ehealth initiative news from FierceHealthIT

Health information exchanges seemed to be floundering for a while, but now they're picking up momentum, if a new survey is any indication. The number of HIEs that report being operational and... Read more...

A new survey has concluded that health information exchanges being put into place between providers, hospitals, patients and payers may have some significant benefits. The survey, conducted by the... Read more...

> The Army is asking for input on how to roll out on how the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs can build a shared EMR system for inpatient care. Read more...

Establishing health information exchanges sounds good on paper, but in practice, it's hard to come up with a solid financial justification for keeping them going. So how do you keep a health information exchange alive? Among the key steps to take is to do a good job of determining what each stakeholder will want from the project--both financially and operationally--according to a Foundation for eHealth Initiative report released last week.

The group's Value and …

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While it might not have a direct effect on your strategy, getting consumer support for your health data exchange plans can't hurt. So you'll be happy to hear that according to a new study, consumers like the idea of secure health data sharing, particularly when they're educated about the details of how it works and why it's beneficial. The study, released by the eHealth Initiative Foundation, concluded that 70 percent of consumers favored the HIE concept. It also found that consumers need …

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A vast majority of states are taking critical steps to drive improvements in the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare through information technology. An issue brief released last week by the independent, non-profit eHealth Initiative (eHI) notes that 38 state legislatures have introduced 121 bills during 2005 and 2006 that specifically call for the use of health information technology (HIT) to improve patient care. Thirty-six bills passed in 24 states and were signed into law …

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States are showing signs of life when it comes to promoting regional health information organizations and other health data exchanges, according to preliminary results of a 165-program survey. Washington-based eHealth Initiative, an advocacy group, surveyed health data exchange programs in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. It found that twenty-four states have enacted legislation to facilitate data exchange initiatives, such as forming a task force to study issues or …

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