STANFORD, CA – Data mining and electronic health records helped researchers at some of the country’s most prestigious universities discover a dangerous of a common drug combination. A widely used combination of two medications may cause unexpected increases in blood glucose levels, according to a study conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University and Harvard Medical School. Researchers were surprised at the finding because neither of the two drugs – one, an antidepressant marketed as Paxil, and the other, a cholesterol-lowering medication called Pravachol – has a similar effect alone. The study relied on an adverse-event reporting database maintained by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and on sophisticated electronic medical records used by each of the three participating institutions. They used data-mining techniques to identify patterns of associations in large populations that would not be readily apparent to physicians treating individual patients. Click here to continue reading.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Data mining, EHRs help target dangerous drug combo
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Estonia launches $10 EHR
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Large populations, geographic disparities and legacy infrastructure problems can derail national health IT projects. Estonia suffers from none of these factors. The Baltic state implemented a national EHR in 2009 at a cost equivalent to €7.50 (roughly $10 USD) per citizen. Madis Tiik, CEO of the Estonian E-Health Foundation, who managed the project, described the short path to a fully integrated EHR network currently used by 47 pecent of the country's residents. Launched in 2009, the EHR is built on Estonia's X-Roads network, Tiik told attendees of eHealth Week 2011. X-Roads is a secure gateway service architecture that hosts 3,000 e-services available to Estonian citizens. In January 2010, the eHealth Foundation launched a companion health insurance system for claims, reimbursement and prescription management. "In many countries, I have seen that the task is to integrate the healthcare system," said Tiik. "There is also the concept of the personal health record. In Estonia, we decided that all this functionality will be in our national EHR." All end-users of Estonia's EHR system can access their full personal health records. There's nothing a physician can see that a patient cannot. And with nearly half the country's residents using the system within two years of its launch, the project appears viable for the long term. Click here to continue reading.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Former U.S. senators find common ground on health IT
WASHINGTON – Two former U.S. senators, one a Republican, the other a Democrat, do not have to cross the aisle to work together. Tom Daschle, the Democrat who represented South Dakota from 1987 to 2005, and Bob Bennett, the Republican who represented Utah from 1993 to 2011, pretty much see eye to eye these days – at least on the subject of health information technology. Healthcare information technology is a topic that is front and center at the Bipartisan Policy Center, which was founded by Daschle along with other former senators – George Mitchell, Bob Dole and Howard Baker. Bennett joined the center as a senior fellow this past February. [See also: Daschle withdraws from nomination for HHS Secretary.] On April 26, Daschle and Bennett joined the nation’s new healthcare IT chief Farzad Mostashari, MD, on a panel that explored the challenges of converting the nation’s healthcare system from one that is mired in paper to one that is digital and interoperable. Daschle described the U.S. healthcare system today as one that is not a system at all. “We have a marketplace and a collage of systems,” he said. “What we have is a 21st century operating room and a 19th century administrative room,” he told an audience gathered at the nation’s capital to hear the three men speak. Daschle said there are too many “stovepipes” in healthcare. It’s hard to find the right data at the right time, he said, and healthcare is the least transparent of all the sectors of the economy. “If you can’t see it, you can’t fix it,’ he said. On the fix-it end of it, Daschle sounded hopeful. “We are at the most transformational time in our nation’s history as it comes to health,” he said. Click here to continue reading.
Friday, April 15, 2011
HealthGrades launches new physician portal
DENVER – HealthGrades, a website for patients researching and selecting physicians, announced Wednesday the launch of a new Web-based tool that empowers physicians and practice administrators to take control of their online reputation. The free, secure Web application encourages ongoing physician engagement to verify and modify the information HealthGrades makes public in more than 750,000 online physician profiles. The HealthGrades Physician & Provider Portal is being officially unveiled at this week’s American Medical Group Association (AMGA) annual conference in Washington D.C. “As a physician, I understand the professional challenge doctors face in managing online information,” said Rick May, MD, HealthGrades vice president, accelerated clinical excellence. “But public reporting is here to stay and will likely only increase in scope. It is time physicians leveraged the power of the Web to benefit their patients and their practice. As the most heavily trafficked physician search site, HealthGrades is uniquely positioned to help.” HealthGrades’ enhanced Portal is designed to enable physicians to take control of their online reputation, offering them the opportunity to respond publicly to patient satisfaction ratings, and assisting doctors in actively attracting the most appropriate patients. For example, adding customized and detailed information about medical areas of expertise, and a brief description of practice style helps patients better match with the right physician who meets their specific needs and expectations. Click here to continue reading.
