Healthcare IT News - November 2008 - (Page 3)

www.HealthcareITNews.com industry news November 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 By BerNIe MoNegaIN, Editor CHICAGO RSNa 2008 adopts global theme HealtH 2.0 movement steps into mainstream Attendance at the 2008 Health 2.0 Conference in San Francisco Oct. 22 doubled from that of last year’s nearly 500, underscoring the evolution and growth of search, social networking and tools for individual and group consumer use, says its co-founder. “Health 2.0 is here in the mainstream,” Matthew Holt said in his introduction, on the opening day of the conference. Co-founder Indu Subaiya said that Health 2.0 is exploding and broadening its reach to include wellness, gaming and genomics. Date: 10/23/08 – A global theme runs through the presentations and by tHe numbers exhibits this month attendees: 62,000 as the members of ➔ the Radiological ➔ exHibitors: 726 Society of North ➔ sHow floor: America gather at 516,100 square feet McCormick Place in Chicago for the organization’s 94th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting. Attendees are expected to number 62,000 at the event that runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 5, and 726 companies have signed up to exhibit on the 516,100 square feet of show floor. In her president’s address, Theresa C. McLoud, MD, will focus on “Personal Learning in the Global Community,” illustrating the rsNa see page 8 a crowd fills the sprawling exhibit hall at the 2007 RSNa annual meeting at Mccormick Place in chicago. mGma talK: eConomy’s impaCt on pHysiCians The 2008 Annual Conference of the Medical Group Management Association met in San Diego on Oct. 19-22, and much of the talk centered on how to keep physician practices profitable in the face of economic recession. “I think the issue is how do physicians spend less but get the most impact,” said Glen Tullman, CEO of Chicago-based Allscripts-Misys Healthcare, in an interview with Healthcare IT News. Tullman said the relaxed federal Stark regulations could prompt hospitals to subsidize electronic health records for physician practices, even in tough economic times. Date: 10/23/08 Money grows to boost uptake of healthcare It Survey shows $700M available to encourage physician IT adoption. in November. Most recently, the Bridges to Excellence program, a physician pay-for-performance plan, announced it would only consider physicians with CCHIT-certified products. By DIaNa MaNos, Senior Editor “Our research shows that the results in highCHICAGO – Momentum is building to financially coax physicians into adopting electronic er quality and lower cost of care are worth the health records, according to a new survey from effort, and we have to make the Certification Commission for Healthcare the process of being recognized for that effort as hassleInformation Technology The commission reported more than $700 free as possible,” said Francois million in funding programs have sprung up de Brantes, CEO of Bridges to in the past two years to subsidize healthcare IT Excellence. “Leveraging the adoption. The study found 90 initiatives in the CCHIT certification helps us public and private sectors ready to reward doc- do just that without sacrificing Mark Leavitt, MD the rigor of the overall tors for adopting EHRs. At least 43,000 physi“although we started our assessment of the practice’s transformation.” cians are being offered first certification in CCHIT officials attrisubsidies already, said ambulatory care just bute the trend in growJohn Morrissey, CCHIT’s communication manager two-and-a-half years ago, ing incentives, in part, to the commission’s and author of the study. we’re already seeing contribution to boosting Of the incentive proevidence of a major physician confidence in grams discovered by redirection of investment EHR software. CCHIT, 50 have been “As we dug deeper launched by hospital toward adoption of eHrs in to research the real organizations in response that setting.” impacts of certification, to federal “safe harbor” – Mark Leavitt, MD the results surprised us,” regulations announced said Mark Leavitt, MD, in 2006. The safe harbor regulations allow hospitals to subsidize up to commission chairman. “Although we started 85 percent of certain costs for physicians to our first certification in ambulatory care just acquire, implement and maintain EHRs that two-and-a-half years ago, we’re already seeing are CCHIT-certified for their offices. evidence of a major redirection of investment Forty incentive programs discovered by toward adoption of EHRs in that setting.” CCHIT are being offered by government agenCCHIT’s study comes as the Agency for cies, insurance plans, employer coalitions Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and public-private partnerships. Of these, 20 announced new healthcare IT funding opporexplicitly call for CCHIT-certified technology, tunities for providers with three new grants the commission reports. ranging from $100,000 for up to two years to The largest known regional commitment to $1.2 million over three years. The grants are for accelerate EHR adoption is New York, which is career development and improvement of qualdistributing $157 million to regional networks ity of care through healthcare IT. ■ representing more than 18,000 physicians. It More at HealthcareITNews.com is poised to announce a new round of funding ●Connect: CCHIt 1108 e What’s in store for AHIC 2.0? By DIaNa MaNos, Senior Editor mGma launCHes soCial networKinG platform The Medical Group Management Association announced the launch of a new social networking community for its members at the group’s annual conference in October. The MGMA Member Community is a proprietary online community for medical practice administrators. Working with social-networking architects Higher Logic, William F. Jessee, MD, president and CEO of the MGMA, said members consistently rank networking with other members as their primary reason for belonging to the organization. Date: 10/22/08 rand study touts benefits of unique patient identifier A Rand Corp. study finds that the use of unique patient identification numbers would help improve healthcare quality and efficiency. The creation of such an identification system has a price tag of about $11 billion, but researchers believe it would return even more in benefits to the nation’s healthcare system. A decade ago federal legislation supported the creation of such a system, but privacy and security issues have delayed implementation. Date: 10/21/08 More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: WeBBrIeFS 1108 ● Nov. 12 marks the 25th and last meeting of the American Health Information Community, a federal advisory panel launched in 2005 to help advance the adoption of electronic health records. Officially, AHIC’s job title was to provide input and recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services on how to make health records digital and interoperable, and to assure the privacy and security of those records in “a smooth, market-led way.” We all know that HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt has been gunning to get AHIC’s private-public successor well under way before the next administration moves in. The obvious reawas H in Gton son is to ensure its survival. But what lies in store for AHIC? At the Sept. 23 AHIC meeting, Leavitt called this era of transition “a fragile moment in the pathway for healthcare IT.” He predicted the federal government would be an “active participant” in AHIC 2.0; “We have more than a casual role as a payer and an overseer.” Leavitt also added that it is “vitally important” for Congress to recognize what AHIC has accomplished so far. But, some are not so sure AHIC 2.0 will have smooth sailing into the next administration. For starters, there are a few members of Congress who have been chomping at the bit to replace AHIC. Then, there are disgruntled MaNos see page 4 Watch http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=10287 http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=10285

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

Healthcare IT News - November 2008 Contents $700M Strong PHR Power Stepping It Up Geo IT EMRs Go Rural HiMSS Insider: Making a Difference Home for the Blues Merge Amnesty Management Solutions: Outsourcing Appeal Clinical Toolkit: Enterprise PACS

Healthcare IT News - November 2008

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