Healthcare IT News - March 2008 - (Page 3)

www.HealthcareITNews.com industry news March 2008 ■ Healthcare IT News industry Healthcare IT News posts original news stories on its Web site daily. Here are recent top stories, as selected by Healthcare IT News editors. news dedication to technology and efficiency by the Massachusetts care providers, physicians and pharmacists who have earned this honor is testament to their sincere concern for patient safety and a real commitment to saving lives.” Kerry said he will continue to work toward passing the Medicare Electronic Medication and Safety Protection Act (E-MEDS), a bipartisan bill he introduced last December that would offer physicians reimbursement for investing in e-prescribing. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), also in attendance, emphasized the need for eprescribing as a means of reducing costs and avoiding medical errors. “It’s gratifying EPRESCRIBE see page 5 Massachusetts No. 1 in e-prescribing Bay state takes top honors two years in a row. By DIANA MANOS, Senior Editor waSHInGton – Massachusetts ranks first in the nation when it comes to transmitting prescriptions electronically, according to an annual survey conducted by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the National Community Pharmacists Association and SureScripts. The organizations announced this year’s top 10 states earlier this month at a Capitol Hill event, with Massachusetts capturing the top ranking for the second year in a row. The third annual Safe-Rx Awards are based on a nationwide audit of electronic prescriptions transmitted across all 50 states and Washington, D. C. According to the audit, Massachusetts sent some 4 million prescriptions electronically, totaling more than 13 percent of all of its eligible prescriptions, amounting to six times the national average. AAFP survey Picks toP eMr vendor AMong MeMbers Participants in a survey sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians have named the Praxis EMR the top electronic medical record vendor. In a 2008 User Satisfactory Survey, Infor-Med’s Praxis EMR won first place in overall customer satisfaction, ease of use and flexibility, customer support and training and overall cost savings. The American Academy of Family Physicians includes 93,000 members nationwide. Date: 3/06/08 “this is a Proud MoMent for the state of Massachusetts ” – Sen. John Kerry Sen. John Kerry (DMass.), who accepted the Safe-Rx Award for Massachusetts, attributed the state’s success to collaboration between physicians, pharmacists, payers and health systems. “This is a proud moment for the state of Massachusetts, as the nation’s leader in eprescribing and a star innovator of medical technology for the world,” Kerry said. “This tennessee builds stAtewide heAlth inFo network Tennessee has chosen a vendor to provide electronic health record software and e-prescribing technology for the new statewide health information network, called the Tennessee Information Network. The Tennessee Department of Health will continue its partnership with Shared Health, Inc., a Chattanooga, Tenn.-based healthcare IT vendor. Shared Health currently provides EHR access for all beneficiaries of TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program. That partnership has now expanded to include collaboration with the Tennessee Information Network. Date: 3/05/08 Five top physician organizations launch push for e-prescribing By BERNIE MONEgAIN, Editor waSHInGton duke university hosPitAl siMPliFies dosing To help increase the accuracy and safety of medication prescribing for high-risk patients, Duke University Hospital will roll out a new “Advanced Dosing” function for its clinical decision support and computerized provider order entry system. Duke uses a CPOE system from Atlanta-based McKesson Provider Technologies. The hospital implemented the company’s Horizon Expert Orders solution more than a year ago. The new capability is now offered as part of McKesson’s Patient Care Advantage product. Date: 3/04/08 – Five leading physician organizations have launched an e-prescribing push called “Get Connected.” They made the announcement March 4 at a Capitol Hill event during which Massachusetts was named the leading e-prescribing state for the second year in a row. