electronic health records

> The Institute of Medicine released a long-awaited report which finds serious flaws in the nation's mental healthcare system. Web site

> Inc. named medical transcription specialist Spheris as the fastest growing healthcare IT company. Release

> The emphasis on IT continues at Carolinas Health System, which already has one of the …

The Patient Privacy Rights Foundation and the Electronic Privacy Information Center are lobbying Congress for stronger privacy laws to protect electronic medical records. The development comes at a time when consumer groups are increasingly suspicious of employers plans for their workers' healthcare data. The release of a secret Wal-Mart memo detailing the company's plans to cut back on health costs by changing its hiring focus to encourage healthier employees brought the issue to the …

The growth (or lack of growth) in consumer involvement in electronic health records remained a key topic at the AHIMA meeting in San Diego. The Markle Foundation's Carol Diamond and the Health Privacy Project's Emily Stewart both stressed that, despite latent consumer demand for EMRs, they will only get on board if they are convinced that their privacy is protected. Consumers are especially wary of both health plans and employers misusing their information. Scott Wallace, from the …

The Department of Health and Human Services bolstered its case for spending on health IT projects with a pair of reports which argue that a national health information network and a system of electronic health records could save taxpayers between $51 million and $181 million by preventing fraud. The first report, commissioned by the office of Health IT coordinator Dr. David Brailer, notes that automated coding software could help fight fraud significantly. The second argues that HIT …

Americans like the idea of electronic health records. They are worried, however, about the privacy implications of the technology, especially when it comes to employers and insurance companies. Those are two conclusions highlighted by a recent study funded by the Markle Foundation and conducted by polling group Public Opinion Strategies, which found that more than 60 percent favored personal health records. The group says emphasis must be placed on ensuring consumer confidence in privacy …

Advocates of electronic medical records continued to point at the chaos in New Orleans as evidence of how important it is for hospitals to make the transition to digital records. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt told an audience in Washington, DC, that EMR technology would have avoided many of the problems now being experienced by the healthcare system on the Gulf Coast. "If there was ever a case for (electronic health records), this disaster underscores the need," Leavitt …

> In a narrow 3-2 vote, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to close three units at King/Drew Medical Center. The next step is a public hearing. Story

> HIT: The Center for Global eHealth Innovation at Toronto Hospital has established a concept lab to test new health IT technologies. …

In time, the electronic health revolution may completely change the face of modern medicine, saving thousands of lives from preventable medical errors and increasing efficiencies to the point that out-of-control healthcare costs are finally brought back in line. In the last couple of years, however, the biggest beneficiaries have been the companies at heart of that transformation.

None have been as closely followed by Wall Street as Cerner, the Kansas City-based software company …

ComputerWorld examines the possible impact of the much-talked-about CMS program which will offer small to midsize physician practices access to VistA, the open-source electronic health records software developed by the Veteran's Administration. Reaction to the government's announcement so far has been mixed, ranging from polite skepticism about the program's impact, particularly from health IT veterans, to enthusiastic praise from open-source supporters pleased that the …

National Health IT coordinator Dr. David Brailer told an audience of about 200 physicians, software engineers and executives from Kaiser Permanente at a health IT conference that the company's new electronic health records system should "serve as a national model." Kaiser's HealthConnect initiative will see the company spend $3.3 billion on modernization technology throughout its health care network over the course of the next decade. "The way Kaiser has gone about doing this is a great …