Friday, March 25, 2011
California Connects aims to put 61,000 people online
SACRAMENTO, CA – California Connects, a federally funded program designed to increase broadband access among underserved communities for improved access to resources like healthcare information, celebrated its official launch Wednesday at American River College in Sacramento. Officials said the debut of the program marks the start of a multi-year effort to address California's digital divide and help increase the number of broadband Internet users throughout the state by more than 61,000 people. [See also: Obama gives HIT the nod in State of the Union speech.] California Connects will involve intensive training and outreach to expand Internet usage in communities that still have limited access, with an emphasis on the Central Valley, where there is still a high concentration of residents not using the Internet. The program aims to provide thousands of underserved Californians with online tools and training to enhance their lifelong learning ability, improve their economic and healthcare status and advance their general quality of life. [See also: Studies: Health IT has big impact on rural and minority communities.] California Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla (11th District) joined California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott, Los Rios Community College District Chancellor Brice Harris, and Foundation for California Community Colleges President Paul Lanning to commemorate the launch of the program, made possible by a $10.9 million grant from the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Click here to continue reading.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Health IT boosts Indiana's patient care, economy
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana's health IT sector, which includes more than 72 growing technologies, along with health plans, life sciences companies, academic institutions, philanthropic organizations and state government, have bolstered healthcare and the economy of the state, according to a new report. The report, From Dishwashers to Digital Medical Records – Indiana's Leadership in Health Information Technology, from BioCrossroads, Indiana's initiative for investment, development and advancement of the state's signature life sciences strengths, was released Feb. 22 at HIMSS11 in Orlando. The BioCrossroads report lists 72 startups, 2,500 workers, and $202 million in company revenues as three new ways to measure the progress of Indiana's health information technology innovation cluster. It defines, for the first time, the HIT cluster as a specific sector of life sciences economic activity in Indiana, analyzing core assets and documenting a decade-long story of steady growth. Click here to continue reading.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
CGI delivers Medicaid EHR solution to Texas HHS
FAIRFAX, VA – CGI Group Inc. announced yesterday that it has delivered a turnkey Medicaid Electronic Health Record solution to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission that will allow the state to be one of the first in the nation to qualify for federal Medicaid EHR incentive payments. The package which encompasses both IT and business services includes a provider portal, call center support, provider verifications and payment distribution and the development of the provider appeals process. Call center support and business services will be provided by CGI’s office in Troy, Mich., while the IT and technology protion of the contract will be hosted in Phoenix. “CGI’s solution allows Texas to be one of the first states in the country to enable eligible providers and hospitals to receive Medicaid EHR incentive payments in 2011,” said Holli Ploog, vice president with CGI. “Our Medicaid Incentive360 offering meets the program’s complex requirements and staffing needs, while providing accountability and control through service level agreements and reporting.” CGI is delivering its solution via the state’s claims administrator, the Texas Medicaid and Healthcare Partnership. The two-year contract is valued at $8 million and includes three option years. Click here to continue reading. Follow this link to learn more.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
IT used to score top states in emergency preparedness
Here is a recent article about healthcare statistics: WASHINGTON – In a report that found states are showing the highest scores ever for health emergency preparedness, health IT is seen as a major indicator. Experts, however, caution that in order for states to close the gap on existing vulnerabilities an "ongoing investment to rebuild and modernize our public health system" is required. The eighth annual study, Ready or Not? Protecting the Public from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, was released by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. States received one point for achieving an indicator or zero points if they did not achieve the indicator. The data for the indicators are from publicly available sources or were provided from public officials. State preparedness scores: Click here to learn more.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Dell posts big Q3, credits healthcare business
