Morning Headlines 12/9/14

The Federal Strategy For Collecting, Sharing, And Using Electronic Health Information

ONC has updated its Federal Health IT Strategic Plan: 2015-2020, establishing a set of goals that focuses on advancing interoperability, improving care delivery, engaging patients through digital health tools, and supporting medical research efforts through data mining and retrospective studies.

Why So Many New Tech Companies Are Getting into Health Care

Bob Kocher, MD, a former healthcare economics advisor to the Obama administration, publishes a piece in the Harvard Business Review analyzing the digital health innovation boom in the US, and the cost-saving opportunities that the new startups should be targeting.

Walgreens app makes virtual doctor visits a reality

Walgreens partners with telehealth vendor MDLive to provide virtual visits through its mobile app. The new service now available for residents of California and Michigan, with additional states coming online in 2015.

Morning Headlines 12/8/14

Alberta moves on integrated health records system

In Canada, the province of Alberta has formed a task force to plan the development of a centralized health information system after the College of Physicians and Surgeons complained that the current system was “woefully inadequate.”

A Response to AMA President Dr. Robert Wah

The Coalition for ICD-10 publishes a harsh reply to AMA president Robert Wah, MD’s outspoken objections to the upcoming transition to ICD-10 codes.

The Woolly Mammoths Of Digital Health Care

Forbes reports on the persistent usability issues that are hindering providers, embarrassing EHR vendors, and frustrating policymakers as the ROI on the nation’s HITECH investment continues to loom just out of reach.

Morning Headlines 12/5/14

HL7 Launches Joint Argonaut Project to Advance FHIR

HL7 will work with a large consortium of vendors and health systems to develop a standardized data sharing API and a set of common vocabularies that all EHR vendors could adopt to exchange discrete data and improve interoperability.

Computer-Generated Vs. Physician-Documented History of Present Illness (HPI): Results of a Blinded Comparison

Researchers created a computerized questionnaire that collects clinical data from both patients and providers and then produces a narrative history of present illness. A panel of 48 physicians then blindly evaluated them against physician-documented HPIs, concluding that the computer-generated HPIs were more complete, more useful, more succinct, and better organized.

State says it has repaid $1.3M in overpayments

Massachusetts pays back $1.3 million in Meaningful Use incentive payments after a federal audit found that local hospitals received $2.1 million in overpayments. Representatives from the state Medicaid agency report that the remaining balance will be subtracted from future payments to the overpaid hospitals.

Morning Headlines 12/4/14

Efforts To Improve Patient Safety Result in 1.3 Million Fewer Patient Harms

US hospitals have reduce medical errors by 17 percent since 2010, with a majority of the improvements coming from reduced adverse drug events, according to an AHRQ report. The improvement is credited with saving an estimated 50,000 lives and $12 billion in healthcare spending.

Jon White, MD, Acting Deputy National Coordinator/Acting Chief Medical Officer

The ONC promotes Jon White, MD to the position of Acting Deputy National Coordinator. White has been with the ONC since 2004, and is also the ONC’s current Chief Medical Officer.

DNA-screening test 23andMe launches in UK after US ban

After being shut down by the FDA in 2013, personal genetic testing provider 23andMe will begin marketing its genetic health assessments in the UK and Canada.

Organizations achieve EMRAM Stage 7

Six hospitals are added to the HIMSS Stage 7 list, including Ontario Shores Center for Mental Health Sciences, the first  hospital from Canada, and first behavioral health hospital, to reach Stage 7.

Morning Headlines 12/3/14

Health Data Outside the Doctor’s Office

National Coordinator Karen DeSalvo, MD publishes a blog post touting a JASON report that HHS commissioned to explore “how to create a health information system that focuses on the health of individuals, not just the care they receive.”

Electronic patient records systems not ‘good enough’, says NHS CIO

In England, David Walliker, CIO of Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust says that he will pursue an electronic document management solution, rather than upgrading to a modern EHR, because the current systems available from CSC, Cerner, and Meditech are not yet viable options for the hospitals specialists.

Epic Systems backs down on noncompete clause

Epic backs down from an earlier decision to up its non-complete cause from one year to two for any recently departed employees that were trying to join Vonlay, a local health IT consulting firm. The employees in question had already left Epic and had only signed a one-year non-compete when they were hired.

