> The Department of Health and Human Services has once again delayed the release of its free EHR software, putting the release date on hold indefinitely, a department official said recently. VistA-Office, based on the wildly successful EHR system developed by the Department for use in VA hospitals and clinics, was supposed to be released in July, and then rescheduled for release in August. At this point, who knows when it will hit the streets? Article
> Telemedicine provides benefits, but security and privacy risks loom. Some 90 percent of patients with Internet access would like to be able to consult their physician by e-mail, says a Harris Interactive poll. But the technology also poses potential problems, including fraud and software that doesn't talk to other software or systems. Article
> The University of Calgary's Department of Medicine just tapped a technology first developed in the U.K. to house patient records for 10 specialist divisions. Initially, outpatient clinics affiliated with the university will deploy EMIS Inc. electronic medical record technology, in a four-year deal worth $2 million. Article
> Doctors in Fort Wayne, In. are ahead of the curve in adopting electronic medical records. Still, some physicians have limited their use to basic scan and print digitization, which heavily incorporates paper records, while shying away from the more sophisticated interactive data entry systems meshed with "decision-support" software that help guide--and may improve--doctors' decision-making. Article
> A handful of doctors who use Dr. Notes' electronic medical records software say they have been denied access to the program and their patients' medical records because they refused to pay increased technical support fees. Article
And Finally…Medical coding pros continue to be in demand. Article