ROUND ROCK, TX – Dell's profits more than doubled in the third quarter and its revenue was up 19 percent, thanks in part to continued growth of the computer maker's healthcare operations. Dell reported Thursday that, for the quarter ended Oct. 29, its income was $822 million – up from $337 million for the same period last year. Revenue, meanwhile, grew to $15.4 billion from $12.9 billion. (Year to date, the company’s revenue has grown 21 percent to $45.8 billion.) In a statement, Dell executives credited its strong role as a provider to the healthcare industry – specifically citing implementations at the Methodist Hospital in Houston and Western Maryland Health Systems in Cumberland, Md. In addition, Dell touted its precence internationally – such as its work helping the Songjiang Hospital in Shanghai to implement EMR systems and diagnostic image transfers. "Our strong results demonstrate that we are listening to customers and delivering what they want," said Chairman and CEO Michael Dell. "It validates that our strategy to offer choice and efficiency at every level of the IT enterprise computing stack is taking hold, and we are more focused than ever to being a true partner – not merely a provider – to our customers. Dell is growing in the right areas, and I’m very excited about our momentum." Click here to learn more.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tackling the EMR with planning and preloading
PORTLAND, MAINE – There is about a 50 percent failure rate for electronic medical record implementations, and most of those failures stem from poor planning and preparation, said a family physician who spoke at a regional extension center (REC) forum held for providers in Maine. Scott Patch, MD, practices in Yarmouth, Maine, and is part of a multi-specialty medical group called InterMed P.A., which has been using an EMR for about five years and is considered a “paperless” environment. Patch says when a practice is considering moving to an EMR the whole organization has to “buy-in.” In other words, everyone has to be onboard – even staff at check out. There is a “redistribution of work” said Patch. "There is going to be more and new work. For us it was our check out staff that required more training, The hardest part is maintaining good communication, said Patch. That is why it is important to identify a plan and choose a physician champion. “There is nothing more powerful” than choosing another doctor for this role, as doctors tend to listen to other doctors, he said. Part of an EMR plan is assessing what your practice does and doesn’t do well, said Patch. “The EHR represents a fundamental change to the way the office handles the movement of patients and information,” he added. Click here to continue reading.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
New program rewards top care from NYC docs
Here is a great article some new programs: NEW YORK – The Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI3) and the New York City Health Department's Primary Care Information Project have partnered to develop a program to recognize physicians who deliver high-value primary care to adult patients in New York City. The Adult Primary Care Recognition Program will help clinicians identify patients who need chronic care management and preventive services such as cholesterol management and blood pressure control – and encourage the doctors to take an active approach to treatment. Officials say the impact could be substantial, given the estimated 25 percent of New York City residents who suffer from hypertension, with less than half having their blood pressure under adequate control. By keeping people well, a key goal of this new program is to cut preventable hospitalization by 17 percent, reducing overall medical expenses in New York City significantly. "There are substantial avoidable costs associated with the management of chronic conditions," said Laurel Pickering, executive director of the New York Business Group on Health, a coalition of employer purchasers. "By reducing preventable complications incurred by most patients, we could considerably improve the health of employees and at the same time save employers billions of dollars." Click here to read more.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Kaiser gives 'magic' of its technology to speed move to digital healthcare
OAKLAND, CA – Kaiser Permanente is donating its Convergent Medical Terminology (CMT) for open access to help boost the country's transition from paper-based medical records to electronic health records. CMT underpins the Kaiser Permanente electronic health record called KP HealthConnect. Terms are captured within the EHR and turned into terms that patients can understand, Kaiser officials explained at the Sept. 29 announcement of its gift. For example, MI (for myocardial infarction) turns in heart attack, or HT translates to hypertension. David Blumenthal, MD, the national coordinator of health IT, said, "It's like a continuous translation of different languages." The donation of the Kaiser-developed technology would enable any vendor to incorporate the capability into their products and make them available to their clients. Kaiser Permanente is donating CMT, the results of years of work at Kaiser, to the International Healthcare Terminology Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO) for U.S. distribution through the Department of Health and Human Services so that all healthcare providers - large and small - can benefit from the translation-enabling technology. Click here to read more.
