web based

ALSO NOTED: FL plans to solve ED specialist crisis hit snag; Marriott rolls out personal health records for employees; and much

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:59:50 -0500

> Efforts to bring more specialists to Florida's EDs seem to be at an impasse, with hospitals reluctant to form a specialist-sharing network. Article

> Marriott has rolled out a Web-based personal health record to 50,000 employees. FierceHealthIT

> Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton has raised eyebrows by suggesting that she might support financially penalizing those who can afford it, but don't buy health insurance. Article

> Harvard Medical School is transferring its non-profit consulting arm to Partners HealthCare, but Partners will eventually have to drop the Harvard name. Article

And Finally... When they placed electrodes in his brain, this patient suddenly found himself propelled back 30 years. Article

FL plan would route patients to specialist-equipped EDs

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:59:56 -0500

A Florida plan which would route acutely-ill patients to hospitals where an appropriate specialist is available on call is facing substantial challenges from physicians. Hoping to address the shortage of available specialists, state health planners have proposed a system under which acutely-ill patients would be routed to the closest hospital where a specialist was available on call, rather than sending them to the closest facility available. The patients would be routed by use of a centralized call center or Web-based schedule. The plan would also provide money to provide additional stipends, which could be used to attract on-call specialists to more facilities.

In theory, this makes sense, but in practice, Florida specialists who do take call say that that this plan could severely overload their schedules. Also, planners note that it's not clear how the EMS transport system would change under such a model, and whether EMS could sustain the change.

To find out more about the proposal:
- read this South Florida Sun Sentinel article

Related Articles:
On-call payments for ED coverage challenged. Report
MA hospitals bow to on-call pay trend. Report
Trend: On-call shortage closing trauma departments. Report

Trend: How TX is coping with nursing instructor shortage

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 06:59:55 -0500

In Texas, it's not just the nursing shortage--there's an acute nursing instructor shortage underway as well. To address this problem, nursing schools there are getting creative, instituting Web-based classes, providing stipends for new nursing teachers and taking other steps to staff nurse teaching positions. Right now, as in other states, Texas faces a severe nursing shortage over the next decade, but many nursing applicants can't even get an education. In Texas, in fact, nearly half of qualified applicants can't get into programs, according to state health officials. This gap isn't surprising, however, given that nurses with a master's degree may make $80,000 in non-academic settings but about half of that as an instructor. Also, many nurse faculty members are retiring, making the teaching vacancy rate worse.

To address this problem, some schools have begun offering stipends of $5,000 to $8,000 to new nurse-faculty recruits. When they succeed in attracting professionals through this route, schools use them not only in the classroom, but also to offer online classes. The schools are also working with hospitals, which provide clinical and lab training while the university or college offers the classroom lectures.

To find out more about Texas schools' faculty cultivation efforts:
- read this article from The Dallas Morning News

Related Articles:
PA launches nurse training initiative. Report
Northern VA hospitals subsidize nurse training. Report
Study: Nursing shortage gap closing. Report
PA launches nurse training initiative. Report
Displaced auto workers offered nursing education. Report
FL nursing school fosters minority PhDs. Report

SPOTLIGHT: New tech simulates practice management

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 19:01:32 -0500

Not sure you're running your practice efficiently? Well, instead of hiring a big-ticket consultant, perhaps you'll want to give the Medical Group Management Association's new medical practice management tool a spin. The MGMA's Web-based simulator lets physicians try out management scenarios without paying a heavy price for mistakes. The simulator uses historical data collected by MGMA to fuel the simulation results. Article

FDA to upgrade safety-data collection

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 20:01:35 -0400

The Food and Drug Administration will use a new web-based system to collect safety data on prescription drugs and medical devices. Agency officials say the new system will speed collection of data and allow internal departments to share information more effectively. The system could be online within two years.

- check out this article from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

UNC and IBM launch EMR network

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 20:01:35 -0400

The University of North Carolina Health Care System and IBM announced the launch of a new Web-based electronic health system. Dubbed WebClinical Information Systems (WebCIS), the network will allow more than 7,000 physicians participating affiliated with UNC Health to access patient medical records, test results and file prescriptions electronically. The UNC Health System serves approximately 1 million patients. WebCIS is based on the IBM Health Information Framework, a standards based service oriented architecture.

- see this release from Marketwire

ALSO NOTED: Accutane registry faces criticism;Web-based translation system explored; and much more...

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 19:00:50 -0500

> An internal review at the University of Pittsburgh has produced a report that is harshly critical of Dr. Gerald Schatten, the co-author of an ill-fated research paper published with South Korea's Hwang Woo-suk. Article (WSJ sub. req.)

> According to critics, iPledge, a Web-based system set up by the to monitor the use of the acne drug Accutane by pregnant women, is a "disaster." Article

> If you're a physician, there are some professional deductions you should be sure to consider as your prepare to file your taxes. Article

> Sprint and Global CareQuest will offer Integrated Clinical Information System Mobile (ICIS Mobile) access for Sprint's handheld devices and smart phones. Blog

> San Mateo Medical Center is experimenting with a Web-based system that allows non-English speaking patients to talk with translators at other hospitals. Article

> In Massachusetts, an investigation into possible Medicaid overbilling picks up speed. Article

> The Florida Hospital Association is lobbying for legislation to remove pressure on emergency departments. Article

> A series of new TV spots rips non-profit Catholic Hospitals in Illinois. Article

> Illinois hospitals could face up to $1 billion in cuts under the administration's new Medicare proposals. Article

And Finally... A 37 pound woman has given birth to a baby weighing 3 pounds and 7 ounces at Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Article

Docs often shortchanged by insurers

Sun, 05 Feb 2006 19:01:35 -0500

Although large insurers talk a good game on transparency, many routinely shortchange physicians in their financial dealings with them, argues AthenaHealth CEO Jonathon Bush. Bush's company, which got major play last week in BusinessWeek, is featured in today's Boston Globe. AthenaHealth provides web-based systems that help physicians survive the billing cycle by tracking claims and reducing potential errors that might result in a claim being rejected. The company has contracts with about 6,000 doctors nationwide and booked sales of $35 million in 2005.

- see this article for more

AthenaHealth business model examined

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 19:01:38 -0500

With the focus of tonight's speech expected to be on the use of technology and drive for consumerization, the search is on for companies that could benefit from the changes. One of those companies is clearly AthenaHealth, a Watertown, MA-based billing and services firm that provides physicians with outsourced staffing and Web-based practice management services. CEO Jonathan S. Bush is a cousin of the President, which could be a boon.

- see this article from BusinessWeek

SPOTLIGHT: e-Referral pilot tests technology

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 19:01:33 -0500

A new web-based clinical messaging system under development in rural Northern California will allow participating physicians to forward documents and clinical messages electronically. RedWood MedNet, a non-profit organized by physicians and IT professionals, says it hopes to enroll about two dozen local practices in the initiative. The network, which is funded by a grant from Blue Shield of California, will be built over the next six months. Article