Morning Headlines 4/19/13

Roper will buy Managed Healthcare for $1 billion

Medical and industrial equipment maker Roper Industries, which acquired Sunquest last year, will buy Florham Park, NJ-based Managed Healthcare Associates for $1 billion in cash. Shares of Roper picked up 86 cents to $121.40 in aftermarket trading following the announcement of the deal.

The next-generation electronic health record: perspectives of key leaders from the US Department of Veterans Affairs

In a recent JAMIA article, senior VA clinical and informatics leaders are interviewed to identify common goals and ideas for a next generation EHR.

Med Student Brings Software to Clinton Global Initiative University

A University of Vermont medical student is working on a secure text-based communication platform that will allow patients to text pharmacists with medication questions.

15 patients possibly given wrong antibiotic after lab error at Regina General Hospital

In Canada, a computer bug in the lab system of Saskatchewan-based Regina General Hospital resulted in erroneous sensitivity reports that led to 15 patients being treated with inappropriate antibiotics.

Morning Headlines 4/18/13

Mostashari defends vendor fee proposal

Farzad Mostashari, MD, defends ONC’s EHR vendor fee proposal by arguing that “having an assured funding base for the agency’s certification program would reduce uncertainty for the industry.”

Lawmakers push Hagel on DoD-VA interoperability

Chuck Hagel has cancelled DoD’s RFP searching for a system to replace its homegrown AHLTA system, saying that the agency would publish clarifying plans shortly.

HIT Q1 2013 Funding and M&A Report

Mercom Capital Group just published its quarterly review of health IT investments. There was $493 million venture capital funds invested this quarter, with Health Catalyst ($41M), xG Health Solutions ($40M), and NantHealth ($31M) inking the largest deals.

Use of Smartphones to Collect Information about Health Behaviors: Feasibility Study

The CDC is doing feasibility studies to investigate potential research bias in using smartphones to collect health information from participants. Specifically, they are looking to verify that selecting only participants that own smartphones for a study does not result in unintentional bias.

Morning Headlines 4/17/13

GOP senators raise concerns with push for electronic medical records

Six Republican senators criticize HITECH, saying that EMRs are increasing healthcare spending, that the government lacks a sound interoperability plan, and that the adminsitration is more interested in pushing money out the door than achieving specific goals.

Bioinformatics experts join Cedars-Sinai to develop personalized treatments based on patients’ DNA

Zhenqiu Liu, PhD has joined Cedars-Sinai as the director of bioinformatics in the Department of Medicine’s Hematology/Oncology Division. Lui will be developing highly personalized treatment plans for patients by uncovering the way individual genes and gene sequences respond to specific therapies.

Impact of Providing Fee Data on Laboratory Test Ordering

A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine concludes that presenting fee data to providers at the time of order entry resulted in a modest decrease in test ordering.

Apps4Tots Health Challenge 

ONC has launched a new challenge which calls for programmers to make use of the Healthdata.gov data API and TXT4Tots message library, a library of short, evidence-based messages focused on nutrition and physical activity, to create a new platform aimed at curbing pediatric health issues by educating caregivers.

Morning Headlines 4/16/13

Fulton County Hospital Selects Healthland EHR Technology to Improve Patient Care and Increase Productivity

Fulton County Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital located in Salem, AR, has selected Healthland’s Centriq EHR.

athenanet, athenahealth’s suite of cloud-based services for health care providers, certified for Cerner interoperability

athenahealth has received "gold status" interoperability certification from Cerner after passing performance tests that measure athena’s ability to exchange clinical data using Cerner’s architecture and communication protocols.

E-Prescribing Market By Hardware, Software, Services, End-Users, Products & Deployment – Global Forecasts To 2017

The e-prescribing market is forecast to realize sustained 26 percent annual growth over the next five years to become a $794 million market by 2017.

When Your M.D. Is an Algorithm

The Wall Street Journal covers big data algorithms designed to help curb prescription drug abuse.

Morning Headlines 4/15/13

Outrage as eHealth record sign-up squads hit Australian hospital patients in bid to boost numbers

Australia’s $1 billion eHealth system has sparked widespread criticism after recent reports reveal that only two hospitals are using the system and only 414 patient records have been entered. The eHealth system went live nine months ago.

University of New Mexico Hospital Lays Off 57

University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque will lay of 57 medical transcriptionists after outsourcing transcription services to Nuance.

Computer issues strike at Memorial

Equipment failures result in system downtime and diversion at Memorial Hospital of South Bend’s emergency department.

Florida Hospital Co. Sued Over Scheme To Sell Patient Info

Adventist Health System/Sunbelt is being sued after accusations that emergency room workers have been selling medical records to chiropractors and tort lawyers.