Friday, September 24, 2010
EHR market projected to double by 2012
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – The U.S. ambulatory EHR market, which was at $1.3 billion in 2009, is forecast to reach $2.6 billion in 2012, according to new analysis from research firm Frost & Sullivan. The rate of electronic health record adoption among U.S. physicians expects to increase over the next two to five years due to a combination of changes caused by healthcare reform and financial subsidies from the HITECH program, the report notes. "Today, many public and private stakeholders are committed to harnessing the power of information technology to improve the quality and efficiency of our healthcare system," states Frost & Sullivan Senior Industry Analyst Nancy Fabozzi. "We are finally seeing providers make the transition from siloed paper charts to interoperable electronic health records." Growing complexities in managing the reimbursement process with both government and commercial payers that reward quality over quantity in the care provided will increase the use of EHRs and related solutions for physicians and other clinicians, Fabozzi says. She predicts HITECH will indirectly stimulate the market by enticing additional stakeholders like commercial payers, professional medical societies, healthcare manufacturers, and various nonprofit organizations to help physicians and other providers successfully adopt information technology in their practices. Revenues are expected to fluctuate considerably over the next five to seven years, resulting in significant year-over-year shifts. This fluctuation happens as the market matures and increased competition comes into play, causing a decrease in pricing, she says. Strategic partnering with a variety of stakeholders is important for survival in this market as consolidation on both the vendor and provider side increases. Innovative, provider-focused, and patient-centric technology companies that understand how to manage this industry's unique combination of risks and rewards will achieve business progression. "Branding and outreach must extend beyond physicians to include non-physician healthcare providers, as well as healthcare consumers," notes Fabozzi. "Both should be directly engaged as advocates for the use of health information technology. Patients need to understand the role EHRs play in driving quality improvements and care coordination among all of their (physician and non-physician) providers."
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
HealthPartners to Study EMR Use for Decreasing Heart Risk
BLOOMINGTON, MN – A HealthPartners Research Foundation team has received a National Institutes of Health research grant to develop and implement an electronic health record-based clinical decision support system to help reduce patients' risk of heart attack or stroke.
The team, which is led by Patrick O'Connor, MD, senior clinical investigator at HealthPartners Research Foundation, was awarded $3.7 million to conduct the five-year study, "Prioritized Clinical Decision Support to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk."
"This is the next generation of personalizing care with decision support that's meaningful to care providers and patients," said O'Connor, who is also an assistant medical director at HealthPartners Medical Group. "HealthPartners Medical Group physicians and clinics have been pioneers in this area and this new project will likely lead to further improvements in care for thousands of patients."
The team, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, will engineer a point-of-care system that identifies and prioritizes evidence-based treatment options for patients at moderate to high risk for a heart attack or stroke within 10 years. With HealthPartners physicians, they will test its effect on risk in a randomized trial that includes 18 primary care clinics, 60 primary care physicians and 18,000 patients.
If successful, this approach will reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke for about 35 percent of adults in the United States and maximize the clinical return on investment for electronic health record systems. It could also be a model for using electronic health record technology to deliver personalized medicine in primary care settings.
Read the full article here.
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Thursday, June 17, 2010
New leadership steps up at EHR association
CHICAGO – Carl Dvorak, executive vice president of Epic Systems, has been elected chairman of the HIMSS Electronic Health Record Association, and Charles Jarvis, vice president of healthcare services and government relations for NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, has been elected to the vice chair.
The EHR Association announced its new chair and vice chair June 16, along with executive committee election results based on voting by the full membership during May and June.
The Association is composed of 44 companies that supply the majority of EHRs in use in hospitals and physicians practices in the United States.
Dvorak was a founding member of the association, now in its fifth year. He also served on the executive committee from 2004 to 2006, and was re-elected in 2009.
Jarvis was first elected to the executive committee in 2007 and has also served as chair of the Communications Workgroup, the Government Initiatives Workgroup and the Ambulatory Special Interest Group.
