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
Healthcare communicators prefer YouTube over other social media channels
A new study in the Journal of Communication in Healthcare on social media use among healthcare communications professionals reveals that YouTube is the preferred medium over LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
For ACO success, take a deep dive into the data
Rather than focusing only on the data presented when a patient appears for treatment, ACOs should drill down into the data to find patients with gaps in their care, according to Wanda Kochhar, founder and chief executive officer at analytics service provider Outcomes Health Information Solutions.
Athenahealth's Bush unimpressed by current VC funding for health IT
Jonathan Bush, CEO of Watertown, Mass.-based electronic health record vendor Athenahealth, is not impressed with the current levels of venture capital funding flowing into health information technology startups.
To ensure funds for your hospital's IT security efforts, be proactive
If you're looking to ensure funding for your healthcare organization's security efforts, you'd be wise to take a proactive approach, according to hospital IT personnel.
AMA: Computers in exam room don't have to be disruptive
Physicians' overall comfort with computers and communication skills determine whether technology is a positive or negative influence during patient visits, according to a new report from the American Medical Association board of trustees. The five-page paper, "Exam Room Computing & Patient- Physician Interactions" is being presented for approval to the AMA House of Delegates meeting this week in Chicago.
Medical center rolls out burn, stroke telemedicine programs; Availity study shows payers want info in real time;
AMA board discourages skipping ahead to ICD-11
Despite concerns about the relatively short timeframe to implement ICD-10, skipping ahead to ICD-11 is not a good alternative, according to a new report published by the American Medical Association's board of trustees.According to the report, such a move is "fraught with its own pitfalls."
Across the U.S., healthcare organizations suffer data breaches
More than 21,000 patients have been impacted by a trio of recent healthcare data breaches throughout the U.S.

