Healthcare IT News - June 2008 - (Page 17)

www.HealthcareITNews.com June 2008 ■ Healthcare IT News 17 NEWSBRIEFS NoRth CaRolINa phySICIaNS ChooSE NEW It platFoRm Greensboro Radiology, a provider of medical diagnostic imaging services and interventional radiology, plans to implement new enterprise-wide integration software. Based in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, the radiology practice will use the Ensemble rapid integration platform from InterSystems. The new software will format data coming from multiple systems into a stream of information that will be presented to radiologists as one platform of applications in a single format. West Coast clinic boosts bandwidth By BeRNIe MoNegaIN, Editor BREMERTON, WA the doctors Clinic wants to improve patient care by “boosting physician productivity.” - Jeffrey Goddard aRkaNSaS ClINIC REplaCES lEgaCy EmR SyStEm Clopton Clinic, the largest internal medicine physician group in northeast Arkansas, has decided to replace its clinical and financial automation systems after a dozen years with the same vendor. The physicianowned clinic, which first adopted EMRs in 1996, has signed a deal with Allscripts to implement the Chicago-based company’s electronic health record and practice management software. Clopton’s leadership team said the clinic must improve its ability to participate in pay-for-performance programs and clinical research. online registry improves diabetes care in Kansas By RICHaRd PIzzI, Associate Editor TOPEKA, KS – As the incidence of type 2 diabetes grows to epidemic proportions in the United States, officials in various states are searching for ways to monitor the health of their diabetic residents to make certain they receive proper care. The state of Kansas has gotten off to a good start, implementing an IT-driven project giving healthcare providers access to a database program that tracks patient care. The program may eventually evolve into a statewide diabetes registry. Kate Watson, manager of the Kansas Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, said the project was inspired by state survey data that revealed suboptimal standards of care for diabetic patients. With grants from the federal Centers for Disease Control and the – As The Doctors Clinic begins to replace paper and legacy technology with a new electronic medical record system this month, one thing IT manager Jeffrey Goddard doesn’t have to worry about is bandwidth. A couple of years ago, the growing medical group, like many other medical groups across the country, became aware that it would have to The News: A large clinic in Washington state upgrades Ethernet technology. ■ What It Means: Broadband access can save millions in healthcare costs, say experts. ■ expand its bandwidth to support digital imaging and the upcoming switch to electronic medical record keeping. It turned to Qwest Communications, which already provided the medical group with T1 and DS3 services. The Doctors Clinic is a physician-owned multi-specialty medical group with 80 physicians at eight sites. The administrative offices and one medical office are located in Bremerton, a city of about 38,000 people on Washington’s Kitsap peninsula. Two other physician offices are in Silverdale, and the others are in Port Orchard, Poulsbo, eTHeRNeT see page 19 Kaiser completes outpatient EHR implementation OAKLAND, CA – Kaiser Permanente has completed the rollout of its outpatient electronic health record system in nine states and the District of Columbia. Kaiser’s 13,000 physicians in 421 offices now have electronic access to their patients’ medical records. Kaiser officials bill the system, called Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect, as the world’s largest privately funded electronic health record, covering 8.7 million members. Kaiser’s deployment of KP HealthConnect in the ambulatory care setting began in Hawaii in 2004. Physicians can access a patient’s medical records from their offices or from anywhere they happen to be. CoNNECtICUt doCS aCCESS maNagEmENt SERVICES The Connecticut State Medical Society, the state’s largest medical physician organization, is offering a centrally-hosted ondemand practice management service to its physician members. Under the terms of the agreement, CSMS members will receive a discount on the athenaCollector practice management service from Watertown, Mass.-based vendor athenahealth. The Connecticut State Medical Society is a federation of county medical associations, and a constituent state entity of the American Medical Association. Jennifer Brull, MD, treats Kay and Walt Casner, two of her diabetic patients in Plainville, Kansas. Brull participates in Kansas’ online diabetes database and analysis program. Health Resources and Services Administration, Watson and her colleagues recruited 35 providers across Kansas and implemented an online diabetes database and analysis system. The technology behind the program is called the Chronic Disease Electronic Management System, or CDEMS. The Washington State Diabetes kaNsas see page 18 More at HealthcareITNews.com e ●Connect: KaISer 0608 WaShINgtoN, dC hEalth CENtERS to aUtomatE Unity Healthcare, the largest community health center network in the District of Columbia, plans to convert paper medical and business records to digital. The rollout is planned for all 31 centers, including the D.C. Department of Corrections. Unity provides healthcare to medically underserved patients in the District of Columbia, including almost 12,000 homeless people either in the streets or at shelters throughout the city. Founded in 1985, it’s the fourth largest community health center network in the country. HealthcareITNews.com e ●Connect: PHYSICIaNS 0608 More at American College of Physicians urges collaboration on e-health By RICHaRd PIzzI, Associate Editor WASHINGTON Larger physician practices quicker to adopt EMRs Percent using EMR Practice Size Matters - Collaboration among physicians, patients, technology developers, and policymakers must occur if ehealth activities are to transform healthcare in the United States, according to a recent position paper from the American College of Physicians. “E-health activities have great potential to improve the quality of patient care, reduce medical errors, increase efficiency and access to care, and achieve substantial cost savings,” said David C. Dale, MD, president of the ACP. The paper, “E-Health and Its Impact on Medical Practice,” analyzes the benefits, technical and financial challenges, and legal issues related to adopting and implementing e-health activities for physicians and aCP see page 18 50 40 30 20 10 0 24% Any EMR Comprehensive EMR 46.5% 30% 30.9% 26.6% 13.4% 16.6% 28% 7.1% 9.7% Solo Single Partner 3-5 docs 6-10 docs 11 or more e ● Connect: GraPHS 0608 SoURCE: CENTERS FoR DISEASE CoNTRol AND PREvENTIoN, oCT. 2007 www.HealthcareITNews.com HealthcareITNews.com HealthcareITNews.com

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Healthcare IT News - June 2008

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