Healthcare IT News - October 2008 - (Page 12)

12 Healthcare IT News ■ October 2008 industry news www.HealthcareITNews.com oNC launches ﬁrst NHIN demo By DIaNa MaNos, seNIor Editor WashinGtOn - The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has launched its first demonstration of an interoperable data exchange as part of the Nationwide Health Information Network. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt called the demo, which was launched Sept. 23, “a major milestone” in the advance- dinator for health IT, said the ment of healthcare IT. NHIN would provide a The demonstrator, a secure, private and safe way cooperative of 19 groups for organizations with difthat includes communiferent systems to exchange ties, federal agencies and patient health information. healthcare providers from “The NHIN is about across the country, showed focusing on what works,” how the first approved use Robert Kolodner said. “Build what cases could work to help Kolodner, MD you can today and develop save lives and give doctors more information to make better a strategy for future.” ■ medical decisions. More at HealthcareITNews.com Robert Kolodner, national coor- ●Connect: NHIN 1008 e MaNos LAN of the Free. Now you can have the freedom you deserve—the new wireless Spot Vital Signs LXi integrates with your existing hospital infrastructure. Using Welch Allyn Connex™ Data Management System, the Spot Vital Signs LXi will wirelessly send vitals data to a range of EMRs. You choose the technology and we’ll provide the workflow that’s best suited for your hospital and your nurses, letting them wirelessly capture and document patient vitals from the bedside with no extra steps. And that’s liberating for everyone. For more information, please call 1.800.289.2500. www.welchallyn.com government as an active partner with private industry in setting a technolContinued from page 3 ogy and innovation agenda. But is all of this just talk? Can McCain’s general philosophy toward technology and innova- any of these campaign promises tion policy is not overarching to become reality? Perhaps the candidates’ records his campaign platform. He wants can give a clue to promote innova“but is all of this to their lawmaktion largely through ing proliferation tax incentives that just talk?” when it comes to create risk capital to pushing healthcare reform. encourage private investment. A cursory search of the online Obama’s philosophy toward technology and innovation, considered by Library of Congress revealed of the ITIF to be overarching, is to engage 38 bills sponsored by McCain last year, two had to do with healthcare. Obama sponsored 130 bills in 2007, with 15 of those healthcare-related. That aside, a pair of articles published in Health Affairs critiquing the candidates’ healthcare plans criticized them both for being mostly talk. Obama’s plan is “just more regulation with unsustainable spending,” authors Joseph Antos, Gail Wilensky and Hanns Kuttner said. If the spending issue is not addressed, it could negate any savings gained by Obama’s plan. McCain’s plan would have little impact on the number of uninsured people, raise costs, reduce the generosity of benefits, and leave people with fewer consumer protections, according to authors of the articles. ■ More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: MaNoS 1008 ● gao Continued from page 4 Introducing the new Welch Allyn Spot Vital Signs LXi with wireless technology. ® ease in sharing information versus protecting patient privacy at all cost. Deborah Peel, MD, founder and chair of Patient Privacy Rights, has said for any healthcare IT legislation to address privacy adequately, the government first needs to define privacy by law. In addition, patients must be in control of their own electronic health records. Peel contends the HIPAA privacy rule, currently used to protect health records, is not adequate. Carolyn M. Clancy, MD, director of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, said the HIPAA Privacy Rule “is carefully balanced to ensure strong privacy protections without impeding the ﬂow of information necessary to provide access to quality healthcare.” Moreover, she said, HHS’ Office for Civil Rights has “brought about significant and systemic improvements in compliance” of some 6,100 covered entities, through investigations and voluntary compliance efforts. ■ More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: Gao 1008 ● Advancing Frontline Care™ e ● Connect: WelCHallyN 1008 ©2007 Welch Allyn MC4788 Do you think HHs has healthcare IT privacy covered? send your comments to senior editor Diana Manos at diana. manos@medtechpublishing.com. http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=10048 http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=10042 http://www.welchallyn.com http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=10045 http://www.healthcareitnews.com/eConnect.cms?id=10076 http://www.welchallyn.com

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Healthcare IT News - October 2008 Contents Seattle's Slate Board 2.0 MGMA Newsmaker IT Battles Infection Beyond Adoption Excellence in Maine Carrot and Stick HP Layoffs Mobile Workstations Automating Offices

Healthcare IT News - October 2008

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