Promoting Innovation; Protecting Patient Safety: Advancing Use of Technology in Health Care

The Bipartisan Policy Center will live stream a six-hour meeting on Wednesday called “An Oversight Framework for Assuring Patient Safety in Health Information Technology.” Speakers include National Coordinator Karen DeSalvo, MD, and McKesson CEO John Hammergren.

Morning Headlines 12/2/14

Could Congress delay ICD-10 again next week?

Congress will soon vote to extend a $157 billion HHS spending bill that is scheduled to expire on December 11. Advocates working to delay the looming ICD-10 deadline, including the National Physicians’ Council for Healthcare Policy and the Texas chapter of the American Medical Association, are lobbying for a last minute edit to the “must pass” spending bill to include language that would push out the ICD-10 deadline by two years.

Penn Medicine uses predictive analytics to reduce sepsis mortality

After two years of use, Penn Medicine measures the perceived effectiveness of an early warning system it implemented to identify sepsis in undiagnosed patients. 46 percent of Penn’s nurses said the system alerted them to new information, and 34 percent of its physicians said the system was helpful.

How Do Alternative Payment Models Fit In With State And National Reform Efforts?

Health Affairs profiles the state-wide Medicaid payment reform effort being attempted in Oregon.

Hackers phish for advance word on healthcare mergers

A new report suggests that hackers targeting healthcare organizations are not just looking for PHI. Hackers have started targeting senior-level email accounts, looking for information that they can use on the stock market, specifically as merger and acquisition intelligence.

Morning Headlines 12/1/14

Cloud solutions firm 8K Miles buys electronic health record co SERJ

8K Miles, a technology company that offers cloud-based software solutions, acquires SERJ Solutions, a consulting firm focused on Epic EHR implementation support. 8K intends to use its newly acquired healthcare IT expertise to build a cloud-based healthcare solutions business.

Vista Equity Partners to Pay $1.1 Billion for British Software Maker

Vista Equity Partners acquires UK-based Advanced Computer Software Group (ACSG) for $1.14 billion. ACSG is a 20-year old EHR vendor with a growing market presence in primary care, home health, and mental health markets.

Google Glass Is Dead; Long Live Smart Glasses

MIT’s Technology Review forecasts the demise of Google Glass, but predicts that the first generation device has created enough interest in a glasses-based form factor that Google and others will continue working on it and eventually develop a glasses-based wearable with consumer appeal.

Electronic Health Records; How Will Students Learn If They Can’t Practice

An article in the Annals of Family Medicine calls on medical schools to incorporate hands-on EHR training into traditional medical education curriculum, despite concerns over the effect medical student contributions would have on billing practices and overall data integrity.

Morning Headlines 11/26/14

Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2015

ECRI publishes its annual list of health technology hazards, with inadequate alarm configuration topping the list, and incorrect or missing data in EHRs coming in second.

Nuance Announces Fiscal 2014 and Fourth Quarter Results

Nuance announces Q4 and FY2014 results: for the quarter, revenue was up 6.4 percent to $502 million, resulting in a net income of $107 million, EPS $0.33 vs $0.30. The company ended the year with $1.9 billion in revenue, up from $1.8 in FY2013.

Addenbrooke’s Hospital paperless system’s ‘significant problems’ reported

Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Epic’s first UK customer, is forced to divert incoming emergency department patients for five hours after the ED module became unstable.

MRMC’s fiscal year starts with a loss

The CIO of Magnolia Regional Medical Center (AR) reports that the hospital will need to return $287,000 in Meaningful Use incentive payments, despite passing what he describes as an “intense” MU audit.

Morning Headlines 11/25/14

EHR Program Announcement

CMS extends the Meaningful Use attestation deadline from November 30 to December 31.

Congress ponders health IT regs and the FDA, again

Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo) are collaborating on a new health IT regulatory bill that would eliminate FDA oversight and remove medical device tax requirements for most EHR and clinical decision support systems.

Validating drug repurposing signals using electronic health records: a case study of metformin associated with reduced cancer mortality

Researchers are turning to EHR data analysis to help them discover potential new uses for existing prescription drugs. Vanderbilt University and Mayo Clinic demonstrated the effectiveness of the approach after correlating metformin, a type-2 diabetes medication, with improved cancer outcomes.

AHA president and CEO to retire at the end of 2015

American Hospital Association president and CEO Rich Umbdenstock announces that he will retire at the end of 2015. AHA has engaged Korn Ferry, a national executive search firm, to find a replacement.