Morning Headlines 4/12/13

New ONC fee proposal scares health IT sector

ONC releases its budget plan for 2014, which includes a 28 percent increase in funding and a proposal to introduce a new fee structure for EHR vendors.

athenahealth Inc. vs CareCloud Corporation

athenahealth files a patent infringement lawsuit against competitor CareCloud, citing a 13-year-old practice management patent.

Statistical blunders blamed for death rate scare at Leeds heart unit

In England, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals suspend all children’s heart surgeries after skewed EHR data erroneously spikes mortality rates.

Cerner Hits 52-Week High

Shares of Cerner hit a new 52-week high at $95.54,  a 40 percent increase since its 52-week low on October 23, 2012.

Morning Headlines 4/11/13

Mining Electronic Health Records Reveals Clues Of Harmful Drug Reactions

Researchers at Stanford University, using sophisticated analytics and EHR data looking back 15 years, were able to clearly substantiate harmful drug side effects years before an alert was issued from the FDA. Researchers conclude that data analytics will be a powerful compliment to the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System.

NYeC Asks New Yorkers to Help Shape State’s Healthcare Future – Vote on Patient Portal for New Yorkers Prototypes

The New York eHealth Collaborative is turning to state residents to select its final patient portal design. The designs up for vote were all submitted in an earlier eHealth Collaborative design challenge that asked residents to create a patient portal for New Yorkers, by New Yorkers.

Jonathan Bush, Live from TEDMED: Health Care is Broken; Find the Frontiers

Jonathan Bush, athenahealth chairman, president, and CEO, has been tapped to speak at TEDMED next week in Washington DC, where he will discuss alternatives to healthcare’s pay-for-service revenue model.

Electronic Media–Based Health Interventions Promoting Behavior Change in Youth

A recently published article in JAMA Pediatrics correlates substantial behavioral changes to certain mHealth interventions that target adolescent health issues.

Morning Headlines 4/10/13

Administration pushes toward electronic medical records

CMS and OIG both propose rules extending the safe harbor exceptions to both the Stark Law and the Federal Anti-Kickback Law that are set to expire on December 31, 2013. The laws would otherwise prevent hospitals and health systems from subsidizing EHRs for practices that refer patients to the organization.

Tavenner Moves Closer to CMS Confirmation

Marilyn Tavenner, acting head of CMS, received bipartisan support at her confirmation hearing Tuesday, taking her one step closer to becoming the agency’s first confirmed administrator since Mark McClellan, MD, PhD left the post in October 2006.

My first 100 days as Allscripts CEO

Paul Black provides some perspective on the transformation he is leading at Allscripts.

Did Jon Stewart Foil The Pentagon’s Health Records Plan?

Following a groundswell of negative media coverage and the appointment of former VA deputy administrator Chuck Hagel, the DoD seems to be revisiting the idea of adopting VistA in order to more efficiently move toward a central, integrated EHR.

Morning Headlines 4/9/13

Medical device alarm safety in hospitals

The Joint Commission issues a Sentinel Event Alert after it receives 80 reports of deaths between 2009-2012 that were related to alert fatigue.

The big-data revolution in US health care: Accelerating value and innovation

A new report published by McKinsey & Company claims that big data models could lead to $300 billion to $450 billion in reduced healthcare spending annually, or 12 to 17 percent of the $2.6 trillion spent on healthcare in the US.

Catholic Health Initiatives and Accenture Apply Analytics to Identify Health Risks Among Patient Populations

The 78-hospital system Catholic Health Initiatives and Accenture have announced a collaborative nine-month project during which big data analytics tools will be developed to identify at-risk patients within CHI’s patient population. The initiative will also focus on enhancing CHI’s data warehousing capabilities.

AliveCor Names Industry Veteran Dan Sullivan President and CEO

AliveCor, the smartphone-enabled ECG company, announces the appointment of Daniel Sullivan (previously of SuperDimension, Inc.) as president and CEO.

Morning Headlines 4/8/13

HP’s Chairman Steps Down, Two Directors to Depart

John Hammergren, chairman, president, and CEO of McKesson, will leave HP’s board after 46 percent of shareholders opposed his re-election, due largely to a failed acquisition strategy that has resulted in $17 billion in losses since 2010.

Cambridge signs with Epic

Epic signs Cambridge University Hospital and Papworth Hospital, with go-live scheduled for October 2014.

Wake Forest Baptist has cost overruns, revenue loss with electronic records system

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center cites struggles with implementing Epic as the primary reason for its nearly $50 million operational loss during Q2. Moody’s has downgraded the hospital’s credit rating from A1 to Aa3.

