ehr
ALSO NOTED: CMS: Medicare.gov technical problems fixed; CCHIT releases final certification criteria;and much more...
> Medicare officials said that a programming glitch in a Web-based tool that helps users chose among competing prescription drug plans has been fixed. Article
> CCHIT released the final draft of proposed certification criteria for ambulatory EHR systems. Web site
> A new study in the journal …
... Read more...HIT: HHS issues e-prescribing, EMR rules
As expected, HHS issued new rules designed to encourage electronic medical records and e-prescribing yesterday. CMS will be announcing a foundation standard for ePrescribing and provide $6 million in funding for e-prescribing pilots using that standard. The new Medicare Part D will not, however, require the use of ePrescribing, and some industry participants are unhappy that those standards will only apply to transactions in that program and not all ePrescribing. In addition, CMS …
... Read more...HIT: VistA Office EHR beta released
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced this morning that it has released a beta version of the open-source VistA Office EHR. The government plans to eventually distribute the software at steep discounts to small group practices as a way of encouraging doctors to modernize their businesses. The release comes after weeks of delays and speculation that the program might be placed on "indefinite hold." The agency is looking for physicians to participate in the beta test. …
... Read more...CMS puts VistA program on hold
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid announced that a plan to distribute VistA, the open-source EMR system originally developed by the Department of Veteran's Affairs, has been put on "indefinite hold." The news does not appear to mean that the project has been canceled -- at least not yet. Quality Improvement Group director Dr. Karen Bell said the Department of Health and Human Services plans to move forward with the initiative, which is intended to boost EHR adoption among small …
... Read more...ALSO NOTED: BCBS of Michigan launches consumer website; Presumed consent seen as answer to organ donation problem; and much mor
> Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan and partner Subimo have launched a new website to serve the plan's 4.5 million customers. Release
> The FDA said it has approved Actoplus Met, a new diabetes drug developed by Japan's Takeda pharmaceuticals. …
... Read more...Microsoft criticized over Vista OS name
Veterans groups and open-source software supporters have responded with anger to Microsoft's decision to give the latest version of the Windows operating system the name Vista. The name, as most people in healthcare know, just happens to be the same as that of the open-source EHR developed by doctors and programmers at the Veterans Affairs administration and in use at hospitals throughout the agency for more than 20 years. The VistA software alliance and WorldVistA, two NGOs involved in …
... Read more...IT: Did we say free? What we meant to say was...
When The New York Times reported last week that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had come up with a plan to distribute the VistA-Office EHR to doctors for free, a lot of people sat up and paid attention. After all, the high price tag for EHR systems has always been a major factor preventing doctors from adopting the technology. Now it turns out that, in this case at least, free doesn't actually mean free. On Wednesday, the department of Health and Human Services …
... Read more...IT: Montana Center plans NHIN bid
Government Health IT reports that a Montana organization has joined forces with a North Carolina consulting group, Physicians EHR, to bid on one of the eight prototype National Health Information Network (NHIN) contracts recently announced by the Department of Health and Human Services. The National Center for Health Care Informatics at Montana Tech argues Montana is a good location for a test network because of its distance from Washington and the needs of its largely rural population.
- see this story from Government Health IT
ALSO NOTED: Study: Malpractice awards not rising; Food industry successful against obesity suits; and much more...
> A new study of payouts in medical malpractice cases says that awards are not rising sharply, as critics of trial lawyers maintain. Story
> The New York Times reports on the success the food industry has had in shielding itself from obesity lawsuits following a rash of lawsuits against fast food chains two years ago. …
... Read more...ALSO NOTED: FDA knew about Viagra-blindness link; More commentary on Scrushy acquittal; and much more....
> The FDA knew about a possible link between Viagra and blindness months before the news was made public, it was revealed. Story
> More disbelief that Scrushy got off, and the implications for the SOX laws. Commentary
> Agriculture officials are checking for more cases of mad cow in a …
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