACK BEAT)(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)(Brief article)
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule to improve the accuracy of Medicare's payment under the acute care hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS), . . .

Quality improvement report.(BACK BEAT)(Brief article)
There are "vast differences" in the way local and regional healthcare markets use information technology, publicly reported performance measurements, and other key initiatives that drive improvement . . .

HHS reports on e-prescribing.(BACK BEAT)(Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief article)
In a report to Congress, HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt announced the results of an electronic prescribing pilot project that support the adoption of new standards. The pilot project demonstrated t . . .

A perspective on payers.(BACK BEAT)(Brief article)
Philadelphia-based CIGNA received top marks in a recently issued ranking of the nation's insurers, conducted by Watertown, Mass.-based athenahealth Inc. and Baltimore-based Physicians Practice journ . . .

Reviewing privacy rule.(BACK BEAT)(Brief article)
According to a report, "On the Front Lines of Healthcare Privacy," issued by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the role of privacy officers in healthcare has changed du . . .

IRS rules on EMRs.(BACK BEAT)(Internal Revenue Service's statement on implementing electronic medical records)(Brief article)
The Internal Revenue Service has stated that not-for-profit hospitals can subsidize their affiliated physicians' costs of acquiring and implementing electronic medical records without violating Star . . .

AHIP's proposal.(BACK BEAT)(America's Health Insurance Plans)(Brief article)
A new strategy to improve the safety and quality of medical care has been released by the Board of Directors of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Key elements of AHIP's Quality and Safety P . . .

Kolodner gets the gig.(BACK BEAT)(Robert Kolodner)(Brief article)
Robert Kolodner, M.D.--interim national coordinator for health IT in the Department of Health and Human Services since Sept. 20, 2006--has been named to that position on a permanent basis. As nati . . .

Merge fuses RIS/PACS MX.(NEW & IMPROVED)(Merge Healthcare)(Brief article)
Milwaukee, Wis.-based Merge Healthcare has released Fusion RIS/PACS MX, an imaging informatics solution. According to Merge, Fusion RIS/PACS MX combines the functionalities of a RIS (radiology inf . . .

SSI enhances ClickOn.(NEW & IMPROVED)(SSI Group Incorporated's ClickON Net Eligibility)(Brief article)
The SSI Group, a healthcare electronic data interchange (EDI) company located in Mobile, Ala., has implemented a recent enhancement to its Web-based application, ClickON Net Eligibility. The enhance . . .

Intergy knows its community.(NEW & IMPROVED)(Sage Software (Tampa, Florida))(Brief article)
Tampa, Fla.-based Sage Software will begin offering a new version of its Intergy by Sage solution, targeting the needs of community health centers. Based on Sage Software's flagship Intergy produc . . .

Philips sends a memo.(NEW & IMPROVED)(Royal Philips Electronics)(Brief article)
Royal Philips Electronics, headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, recently launched an updated version of its Digital Pocket Memo. According to Phillips, enhanced features of the handheld di . . .

McKesson examines inventory.(NEW & IMPROVED)(Brief article)
McKesson Specialty, a division of San Francisco based McKesson Corporation, recently launched OncoIMS, a Web-based inventory management solution designed to help oncology practices manage medication . . .

Ingenix launches e-billing solution.(NEW & IMPROVED)(Brief article)
Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Ingenix has launched an e-billing solution designed to offer integrated bill editing to workers' compensation healthcare providers, payers and state program administrators. . . .

Extelligence intelligence.(NEW & IMPROVED)(Brief article)
Wakefield, Mass.-based Picis Inc. recently released CareSuite Extelligence OR version 3.0, a business intelligence (BI) solution that analyzes and manages the business performance of the operating r . . .

Kodak updates its dashboard.(NEW & IMPROVED)(Eastman Kodak Company's Carestream Digital Dashboard)(Brief article)
Eastman Kodak Company, based in Rochester, N.Y., recently released an updated version of its Kodak Carestream Digital Dashboard software. According to Kodak, the digital dashboard feature allows s . . .

