Healthcare IT News - February 2009 - (Page 3) www.HealthcareITNews.com industry news February 2009 ■ Healthcare IT News industry By DIana Manos, Senior Editor WASHINGTON news It takes center stage on capitol hill Healthcare IT News posts original news stories on its Web site daily. Here are recent top stories, as selected by the editors. study highlights benefits of remote monitoring A new study by clinicians at DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center shows that the use of a remote monitoring technology coupled with a clinician notification system can boost patient outcomes as well as reduce costs. Clinicians at DMHC have been involved in a yearlong study of Irvine, Calif.-based Masimo’s Rainbow SET Pulse CO-Oximetry, which measures blood constituents and fluid responsiveness, coupled with Masimo’s Patient SafetyNet, a monitoring system that wirelessly links at-risk patients to clinicians. Date: 1/20/09 certified products. The Senate healthcare IT adoption, stanthe news: $20B for has yet to take up the stimulus – It’s just a month or so into dards harmonization and certi- ➔ healthcare IT in House package but key leaders expect 2009, and healthcare IT is already gain- fication of healthcare IT prodbill. to have a final bill passed for the ing traction in Congress. Championed by ucts. what it means: president to sign before Feb. 16. The $825 billion economic ➔ President Obama, a host of legislation now Long-awaited Justin Barnes, chairman of stimulus packup for considertying the funding government boost to the Electronic Health Records age includes ation has healthpush IT forward. Association, said he is optimistic $20 billion care IT leaders to certified produts about these latest developments. for healthhopeful for big is a “ tremendous care, which includes $2 Tying the funding to certified products is a changes ahead. win.” billion for the Office of “tremendous win” for the industry, should In Ja n u a r y, –Justin Barnes the National Coordinator this aspect of the draft become law, he said. Congress introAccording to House Ways and Means duced six separate pieces of legislation for Health Information Technology. The expected to have a positive impact on House Appropriations bill would also Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), healthhealthcare IT. Healthcare Information and ensure the future of products certified by care IT funding included in the stimulus Management Systems Society leaders say the Certification Commission for Healthcare package will be used to establish standards, the proposals “largely align” with positions Information Technology, by requiring the payment incentives and privacy protections HIMSS has taken on financial incentives for appropriated funds only be spent on CCHITsTIMulus see page 4 healthcare it would aid reform, says economist Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman’s advice for President Barack Obama is to spend “on things of lasting value,” including healthcare information technology. Healthcare IT, like similar infrastructure investments, would help create jobs, which in turn would help mitigate the existing economic crisis, he said. Obama has pledged $50 billion over five years to support adoption and use of healthcare IT. Krugman, a professor of economics and international affairs at Princeton University, is a columnist for The New York Times. Date: 1/19/09 Helps to have IT champion By DIana Manos, senIor eDITor WASHINGTON – It’s fairly clear that President Barack Obama should feel like a champion. With nearly 2 million jubilant people in attendance at his inauguration and now a Gallup poll approval rating of 83 percent, he shouldn’t doubt his popularity. Yet, who would have guessed he would come straight out of the gate as a healthcare IT champion? This is very good news for the industry, and undoubtedly already earning him kudos from healthcare IT stakeholders everywhere. Obama started early with a campaign promise of 50 billion over five w ashington years for healthcare IT. Since his election, he has weekly promoted healthcare IT in his radio addresses and press conferences. During the transition phase, he has pushed for electronic health records for every American by 2014 and the use of healthcare IT as part of an economic recovery plan. Congress has followed suit with a $20 billion proposal in the works for healthcare IT advancement, and codification plus $2 billion slated for federal healthcare IT leadership. In all fairness to former President Bush, Obama’s healthcare IT banner has unfurled on its own, but is also part of the passing of a baton. During his administration, Bush pushed for electronic medical records by 2014 and founded the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, responsible for policy advances, standards harmonization Manos see page 4 stimulus package to include funding for health it Details on the economic stimulus package are unfolding optimistically for healthcare IT, according to some of the first draft language available, obtained from those close to the process. A 250-page discussion draft by the House Appropriations Committee includes $2 billion dollars for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, while noting Congress plans to spend $20 billion for healthcare IT as part of the overall economic stimulus package. Date: 1/16/09 Privacy safeguards must be part of any stimulus package that contains incentives to advance the uptake of healthcare information technology, insists the coalition for Patient Privacy, otherwise patient data will be at risk. Coalition presses for privacy as part of stimulus package records for every American by 2014. In the – The Coalition for Patient past few years, Congress has been unable Privacy is urging Congress to include priva- to pass a healthcare IT bill, with much of cy safeguards with any funding earmarked that difficulty rising from inability to recfor healthcare IT in an economic stimulus oncile differences of opinion on healthcare package. The package was expected to hit IT privacy. Ashley Katz, executive direcPresident Obama’s desk shortly “privacy is not tor of Patient Privacy Rights, after inauguration. The bipartisan coalition, rep- just a basic right said the coalition is asking for resenting more than 30 organi- for all americans, “very basic, common sense protections.” zations, individual experts and it has become a “We all want to innovate the Microsoft Corporation, said trust is essential to public basic necessity. ” and improve healthcare. But without privacy, our system adoption of healthcare IT. – Michelle De Mooy will crash as any system with In a letter to Congressional leaders, the coalition called for accountabil- a persistent and chronic virus will,” she ity for access to health records, control of said. “Americans will avoid participation or, personal information and transparency to worse, avoid care altogether and undoubtedly misrepresent the truth about their mediprotect healthcare consumers from abuse. Michelle De Mooy, a national priori- cal history.” Obama’s transition team, Congress and ties associate from Consumer Action, said, “Privacy is not just a basic right for all industry advisors have been working since December to map out an $825 billion Americans; it has become a basic necessity.” Obama has called for electronic health PrIvaCy see page 6 By DIana Manos, Senior Editor WASHINGTON Watch report: it efforts short of 21st century vision A report from the National Research Council says efforts aimed at the nationwide deployment of healthcare IT will not be sufficient to achieve medical leaders’ vision of healthcare in the 21st Century and may even set back the cause. The report, based partially on site visits to eight U.S. medical centers that are considered leaders in the field of healthcare IT, concludes that greater emphasis should be placed on IT that provides healthcare workers and patients with cognitive support, such as assistance in decision-making and problem-solving. Date: 1/13/09 More at HealthcareITnews.com e Connect: WeBBrIeFS 0209 ● http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.HealthcareITNews.com
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