Morning Headlines 11/24/14

Beth Israel fined $100,000 for patient data breach

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center will pay a $100,000 fine after an unencrypted laptop containing personal information of 4,000 patients and employees is stolen. The Massachusetts attorney general’s office says that lax data security practices were to blame for the data being compromised.

Traditional primary care, meet next year’s model

The Advisory Board Company publishes a consumer survey focused on the growing retail clinic (Walgreens, CVS) model of delivering primary care, and what it means for traditional family practice offices.

Electronic health records project has been a failure

In Quebec, a local paper scrutinizes a $563 million government funded project that was scheduled to bring EHRs to all primary and secondary care providers in the province by 2010. The project is now four years behind schedule and looking at revised cost of $1.6 billion.

Morning Headlines 11/21/14

Emdeon to Acquire Change Healthcare

Emdeon announces that it will acquire Change Healthcare for $135 million. Change Healthcare markets a benefits management system focused on helping employees make the most of their health benefits,

Fiscal Year 2014 Top Management and Performance Challenges Identified By the Office Of Inspector General

The Inspector General of HHS publishes a list of the top 10 challenges it is facing. The list touches on a number of health IT initiatives, including: validating spending for federal and state health insurance exchange markets, and monitoring the EHR Incentive Program for fraud.

Can we predict the unpredictable?

Researchers at the University of Windsor unveil a forecasting algorithm that can monitor EEG waveforms and predict oncoming seizures in epileptic patients 17 minutes ahead of time.

Merge Healthcare to Introduce Merge One for Ambulatory Radiology at RSNA 2014

Merge unveils a new solution, called Merge One, which is designed to support ambulatory imaging centers. Its provides a RIS, PACS, financial system, universal viewer, cloud archive, document management, and business analytics.

Morning Headlines 11/20/14

CMS creates new chief data officer post

CMS names Niall Brennan, former acting director of CMS’ Offices of Enterprise Management, as its first Chief Data Officer. Brennan will oversee the newly created Office of Enterprise Data and Analytics.

Former Obama adviser Zeke Emanuel says digital health coupled with payment reform will vindicate ACA

Zeke Emanuel, a former healthcare advisor to President Obama, refutes the recent “stupidity of American voters” comments of MIT economist Jonathan Gruber, as well as his claim of being central to the drafting of the ACA. Emanuel says that Gruber was an outside consultant with limited influence on the legislation, that the ACA has already slowed healthcare spending, and that as value-based payment reform takes hold, VCs will respond by funding startups focused on expanding at-home and office-based care delivery.

New coalition hopes for no further ICD-10 delays

A group of 15 healthcare organizations that includes providers, insurers, vendors, and professional membership groups like CHIME and AHIMA, sent a letter to congress requesting that the October 1, 2015 ICD-10 implementation date be upheld this year.

Survey Reveals Private Option Impact on Hospitals

The Arkansas Hospital Association publishes a survey measuring the effect of implementing a state-level plan for expanding health insurance to low-income residents. The survey included responses from 80 percent of all Arkansas hospitals, and measured a 56.6 percent decrease in uncompensated care losses associated with uninsured patients. The decrease was attributed to a 46.5 decrease in uninsured inpatient visits, and a 35.5 percent decrease in uninsured emergency department visits.

Morning Headlines 11/19/14

John Glaser to join Cerner upon acquisition close

Cerner reports that Siemens CEO John Glaser will join Cerner as a senior vice president following the acquisition. Glaser will focus on driving technology and product strategies, interoperability, and government policy development.

Fitch Affirms Duke University Health System (NC) Revs at ‘AA’; Outlook Stable

Duke University Health System retains its AA bond rating despite a $65 million reserve adjustment tied to billing issues following its Epic go-live.

Armed Robbery Of Doctor Puts Brigham and Women’s Patient Info At Risk

Brigham and Women’s Hospital (MA) is notifying 1,000 patients of a potential PHI breach after an armed gunman steals a physicians computer and then ties him to a tree and demands his username and password.

HSE sets up internal audit into awarding of hospital contract

In Ireland, federal auditors are investigating a public hospital group that signed a sole-bidder contract for a clinical IT system after a local reporter discovered that the CEO of hospitals had previously consulted for the private firm that won the business.