21 Most Admired Companies Making IT A Competitive Advantage

Health systems make up nearly 25 percent of the companies listed in the recently published report, “21 Most Admired Companies Making IT A Competitive Advantage.” Kaiser Permanente, HCA, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Intermountain Healthcare all made the list.

Morning Headlines 4/5/13

Policy Committee ponders CommonWell influence

Farzad Mostashari, MD, and Judy Faulkner discuss the ramifications CommonWell will have on interoperability during this weeks ONC HIE workgroup.

Baylor Quality Alliance Selects Greenway for Participation in EHR Program

Greenway announces a partnership with Baylor Health Care System to provide ambulatory EHR’s for its cmomunity physicians.

HIMSS Analytics Honors Florida Hospital Carrollwood with Stage 7 Award

120-bed Florida Hospital Carrollwood, an Aventist Health System facility and Cerner shop, is awarded HIMSS Stage 7. 

EHR Adoption Encouraged by State Meaningful Use Acceleration Challenge 2.0

ONC has renewed the state Meaningful Use accleration challenge with new benchmark goals for the 2013 year.

Morning Headlines 4/4/13

Former VA CIO Baker heads to Agilex

Recently resigned Roger Baker, CIO of the VA, has found a new home at Agilex, a government contracting firm specializing in software development, cloud computing, and mobility.

JAMA: Current EHRs Lack Large-Scale Data Capabilities

A recent viewpoint article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that as data-heavy sciences like genomics, epigenomics, and proteomics advance, health systems will be forced to look beyond the storage capacity of their EHRs to keep up with data storage needs.

Intermountain Healthcare pays $25.5 million to settle claims allegations

23-facility health system Intermountain Health has agreed to pay $25.5 million to settle claims that it violated the Stark statute after admitting that over a decade, it illegally paid bonuses more than 200 of its referring physicians.

ONC HIE workgroup offers interoperability suggestion

ONC’s Health Information Exchange workgroup met today to discuss possible policy solutions for promoting interoperability.

Veterans Affairs Backlog Files Stacked So High, They Posed Safety Risk to Staff

A recent PBS story on the now nationally followed VA claims backlog describes a Winston-Salem, NC office that had folders stacked so high that they posed a safety risk to employees and further delayed the approval process because needed folders were often stored layers deep in claims piles. The weight of the paper eventually created a structural problem when inspectors realized that the sheer weight of the combined folders exceeded the load-bearing capacity of the building itself.

Morning Headlines 4/3/13

Nuance Jumps After Investor Carl Icahn Reports 9.3% Holding

Wall Street billionaire Carl Icahn, known for his longstanding history of executing hostile corporate takeovers, reveals that he currently holds a nine percent stake in Nuance. Should he manage to seize control, Nuance would very likely be reorganized, forcing out failing business units and consolidating the rest. Shares rose eight percent in after hours trading on the news.

WMC health records now electronic

238-bed Weirton Medical Center, WV, goes live on its $30 million Siemens Soarian EHR implementation.

Mo. Senate passes required telemedicine coverage

The Missouri Senate has approved legislation requiring insurance companies to cover medical services provided electronically if they cover for the same service delivered in person.

February 2013 EHR Incentive Program

CMS has paid $12.7 billion in Meaningful Use incentive payments through February.

RazorInsights Hires Former Siemens RVP Karl Kiss to Drive Sales

Karl Kiss, regional vice president at Siemens, moves to RazorInsights taking over as VP of sales and marketing.

Morning Headlines 4/2/13

Doctors firing back at patients’ online critiques

The Boston Globe covers the story of a Boston-based surgeon who is suing her deceased patient’s husband after he posted an unflattering review of her care.

Mixed results on computer-based support for diabetes

Researchers at University College London complete a systematic review of 16 control trials exploring the effect online and mobile diabetes management tools have on overall disease management. The study concludes that the tools had a positive but minor effect on glycemic control, with computer-based tools resulting in a net 0.2 percent drop in HbA1c levels, while the mobile tools yielded a 0.5 percent decrease. Four in ten tools showed a positive effect on lipid panels. The tools had no measured effect on weight, health-related quality of life, or depression.

H.R. 1331: Electronic Health Records Improvement Act

HR 1331, a bill that if enacted will create a Meaningful Use hardship exemption for providers approaching retirement age and small physician practices, is getting lots of media attention this week despite being given one percent odds of making it to vote and zero percent odds of being enacted. Its identical predecessor, HR 6598, was proposed on November 16 and died in committee, which is where HR 1331 now resides.

MMRGlobal Expands Licensing Initiative in Advance of Stage 2 Meaningful Use Patient Engagement Requirements

MMRGlobal announces that it will ramp up efforts to cash in on its patient portal patents, specifically declaring that it will expand its licensing efforts to include hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, laboratory systems, pharmacies, mass merchandisers and other vendors and providers.

