News

E-mail effective for treating anxiety

E-mail therapy was found to be effective for treating anxiety patients, according to a trial of 62 patients conducted by professor Nazanin Alavi, M.D., of King's University in Ontario.

Security, regulatory challenges persist for medical devices

No single entity, healthcare delivery organization, manufacturer or technology company can mitigate all the risks that security threats pose to healthcare data, according to Dale Nordenberg, M.D., executive director of the Medical Device Innovation, Safety and Security Consortium.

ED computer simulations don't focus enough on physician relationships

In a study published online this week in BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, researchers set out to present an alternative simulation approach, where physicians and their delegates in the ED are "modeled as pseudo-agents in a discrete event simulation." They then compared the new model with a traditional approach, which focuses more on patients than providers.

Colorado to pilot telemedicine for inmates

The Colorado Department of Corrections and Denver Health Medical Center are gearing up for the launch next month of a telemedicine pilot for treating inmates.

Deloitte's Harry Greenspun: As data goes digital, CIO security challenges grow

Deloitte Center for Health Solutions technology specialist Harry Greenspun wants to let healthcare CIOs know they're about to have their hands full, yet again; as they gather more data, he says, they must secure it, as well.

Online pharmacist care helps hypertensives sustain lower BP

Web-based pharmacist care is an effective method for helping hypertensive patients to sustain low blood pressure, according to research published online this week in JAMA Internal Medicine.

CCHIT: Interoperability breakthrough near

The healthcare industry is on the verge of a breakthrough in interoperability as "plug and play" capability becomes more than a dream, according to a whitepaper published by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT).

WEDI brings together state collaborative organizations on ICD-10

By all accounts, a majority of organizations are behind schedule in implementing ICD-10 and the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) is doing something about that. The group this week launched a new initiative to bring together state collaborative organizations to help reduce the time and cost for implementation, as well as to bring greater efficiencies to the process.

Request for data on Boston Marathon bombing victims draws privacy protests

An attempt to collect information on patients treated during the Boston bombings by the city's Public Health Commission for disaster preparedness and response planning purposes is being treated as a potential HIPAA violation.

Marin General Hospital on the right path to fix CPOE safety issues

Fixing IT safety issues goes beyond training and board meetings and union action, as providers at Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae, Calif., are showing.

Hospital workers spending too much time on Facebook

In a new study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, researchers who set out to determine the impact personal Internet use has on acute clinical settings discovered that Facebook took up a substantial amount of staff time in an observation period.

Analytics will be the 'nervous system' of ACOs

A new report from the Institute of Health Technology Transformation (iHT2) resonates a familiar theme: Analytics are the key to population health management and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).

State Medicaid anti-fraud units to use federal funds for data mining

A new rule from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General allows states to use federal funds for data mining in their fight against Medicaid fraud.

CPOE glitch causes patients to receive wrong meds, nurses say

A glitch causing medication orders to be passed on to the wrong patients is just one of several problems with a new computerized physician order entry system being implemented at Marin General Hospital, according to nurses at the Greenbrae, Calif., facility.

Patience will define Tavenner's tenure, health IT leaders say

The ability to listen first and take action second has been key to Marilyn Tavenner's success in leading the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services since 2010, according to several FierceHealthIT Editorial Advisory Board members. However, they say, how well she continues to practice such patience in the face of politics will be what ultimately defines her tenure at CMS.

Implanted cardiac devices could be subject to tampering

Sensors made to pick up a heart's rhythm in implanted cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers could be subject to tampering, according to research from the University of Michigan.

Maturity model offers guidance for ACOs

Electronic health record technology alone will not be sufficient to implement accountable care, according to a new report.

Algorithm helps to predict stroke risks

A new predictive tool in the form of a risk algorithm--dubbed QStroke--can help to identify and treat patients at risk of having a stroke, according to research recently published in BMJ.

New technology IDs brain trauma via wireless signals

A new study published in PLOS One highlights how wireless signals could transform brain trauma diagnostics, via new technology developed at the University of California, Berkeley--in the form of a coil-like device that fits around one's head like a helmet.

Bed management a hot opportunity in hospital software market

Bed-management applications represent one of the hottest software markets in HIMSS Analytics' new report, "Essentials of the U.S. Hospital IT Market." The report profiles 24...