Quality and Safety
The majority of Americans aged 18 to 26 are taking an active role in maintaining their health by seeing a family physician at least once a year for checkups and preventive services, and would see them more often if they provided conveniences such as online appointments, according to a new poll released by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
A new online network launched Tuesday allows providers and pharmacists to seamlessly report adverse drug events via electronic health records and other online services.
The opt-in legislation for Maine's health information exchange was met with "clear opposition" by providers throughout the state, but a revised version that is pending the governor's approval, would make it a mandate that providers who are participating in the HIE provide their patients with a separate form to opt-out.
Hudson River HealthCare (HRHCare) in Peekskill, NY, has been named the single finalist for the 2011 HIMSS Community Health Organization Davies Award, which recognizes excellence in leveraging electronic health records to improve healthcare delivery.
At the close of the Health Data Initiative Forum held on Thursday, Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra announced StartUp Health, a strategic initiative designed to improve access to capital, education and resources for health and wellness entrepreneurs.
Virtua, the largest comprehensive healthcare system in Southern New Jersey, announced Wednesday it is offering a free online personal health record – one that its founder calls a "hybrid PHR" – to consumers living in the three counties that it serves.
A new research study investigates the challenges that pen and paper workarounds or computerized communication breakdowns pose to the use of electronic health records. Understanding these challenges may lead to improved coordination of care supported by health IT.
No matter what happens politically or in policy circles, "seismic shifts" are going to occur in healthcare, and IT needs to be a major part of reshaping the landscape, according to H. Stephen Lieber, president and CEO of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
The Bipartisan Policy Center's Health Project has launched a Task Force on Delivery System Reform and Health IT. The Task Force, co-chaired by former Senate Majority Leaders Tom Daschle and Bill Frist, now co-leaders of the Health Project, includes 24 health system experts and leaders.
After decades of fits and starts, electronic health records adoption is becoming reality, thanks in no small part to the federal incentive program for "meaningful use" of EHRs. But the health IT industry still has plenty of room to evolve.