Morning Headlines 4/1/13

Death of patient at Royal Derby Hospital leads to new system ‘to alert staff of medication needs’

In England, the Royal Derby Hospital implements an eMAR system after a patient’s DVT prophylaxis medication was skipped three times over nine days. During her stay the patient fell, broke her hip and then subsequently developed a fatal pulmonary embolism.  The coroner found that even though the appropriate fall precautions had been in place, the omission of DVT prophylactics "more than minimally contributed to the development of the DVT and was therefore a contributing factor in her death."

Hospitals Question Medicare Rules on Readmissions

An article in the New York Times questions the fairness of CMS’s new readmissions penalties, citing critics that say hospitals should be looking for ways to improve care for patients who are still in the hospital rather than managing the patients’ personal lives post-discharge. The article also questions the fairness of using readmission rates as a basis for penalizing hospitals. It does, however, acknowledge that since CMS’s October initiation of penalties, readmission rates have dropped from 19 percent to 17.8 percent.

Hospital implementing new electronic health record system

49-bed Keokua Area Hospital, of Keokua, IA, goes live with CPSI.

Tablet Computers Acceptable for Reading EEG Results, Mayo Clinic Study Says

Mayo Clinic physicians in Arizona have shown that tablet computers can be used to analyze EEG results. The objective of their study was to determine whether a tablet is an acceptable alternative to a laptop for remote EEG interpretation. The findings showed that the tablet cost significantly less and weighed less and had a comparable screen resolution as compared to the laptop.

Monday Morning Update 4/1/13

From DailyShowFan: “Re: Daily Show. Did anyone see the 3/27 segment where Jon Stewart, a steady advocate for veterans’ rights, takes on the interoperability challenge with AHLTA (DoD) and VistA (VA)? Sad reality, but it’s good to see him bringing this specific healthcare IT issue to wider attention.”

From KB: “Re: St. Mary’s Hospital, Waterbury, CT. Finally pulled the trigger to put down their awful, botched [vendor name omitted] LIS after being live only eight months. They just signed a $1million+ contract for Sunquest.” Unverified.

From The PACS Designer “Re: Qubole. A next-generation cloud service focusing on building a new cloud data platform is Qubole. Their solutions use Hadoop, Hive, and Pig software to solve Big Data issues for cloud services.”

Half of readers have contacted their primary care provider via e-mail or secure messaging. New poll to your right: do you expect to stop working for your current employer in the next 12 months?

Meditech specialist Park Place International leases space in Worcester, MA for what will apparently become the company’s US headquarters, logically positioned near Meditech.

ONC seeks public input as it updates the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan, allowing reading and adding comments for 10 topics related to consumer e-Health

In the UK, Royal Derby Hospital implements an electronic MAR after an inquest determines that a contributing factor to the fall-related death of an 89-year-old patient was three missed doses of enoxaparin.

A Mayo Clinic study finds that tablet computers can be used to analyze EEG results outside the hospital or clinic.

A New York Times article questions whether hospitals should be held financially responsible for managing readmissions by, as it says, “managing the personal lives of patients once they are released” instead of focusing on other ways to improve care. Experts drily note hospitals with high mortality rates would appear to be more successful in managing health since dead patients can’t be readmitted. A health policy expert says readmission metrics are convenient, but not accurate.

Keokuk Area Hospital (IA) goes live on CPSI.

Medseek’s Client Congress will be held in Austin, TX April 15-17.

A former Apple employee recounts in a story called “2 Letters from Steve” the touching story of e-mailing Steve Jobs in 2010 to ask if he could take an iPad, which had not yet been released and thus was highly secured, to show a terminally ill friend who was not expected to live out the week. He received the above response three minutes later.

Vince continues with the HIS-tory of Meditech this week.

Contacts

Mr. H, Inga, Dr. Jayne, Dr. Gregg, Lt. Dan, Dr. Travis.

More news: HIStalk Practice, HIStalk Connect.

Morning Headlines 3/29/13

Lahey Health Invests in New Electronic Health Record System for Better Coordinated Care

Lahey Health announces that it will implement Epic across its health system beginning in June of 2013.

MEDHOST Names Barbara Bryan Vice President of Consulting

Barbara Bryan (Bryan Advisory Group) joins MEDHOST as VP of consulting. She will initially focus on integrating consulting services into the sales and delivery cycle of MEDHOST’s new patient throughput solution PatientFlow HD.

Empower Individuals through Health IT to Improve Health and Health Care

ONC launches the Planning Room, a website designed to collect public input on the federal health IT strategic plan.

Wolters Kluwer’s online move injects life into health business

Wolters Kluwer is seeing promising returns as it moves its health publishing content sales from paper to the web.