Henry Schein goes 6.0.(NEW & IMPROVED)(Brief article)
Melville, N.Y.-based Henry Schein Medical Systems, the medical software division of Henry Schein Inc., recently released MicroMD PM 6.0, a windows-based client/server practice management system. A . . .

Siemens manages its image.(NEW & IMPROVED)(Siemens Medical Solutions)(Brief article)
Siemens Medical Solutions recently launched a new cardiology image management and reporting solution, syngo Dynamics version 6. According to Siemens, the solution delivers data transfer between Si . . .

CareMedic updates compliance.(NEW & IMPROVED)(CareMedic Systems Incorporated)(Brief article)
CareMedic Systems Inc. recently made available the eighth version of VerifyAR Compliance Checking. According to CareMedic, the solution helps hospitals remain compliant prior to providing and billin . . .

Richardson's washable keyboard and mouse.(NEW & IMPROVED)(Richardson Electronics)(Brief article)
LaFox, Ill.-based Richardson Electronics has released the Scroll-Seal Washable mouse and the SpillSeal protected keyboard, in an effort to reduce bacterial cross-contamination in healthcare faciliti . . .

Iowa clinic picks up EHR.(ON RECORD)(Physicians' Clinic of Iowa's management of electronic health records)(Brief article)
Physicians' Clinic of Iowa (PCI), a practice based in Cedar Rapids, has selected Intergy by Sage Software as its electronic health records (EHR) and practice management system. Intergy is an integ . . .

Philips talks telehealth.(ON RECORD)(Philips Consumer Health Solutions)(Brief article)
The Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) has selected Philips Consumer Health Solutions, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, to provide telehealth products and services to its members. A . . .

NovaRad inks PACS contracts.(ON RECORD)(NovaRad Corporation)(Brief article)
Three Kentucky hospitals have recently selected NovaRad Corporation's imaging system, NovaPACS. The facilities, all Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Hospitals, include: * Jackson Purchase Medica . . .

GHS selects Omnicell.(ON RECORD)(Greenville Hospital System)(Brief article)
Greenville Hospital System (GHS), Greenville, S.C., a nonprofit academic health organization comprised of five hospitals, has chosen Omnicell's automation technology for managing its medication-use . . .

Paramount implements SunGard.(ON RECORD)(Paramount Health Care)(Brief article)
Maumee, Ohio-based Paramount Health Care plans to implement SunGard's Exp Macess solution for document workflow, service forms, capture and storage technology. Paramount has been using I-MAX, the pr . . .

SGMC selects McKesson to spearhead safety.(ON RECORD)(South Georgia Medical Center)(Brief article)
South Georgia Medical Center (SGMC), Valdosta, Ga., has selected McKesson to facilitate its recent patient safety initiative. SGMC, a 335-bed regional referral facility, signed a multimillion doll . . .

Huntsville selects Wellsoft.(ON RECORD)(Huntsville Hospital)(Brief article)
Huntsville Hospital, a not-for-profit healthcare facility located in Huntsville, Ala., has selected Wellsoft Corporation's emergency department information system to facilitate patient throughput an . . .

AHRQ and Epocrates partner.(ON RECORD)(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)(Brief article)
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and Epocrates, Inc., have formed a partnership to facilitate clinicians' access to evidence-based recommendations that support decision-making a . . .

St. Barnabas Hospital activates Eclipsys.(ON RECORD)(Brief article)
The St. Barnabas Hospital, Bronx, N.Y., has activated Atlanta-based Eclipsys' Sunrise Ambulatory Care in the pediatric divisions at all three of its ambulatory care centers. According to Eclipsys, . . .

Premier PET taps GE.(ON RECORD)(Premier PET Imaging and General Electric Healthcare)(Brief article)
Premier PET Imaging of Jacksonville, an outpatient facility in Jacksonville Fla., recently installed GE's Discovery ST PET/CT. According to Barrington, Ill.-based GE Healthcare, its Discovery ST P . . .

