Morning Headlines 8/15/14

Keys to HIT Success: Results from the 2014 Survey on ACOs

A survey of 62 ACOs finds that most operate with a basic health IT infrastructure comprised of an EHR with clinical decision support features, a data warehouse, and a disease registry. Most do not use population health systems, referral management systems, or telehealth platforms and more than 90 percent reported having concerns with the cost and return on investment potential of health IT solutions.

Update: 8/14/14 – Intermittent EHR access restored

Practice Fusion’s cloud-based EHR went down Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving customers unable to access their schedules or patient charts. Practice Fusion reported that the problem was likely caused by a “global internet brown-out,” citing a recent Fox News report as evidence.

The Meaningful Use Stage 2 Finish Line

John Halamka, MD and CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, reports that the hospital will attest for Stage 2 by the September 30 deadline, but that they are struggling to meet the 10 percent transition of care threshold because there are not enough practices ready to receive CCDs electronically.

HHS on the hunt for HealthCare.gov emails Issa wants

HHS has spent 23,000 staff hours trying to recover deleted emails from CMS administrator Marilyn Tavenner’s email account in response to Congressional investigations into the failed Healthcare.gov rollout. Tavenner, whose email address is public, receives between 10,000 and 12,000 emails a month.