For the rest of the article, visit HealthCareITNews.com
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Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Enterprise HIE market poised to soar
FRAMINGHAM, MA – A recent study of health information exchange solution vendors shows enterprise HIEs serving integrated delivery networks, health, or hospital systems will be the fastest-growing market segment of HIE organizations in the coming two years.
The study, "Vendor Assessment: Industry Short List for Health Information Exchange Technologies," was conducted by IDC Health Insights, a Framingham, Mass.-based market research firm.
IDC researchers said enterprise HIEs are unlike regional health information organizations (RHIOs) and statewide or national HIEs, because they can establish a sustainable business model and are not as encumbered by organizational and data governance issues.
For the study, IDC evaluated 14 healthcare IT vendors, including Axolotl, Browsersoft/Open HRE, Carefx, dbMotion, eClinicalWorks, InterSystems, MEDecision, Medicity, MEDSEEK, Microsoft, Oracle, Orion Health, PatientKeeper, and RelayHealth.
IDC researchers said they chose the vendors because they are representative of the market and include leaders in the industry.
According to Lynne Dunbrack, program director at IDC Health Insights, the HIE vendor market is volatile with new companies entering the market and with market consolidation.
"We can expect dramatic changes in the next 12 to 18 months as HIE technologies become a commodity and dominant players acquire their way into a crowded market currently made up of many small, privately held vendors," she said.
IDC researchers said they put the vendors through a rigorous assessment for the study that centers around three principles IDC Insights says are critical in today's selection of an IT supplier: fact-based research, industry focus, and evaluation transparency.
IDC said the analysis is intended to help providers find the vendor best suited to their organization's existing IT environment and business needs.
Leaders of Informatics Corporation of America said the report demonstrates the enormous growth potential of health information exchanges (HIEs) in the next two years.
"The IDC report predicts the paradigm shift toward collaborative care through HIE models, which we see as a pivotal opportunity to drive improvements in the quality of medical care delivery and patient outcomes," said Gary Zegiestowsky, CEO of Informatics Corporation of America.
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Tuesday, May 18, 2010
EHR extension centers launch work in Big Apple
Today, the New York eHealth Collaborative and the NYC Regional Electronic Adoption Center for Health (NYC REACH) are ready to hit the road to other parts of the state.
They head next to Long Island, Syracuse, Buffalo, Binghamton, Albany and Tarrytown.
The effort to get New York's doctors on board with electronic medical records, will be a marketing and education campaign first, said David Whitlinger, executive director of the New York eHealth Collaborative.
The goal is to help at least 10,000 primary care providers convert from paper to digital records over the next two years. The centers are two of 60 at work across the country. Together, they aim to target 100,000 physicians who have not yet gone digital.
"With one of the nation's largest healthcare systems, New York State is leading the way for the adoption of electronic health records," said Amanda Parsons, MD, assistant commissioner of the Primary Care Information Project at the New York City Health Department. Parsons oversees the NYC REACH program, which served as model for the government's regional extension centers.
"We deploy EHR technology to improve healthcare and save lives across our health care system," Parsons said.
"The federal subsidies supporting adoption of EHRs will be available only for a couple of years, so it's important for primary care providers in New York to act now to take advantage of these programs while there are still funds available," Whitlinger said. "These free summits are a great way for clinicians to learn more about all the resources available to help them implement electronic health records in their practices. The sooner they start using EHRs to enhance patient care, the more stimulus funds they can earn."
The latest data shows that electronic health record adoption is picking up rapidly, with an estimated 27 percent of physicians using some kind of EHR, compared with 17 percent in 2007 and 21 percent in 2008.
"More than two-thirds of U.S. ambulatory physicians work in solo or small group practices, and this program will help providers in small practice settings, community health centers, public hospitals, and settings that treat underserved populations implement electronic health records to enhance care for their patients," said Parsons. "Our team of experts can provide valuable hands-on assistance to providers every step of the way, from evaluating and selecting an electronic health record system to implementing it most effectively to improve patient care and qualify for federal funds."
