This year HIMSS was all about interoperability. As healthcare goes through a massive overhaul, providers are more focused than ever on integrating technology solutions that will make their jobs easier, allow them to provide higher quality care, and save money. HIMSS saw its largest attendee rate ever with over 37,000 people gathering in Las Vegas to explore healthcares hottest topics.... [More]

Adoption of health information technology (HIT) is on the rise. This was confirmed today by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Secretary Kathleen Sebelius when she announced that the number of hospitals using health information technology (IT) has more than doubled in the last two years. Nearly 2,000 hospitals and more than 41,000 doctors have received over $3 billion in incentive payments for meeting meaningful use requirements.... [More]

When healthcare organizations, providers, and patients exchange documents and information today, they are likely sending paper through the mail or by fax. This can leave important personal health information (PHI) unprotected and can diminish the integrity of a document putting both the sender and receiver at risk.

To remedy this problem, the Direct Project has been introduced. The Direct Project is a component of the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN), a health information infrastructure that will connect providers, consumers, and others involved in supporting healthcare. NHIN is an integral part of a national strategy to have an interconnected health system through the use of technology.... [More]

According to Surescripts, which handles nearly all U.S. prescriptions, approximately 150 million prescriptions are written and filled each month. About one-third of those prescriptions are currently being handled electronically using e-prescription technology. E-Prescribing allows healthcare providers to electronically send a precise and clear prescription directly to a pharmacy from the point-of-care. Using a secure internet network e-prescriptions are sent directly to pharmacies from computers or hand-held devices. The instantaneous transmission cuts out patients as the middle man, making the process faster and more streamlined.... [More]

Over the past decade healthcare providers, payers, and patients have all fronted a crusade to reduce the cost of providing and receiving medical care while increasing quality standards. This movement has led to more patients being monitored within the home through the use of telehealth technologies. Telehealth is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunications technologies.... [More]

Although I do not have a crystal ball, you do not have to be a fortune teller to predict that 2012 is going to be both an exciting and daunting year for the healthcare industry and its constituents. With new technologies paving the way for more coordinated cost-effective care and strict deadlines and regulations put in place there are clear trends we are likely to see in the upcoming year. We can expect to see the following projects and movements in 2012.... [More]

As end of the year countdowns fill the radio, TV and internet airwaves we thought we would jump on the bandwagon and recap this year’s top healthcare industry trends. 2011 brought many changes to the healthcare landscape including the introduction of many business automating technologies and stricter regulations that place physical and financial restraints on providers. Here is a look at the top three trends of 2011.... [More]

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing can be defined as shared resources, software, and information that can be provided to computers over the Internet using a web browser. The cloud computing model enables more convenient and on-demand access to information and data by the user.... [More]

Most industry conversations about healthcare IT are focused toward large providers. However, there are tens of thousands of smaller providers around the country with different needs and resources. What many vendors fail to understand is that streamlining workflow and improving the patient experience is important in any facility, big or small. Many new technologies on the market today have either been configured for large organizations, or have been stripped-down and repackaged for smaller providers..... [More]

The electronic health record (EHR) incentive program was created by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to encourage doctors and hospitals to switch from paper to electronic records and to spread the adoption of health information technology. However, according to a study done by iWatch News, almost half of the first round of payments made by the incentive program went to early adopters of EHR technology.

The study surveyed 188 distinct practices and hospitals, half of which were early adopters. Early adopters can be categorized as those who had electronic recordkeeping systems in place before the incentive program existed, some dating back almost 20 years. This study questions whether or not subsidizing providers who have had the technology in place detracts from the overall goal of increasing widespread EHR implementation and awareness.... [More]