Morning Headlines 11/18/14

International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) Testing -Acknowledgement Testing with Providers

CMS kicks off its first ICD-10 testing week, during which providers will be able to submit ICD-10 claims, and CMS will respond with an acknowledgement or a rejection.  Additional testing weeks will be held in March and June 2015.

Some New Frustrations as Health Exchange Opens

As the 2014/2015 health insurance enrollment period opens, sporadic but largely non-disruptive technical problems continue to plague both state and federal exchange websites. However, 23,000 people submitted complete applications in the first eight hours after Healthcare.gov opened on Saturday morning.

Strategic partnership between IWG, HIMSS and IHE focuses on EHR-HIE connectivity

HIMSS, the EHR/HIE Interoperability Workgroup, and Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise have formed a strategic partnership that will work to expedite the creation of national data exchange standards, and will develop EHR and HIE certification programs to independently validate vendor interoperability.

Morning Headlines 11/17/14

eHealth Initiative 2020 Roadmap

The eHealth Initiative publishes a HIT roadmap that focuses on improving interoperability and data access, while maintaining a focus on business and clinical adoption motivators.

Health IT Enabled Quality Improvement: A Vision to Achieve Better Health and Health Care

ONC publishes its own 10-year plan for advancing health IT capabilities. The plan focuses on advancing clinical decision support and laying the groundwork for standards-based interoperability.

£200 million eHospital system at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge under spotlight after incident in operating theatre

In England, executives at Addenbrooke’s Hospital are denying widespread problems with its recently finished $200 million Epic install, despite concerns voiced by its OR staff and technical issues with its blood transfusion analyzer interface.

Did Jonathan Gruber earn ‘almost $400,000′ from the Obama administration?

The Washington Post analyzes the financial compensation that MIT economist Jonathan Gruber, the “architect of Obamacare,” received for helping the administration draft the ACA. The media has been focusing on Gruber recently after a video of him surfaced in which he claims that the ACA was intentionally written to hide its true cost, in what was a successful effort to exploit “ the lack of economic understanding of the American voter.”

Morning Headlines 11/14/14

Capturing Social and Behavioral Domains and Measures In Electronic Health Records

The Institute of Medicine calls on ONC to mandate the inclusion of far more comprehensive social and behavioral health assessments as part of the MU Stage 3 requirements.

Personalised Health and Care 2020: Using Data and Technology to Transform Outcomes for Patients and Citizens

In England, the Department of Health publishes a “framework for action” that outlines its  ambitious digital transformation plans spanning the next five years.

Saving Patient Ryan — Can Advanced Electronic Medical Records Make Patient Care Safer?

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University compare pre and post-implementation data sets and measure a 27 percent reduction in patient safety events following the deployment of an advanced electronic medical record.

Former Shelby County Hospital CFO Guilty in EHR Incentive Case

The former CFO of Shelby Regional Medical Center (OK) pleads guilty in federal court to charges that he attested for Meaningful Use and collected $785,000 in incentive payments while the hospital was still almost entirely on paper. He faces up to five years in prison.

Meaningful Use. Born, 2009, Died, 2014?

UCSF School of Medicine Professor Bob Wachter, MD recall the history of the Meaningful Use program from inception to its current state, concluding that the ONC does not have the leadership to right the ship, and that the program should be scaled back and focused solely on interoperability, or altogether scrapped so that vendors can go back to developing features that customers are interested in.

Morning Headlines 11/13/14

New VA chief may fire 1,000 staffers over healthcare scandal

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald unveils a restructuring plan within the VA that he says will be the largest in the organizations history. As part of the shuffle, McDonald confirmed that 35 staffers will lose their jobs immediately as a result of the recent scheduling scandal, and that nearly 1,000 others are being pursued for “violating our values.”

Health Information Technology: An Untapped Resource to Help Keep Patients Insured

Researchers with Oregon Health and Science University publish a study in the Annals of Family Medicine that concludes that EHRs and health information exchanges are untapped resources that could be used as tools to support clinic-based efforts to help eligible patients maintain insurance coverage.

AMA backs interstate compact to streamline medical licensure

The American Medical Association calls on more states to adopt the recently finalized interstate provider licensure compact drafted by the Federation of State Medical Boards. The compact was written to help reduce barriers to telehealth programs, but only 10 states have adopted it so far.