News From Around the Web
> Health information for 850 patients is at risk after three laptops were stolen from the Westerville (Ohio) Dental Center in early December, the Columbus Dispatch reports. The dental center notified the federal government of the breach on Dec. 21, according to Rachel Seeger, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office for Civil Rights. The laptops were stolen between Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 when thieves forced open a window screen at the practice. Article
> Emergency department doctors prefer best-of-breed information systems to enterprise emergency department information systems, according to a recent report from Orem, Utah-based KLAS Research. The doctors said that the former systems provide better clinical decision support and more accurate documentation. Announcement
EMR News
> Yet another major health industry stakeholder has weighed in on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' plan to use electronic health records to collect and report clinical quality measure data, with the Federation of American Hospitals expressing concern that launching such a program would be premature. FAH, responding to a request for information about the Inpatient Quality Data Reporting program, noted in its comments dated Feb. 1 that it strongly supports the goals of aligning quality measure and reporting across reporting programs. Article
Provider News
> As insurers continue preparing to sell policies on new health insurance exchanges, much of their success may hinge upon something completely out of their control--exchange "navigators." The health reform law requires the creation of a new type of employee called navigators, who will help the 30 million or so consumers shopping for coverage on online marketplaces find the most appropriate health plan. Article
And Finally... This isn't "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"--this time, it's a mammal, and it's running. Article