Cerner launches healthy plan.(ON RECORD)(Cerner Healthe)(Brief article)
Kansas City, Mo.-based Cerner Healthe recently launched a combined health plan ID and payment cards with an integrated line of credit for healthcare consumers. According to Cerner, it selected Gre . . .

DR Systems imaging deals.(ON RECORD)(Brief article)
San Diego-based DR Systems, makers of the Unity RIS/PACS, has signed five new contracts with healthcare facilities, totaling nearly $6.5 million. According to DR Systems, the five new facilities c . . .

Iowa Medical Society inks athenahealth deal.(ON RECORD)(Brief article)
The Iowa Medical Society (IMS), West Des Moines, Iowa, and athenahealth Inc., Watertown, Mass., have teamed to offer athenahealth's clinical and revenue cycle management services to Iowa physicians . . .

Texas Healthcare integrates ROAM.(ON RECORD)(role oriented access management)(Brief article)
Texas Healthcare Network (THN) Inc., a technology service provider to healthcare organizations, has selected AnyWare Group's Role Oriented Access Management (ROAM) remote access technology. AnyWar . . .

3M supports CDC initiative.(ON RECORD)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Brief article)
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) has selected 3M Health Information Systems to provide data mapping and terminology consulting services in support of the Atlanta-based Centers f . . .

SureScripts snaps up MedAvant.(INDUSTRY WATCH)(MedAvant Healthcare Solutions)(Brief article)
Alexandria, Va.-based SureScripts, operator of the Pharmacy Health Information Exchange, has acquired Norcross, Ga.-based MedAvant Healthcare Solutions' electronic prescribing network, a physician-t . . .

Meditech tackles tech.(INDUSTRY WATCH)(Brief article)
Westwood, Mass.-based Meditech, a vendor of healthcare information systems, is acquiring its long-time partner Patient Care Technologies (PtCt), a provider of home care, hospice, tele-health, privat . . .

Spring Medical partners with Neusoft Technologies.(INDUSTRY WATCH)(Brief article)
Houston, Texas-based Spring Medical Systems, a provider of software solutions for medical practices, has partnered with Marietta, Ga.-based Nuesoft Technologies to provide integrated electronic heal . . .

Lorian scooping Medworxx shares.(INDUSTRY WATCH)(Lorian Capital Corporation and Medworxx Incorporated)(Brief article)
Lorian Capital Corp, a capital pool company, plans to purchase all issued and outstanding securities of Toronto, Ontario-based Medworxx Inc. Medworxx is a Toronto-based software company focused on . . .

GE signs OEM with Kryptiq.(INDUSTRY WATCH)(GE Healthcare)(original equipment manufacturer)(Brief article)
Barrington, Ill.-based GE Healthcare has signed an OEM agreement to private label and distribute Kryptiq's connectivity suite in conjunction with Centricity Practice Solutions. According to Krypti . . .

InfoLogix gets RFID.(INDUSTRY WATCH)(radio frequency identification)(Brief article)
InfoLogix Inc., Hatboro, Pa., a provider of mobile intelligence technology solutions, recently acquired a radio frequency identification (RFID) patent portfolio from DDMS Holdings LLC. InfoLogix c . . .

Optimus launches new practice area.(INDUSTRY WATCH)(Optimus Solutions)(Brief article)
Atlanta-based Optimus Solutions recently launched a new practice dedicated to serving the IT needs of hospitals, physicians groups, insurance providers and integrated delivery networks. In additio . . .

SNOMED SDO picks up CT.(INDUSTRY WATCH)(International Health Terminology Standards Development Organization's acquisition of the
The International Health Terminology Standards Development Organization (IHTSDO), also known as SNOMED SDO, has acquired the intellectual property rights of SNOMED Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) and its . . .