"It's crucial for healthcare providers to learn how to leverage electronic health records to improve patient care, and we are committed to giving them the concrete guidance they will need to do this most effectively," said Rachel Block, deputy commissioner for the New York State Office of Health Information Technology. "EHRs will help improve quality of care for New Yorkers while boosting efficiency and enhancing patient satisfaction. Today's health care consumers expect and deserve to receive care that is safe, convenient and tailored to their needs."
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Monday, April 26, 2010
EMRs at work at Detroit marathon
The study is believed to be the first time researchers have evaluated the viability of using electronic medical records for injury management and surveillance during a marathon, according to Christopher Guyer, MD, athletic medicine physician at Henry Ford Hospital and lead author of the study. Volunteer medical providers at the 2009 Detroit Free Press Marathon coordinated care for the 19,372 participants via laptops and a Web site.
Among the benefits of using an electronic medical record system were:
All medical team members were able to coordinate patient care in real time with other medical providers and hospitals.
Race organizers and staff could quickly assist families in locating injured marathon participants or spectators along the route.
Researchers will have data available to them that should improve the ability to identify trends in injury patterns and as such, improve the preparation for future mass participation events.
"Our study showed implementing an electronic medical record method in a mass participation setting is quite feasible and could eventually provide a wealth of data for study of injury trends," Guyer said. "It could also help medical providers better prepare for future large sporting events."
According to Running USA, a non-profit organization for the running industry, approximately 467,000 Americans complete a marathon each year, and with rising interest in the sport, has come the increased need for coordinated event coverage by qualified medical providers.
Guyer said that in preparation for the Detroit Free Press Marathon, an information technologist with the state's Medical Biodefense Network created a secure patient intake form and event log, accessible on the Internet. The form included basic demographic data for marathon participants and spectators, as well as fields for complaint, exam, treatment and disposition data. All patient information was stored on a secure server and patient confidentiality was maintained as records reflected race bib numbers or unique identifiers generated by the application.
Medical providers from Henry Ford Hospital and the Detroit Medical Center were able to access the Web site by using a unique username and password, and with one training session were able to use the system easily, Guyer said.
During the marathon, military-grade mobile laptop computers equipped with cellular data cards were issued to medical providers. One laptop was located at each remote first aid station and one was at the main medical coordination center. An electronic event board was also available in the coordination center, viewable by medical command staff. The equipment was provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Hospital Preparedness Program.
"Data from the 216 runners and spectators who sought medical attention was entered in real time by medical providers and was immediately viewable by other providers on the network of aid stations," Guyer said.
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Tuesday, April 13, 2010
'Dream team' could lead healthcare IT strategy
At least that's the assessment of Kerry Weems, who spent 25 years in senior roles at the Health and Human Services Department and was acting administrator of CMS from Sept. 2007 until the Obama administration took over.
"I think that's exactly the kind of team you need to drive results with health IT and not just drive the money out the door," said Weems, now senior vice president for health strategy at Vangent, a provider of information and business process services.
Berwick is a strong proponent of evidence-based medicine, while Blumenthal is leading the campaign to direct the use of health IT in ways that would yield scientifically relevant data on healthcare treatment and practices. The White House confirmed on Wednesday that President Obama would nominate Berwick, a Harvard health policy professor and a pediatrician, to take the reins of CMS. Berwick is also president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a not-for-profit organization that strives to improve healthcare quality worldwide.
If confirmed by the Senate, Berwick will become CMS' first permanent administrator since 2006. Charlene Frizzera has been acting administrator since January.
History of public advocacy
Berwick has a long history of research, public advocacy of patient safety, science and evidence-based medicine, Weems said.
CMS has a critical role in carrying out the health reform law. Medicaid, the agency's program for low-income households, will expand health coverage for millions more Americans in 2014. The agency must also phase in billions of dollars in cuts to Medicare, the insurance program for seniors, without diminishing the program over the next 10 years.
More immediately, CMS will direct about $25 billion in payment incentives to qualified physicians and hospitals that become meaningful users of electronic health records starting in 2011 as called for by the stimulus law.
The expected Berwick nomination may follow the logic that led to the choice of Mark McClellan, MD, a physician and academic and the most recent permanent CMS administrator, Weems said.