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) are launching an online portal – www.GetRxConnected. com – where physicians can follow a step-by-step process designed to help them transition from paperbased prescribing to e-prescribing. Created under the auspices of The Center for Improving Medication Management, GetRxConnected. com contains information and guidance for an estimated 150,000 prescribers across the country who are using electronic medical record systems and other clinical software to fax prescriptions to pharmacies. Computer-generated faxing of prescriptions not only prevents physicians from Steven E. achieving the gains in pracWaldren, MD tice efficiency and patient safety associated with e-prescribing, but starting on Jan. 1, 2009, all computer-generated prescriptions covered by the Medicare Part D program must be transmitted electronically and not via fax. Computer-generated, faxed prescriptions PuSH see page 5 Privacy takes new twist By DIANA MANOS, Senior Editor t would take only one minute on the massive floor of the Orlando expo at this year’s February Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Conference to feel the sheer power of progress. Healthcare IT is brimming with it and talk to anyone at any of the some 900 companies in attendance and they would have given you reports of innovation that Baby Boomers once only envisioned for Star Trek voyages. Some say that in all this progress, a major point has been relegated to the back – a right that ancient Hippocrates decreed irrevocable and all health professionals since have abided by wA shington – the right to patient privacy. Lately there are signs, however, that this ancient right is once again gaining traction. Most agree privacy is vital, but the differences occur over when to implement safeguards into healthcare IT, before or after interoperability. In February, Rep. Edward Markey (DMass.) introduced the first healthcare IT bill fully supported by privacy activists. The “Technologies for Restoring Users’ Security and Trust (TRUST) in Health Information Act” is designed to grow interoperability while ensuring consumer protection up front. Without sufficient privacy and security safeguards, electronic systems could turn the dream of integrated, seamless healthcare IT networks into a nightmare for consumers, Markey said. MANOS see page 4 i house introduces hIt expansion, privacy bill By DIANA MANOS, Senior Editor waSHInGton PediAtric Advice line gets technology boost Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a leading pediatric hospital in the Southeast, plans to upgrade its electronic telephone triage system to enable a more streamlined process for patients, health professionals and call center employees. Children’s just announced a technology deal with British healthcare IT firm Clinical Solutions. The company, with U.S. offices in Duluth, Ga., will provide the hospital with its new call center system. “By improving the technology we use to process and respond to calls, our staff will have the tools they need to maintain a high level of patient care,” said Robin Pajot, director at Children’s. Date: 3/03/08 More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: WeBBrIeFS 0308 ● embrace and utilize such systems.” Markey said current federal efforts to – Rep. Edward Markey (DMass.) last month introduced the “Technologies advance a safe nationwide healthcare IT For Restoring Users’ Security and Trust network are speculative. He cited a 2007 (TRUST) in Health Information Act,” designed Government Accountability Office report, to help encourage growth of interoperability which found that the Department of Health and Human Services fell short of an while ensuring consumer trust and prioverall approach for integrating privacy protection up front. vacy initiatives and addressing key According to Markey’s staffer, Mark privacy principles. Bayer, the House Committee on Energy The bill, H.R. 5442, is co-sponand Commerce is expected to consider sored by Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) the TRUST Act this month. and would allow grants to encourage “Today’s healthcare system needs to the development of healthcare IT be transformed to improve healthcare Edward Markey quality, safety and affordability, and interop- networks that ensure patient privacy. Some 50 members of the bi-partisan erable health information networks can play an important role in this transformation,” Coalition for Patient Privacy signed a Feb. Markey said. “At the same time, without suf- 13 endorsement letter for the bill, saying it is ficient privacy and security safeguards, such only common sense that privacy be addressed electronic systems could turn the dream of up front in any legislation designed to estabintegrated, seamless health IT networks into lish a nationwide HIT network. ■ a nightmare for consumers, reducing the More at HealthcareITNews.com likelihood that patients and providers will ●Connect: BILL 0308 e Watch http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.getrxconnected.com http://HealthcareITNews.com http://HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8858 http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8857

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare IT News - March 2008

Healthcare IT News - March 2008 Contents No. 1 E-prescribing ‘Quite Bright’ Bill Frist on IT Google Connection Poised for P4P ‘Smashing Success’ Tough On Fraud It's Analytics Getting Rid of the Pain Stuck In Neutral

Healthcare IT News - March 2008

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