McClellan was nominated following the passage of "fairly sweeping" Medicare modernization legislation and held that position from 2004 until 2006, Weems noted. When leading a large organization like CMS, the administrator or the deputy administrator has to have strong executive skills, Weems said. In addition to being an academic and physician, Berwick has experience as an executive leading a healthcare improvement organization.
Marilyn Tavenner, the CMS principal deputy administrator, also has strong management and executive skills, he said. She was previously Virginia's health secretary.
If confirmed, Berwick faces an extremely challenging first couple of years, Weems said. "That's a very big job in normal times. And these are extraordinary times."
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Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunny Outlook for Small Practice EMR Adoption, Meaningful Use Cloudy
Cambridge, Mass.-based NaviNet, America's largest real-time healthcare communications network, conducted the survey via email earlier this month, targeting physician practices with 10 or fewer physicians. The survey generated 269 responses.
NaviNet compared its March 2010 survey with one conducted in August 2009 and found that EMR implementation was higher than expected among this segment. In 2009, only nine percent of respondents from provider practices with 10 or fewer physicians reported that they planned to implement EMRs within the next six months. Six months later in 2010, 12 percent are currently implementing.
EMR PLANS UP
The survey found that 17 percent of respondents say their offices will implement a new EMR by end of 2011. Of those, 68 percent will do so within the next 12 months. If EMR adoption follows previous growth rates, the industry can expect an even higher percentage of practices implementing EMRs than predicted, NaviNet projects.
The percentage of respondents with no plans to implement an EMR has decreased significantly, the survey found. In 2009, 31 percent reported they had no plans to implement EMR. In 2010, only 21 percent say the same.
ADOPTION DRIVERS
The NaviNet survey indicates that nearly twice as many provider offices' IT buying decisions are driven by concern about not being reimbursed versus the potential to earn incentives.
In 2010, when respondents were asked what external factors were influencing their offices' decisions about changes to technology, 53 percent said CMS mandates––a 14 percent spike over 2009.
Administrative concerns continue to be a pressing issue for providers, more so than clinical concerns or potential financial incentives. Nearly the same percentage of respondents in 2009 and 2010 cited the need to manage their practices' administrative overhead more effectively as a driver behind IT adoption––44 percent in 2009, 45 percent in 2010.
The survey results show that the opportunity to receive incentives from ARRA after meeting the CMS criteria for "meaningful use" of technology is becoming more important; in just six months the percentage of respondents that said ARRA was driving technology adoption more than doubled––12 percent in 2009 to 27 percent in 2010.
MEANINGFUL USE
That said, the survey found that in 2010 most practices are still unsure or unaware of meaningful use reporting requirements and nearly half of practices say ARRA will not impact their technology buying decisions:
* Only about one quarter (26 percent) of respondents said that they plan on following CMS' guidelines for meaningful use to qualify for incentive payments provided by ARRA;
* More than 60 percent (63 percent) said they were unaware or unsure of what the meaningful use reporting requirements are; and
* Nearly half of respondents (48 percent) said that meaningful use requirements will not impact their EMR buying decisions.
"The NaviNet survey results are encouraging, as they suggest that small physician practices are getting more serious about HIT adoption," said Brad Waugh, president and CEO of NaviNet. " Furthermore, it is also encouraging to see federal incentive programs having more of an impact on IT adoption. However, it is clear that opportunities remain for education about how to meet Federal requirements. Providers would benefit from knowing that a wide variety of IT solutions, in addition to EMRs, will satisfy their office's business requirements and also the clinical criteria for Meaningful Use. Many physicians already have these solutions in their offices—so additional investment could be minimal or unnecessary."
ADOPTION BARRIERS
In 2010, nearly 50 percent of NaviNet survey respondents said that cost remains the biggest barrier to EMR adoption. Other barriers cited by respondents were:
* Forty-six percent of physicians said they are not ready to pursue adoption;
* Twenty-seven percent of practices say they do not need an EMR; and
* Twenty-six percent of practices do not how they will achieve return on investment.
Click here to view graphs from the study.
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