HL7 extends membership program to caregivers
Standards development organization Health Level Seven International announced on May 16 a pilot membership program and webpage to encourage clinician caregivers to participate in the process of developing standards for EHRs. MORE

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Can pharma align with physicians, payers and patients? May 18, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
In the current healthcare landscape, physicians, health insurers and patients want to know how well a drug will work and affect total medical costs. However, according to a report published May 17 by the Health Research Institute at PwC US, information provided by the biopharmaceutical industry no longer suffices.
FCC to vote on allocating broadband spectrum for mobile body area networks May 18, 2012 | Eric Wicklund - Senior Editor
The Federal Communications Commission will vote on May 24 on whether to allow the healthcare industry to use designated broadband space to develop and deploy mobile body area networks. If approved, the move would open the door to more and better uses of wireless monitoring both inside and outside the hospital setting.
Research drills down on regional readmission rates for heart failure May 17, 2012 | Kelsey Brimmer - Associate Editor
Differences in regional readmission rates for heart failure are more closely connected with the availability of care and socioeconomics rather than with hospital performance or a patient’s degree of illness, according to recently released research.
Federal blueprint frames out insurance exchange plans May 17, 2012 | Kaiser Health News - www.kaiserhealthnews.org
The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) on May 16 released guidance for states to provide details to the federal government on how they will run their online insurance marketplaces. Details are due to HHS by Nov. 16, 2012, according to the blueprint document.
HL7 extends membership program to caregivers May 17, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
Standards development organization Health Level Seven International announced on May 16 a pilot membership program and webpage to encourage clinician caregivers to participate in the process of developing standards for EHRs.
Poll shows Americans in favor of healthcare credits for organ donations May 16, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
The latest Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll finds that a majority of Americans believe live organ donors should be afforded compensation in the form of healthcare credits for their donation, and it should come from health insurance companies.
FDA issues alert on MS treatment May 16, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration alerted healthcare professionals and patients about the use of "liberation therapy" to treat chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency. The FDA said it has learned of death and injuries associated with the experimental procedure.
Study finds $20 billion in ineffective healthcare incentives May 15, 2012 | Stephanie Bouchard - Associate Editor
A report released May 14 by sales and marketing consulting firm ZS Associates found that 75 percent of compensation incentives are so small or poorly communicated that they do not produce the work outcomes healthcare employers expect to get.

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What you should know about data encryption May 15, 2012 | Michelle McNickle - Web Content Producer
A new report acknowledges that misconceptions about data encryption persist – even among people who are generally knowledgeable about computers. The report outlines what you should know about data encryption by debunking seven common myths.
What to study before purchasing cyber insurance May 14, 2012 | Michelle McNickle - Web Content Producer
There's no denying that data breaches pose an increasing threat to healthcare entities of all sizes. That's why current risk-management strategy calls for consideration of cyber insurance, according to a recently released report.
Cloud-related PHI security holes – and what to do about them May 02, 2012 | Rick Kam, CIPP - President and Co-founder, ID Experts
For all of its benefits, cloud computing poses very real dangers to covered entities responsible for safeguarding protected health information.
Worried about an OCR audit? Check these 3 areas April 25, 2012 | Michelle McNickle - Web Content Producer
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is in the midst of a pilot program through which it is performing spot-check audits of HIPAA covered entities for privacy/security and breach-notification compliance. Here are three “hot buttons” that could trigger an OCR audit.
8 ways a REC can help April 16, 2012 | Molly Merrill - Contributing writer
Kathryn Galbraith, MD, of Galbraith Family Medicine, LLC, in Limerick, Maine, shares with PhysBizTech some of the REC services that she found to be most useful for her practice.
Managing chronic conditions through automated patient engagement April 03, 2012 | Benjamin Littenberg, MD - CMO at Patient Engagement Systems.
The more physicians can enlist, partner and work together with chronic-condition patients, the greater the likelihood that they can increase care plan adherence and impart the behavioral and lifestyle changes that are key to improving clinical outcomes. By engaging patients, physicians can minimize avoidable emergency visits, hospitalizations and readmissions, placing them in an excellent position to collect bonuses for meeting quality metrics or share in savings.
Keep a watchful eye on 5010 claims denials while stepping toward ICD-10 readiness April 02, 2012 | Joseph Degati - Chief Technology Officer, Medical Management Professionals, Inc.
Daily vigilant monitoring of claim denials for all payers is the most precautionary way to reduce risks in revenue, as well as ensuring ongoing dialogue with billing system vendors, payers and clearinghouses regarding claim denials and corrective actions.
5 ways to prevent a health data breach April 02, 2012 | Geoff Webb
Although breaches at large healthcare providers tend to grab the most headlines, even smaller practices need to be on guard to prevent malicious attackers or simple human error from exposing their protected information.

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Getting Ready for ICD-10 April 10, 2012 | Resource Central
On October 1, 2013, U.S. providers will be required to move from the current ICD-9 coding standards to ICD-10 in their practice management and electronic medical record systems. The changes represented in ICD-10, while sweeping in their scope, are not beyond the ability of medical practices to adopt. The earlier you begin, the easier the changeover will be. In this whitepaper learn the basics of ICD-10, the differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10, the benefits ICD-10 will provide and what you should be doing now to prepare.
Code Red: Rescue Your Revenues April 10, 2012 | Resource Central
As healthcare costs and insurance premiums continue to rise at a pace far surpassing inflation, payers have responded to the mounting economic pressures by employing complex billing and coding rules to eliminate inappropriate payments. Lacking adequate error detection and research tools, the typical healthcare business suffers from a backlog of denied claims and diminished revenues.
Enhancing Cash Collections and Internal Controls April 10, 2012 | Resource Central
Healthcare co-payments now account for 20% of total revenue in the typical physician practice, but providers who have not adopted the current set of industry best practices generally only collect 50-60% of these payments. By implementing the best practices in this whitepaper, healthcare providers can increase collection rates to over 90% and decrease billing expenses, both of which contribute to wider operating margins and a healthier bottom line.
Physician Quality Reporting System Best Practices: Maximizing Medicare Reimbursements April 10, 2012 | Resource Central
As healthcare expenditures continue to rise, politicians and employers have sought after ways to slow the growth of healthcare expenses and the budget shortfalls which accompany these increases. While most solutions proposed to fix America's healthcare crisis have been met with intense debate and criticism, virtually all parties agree that efforts to improve prevention and the quality of care delivered are crucial for the success of any reform. In 2007, CMS took its first step towards “pay for performance” reimbursements by launching the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS). In this whitepaper, you will learn about the PQRS program and best practices for participation.
Integrating Faxes into Today's World of Healthcare e-Records March 19, 2012 | Resource Central
This white paper examines the obstacles preventing the move away from fax machines, and the benefits of having a communications system that integrates faxed documents into healthcare systems and solutions.
Making (the most) of Technology Transitions: EHR imperatives and opportunities in today's medical practice March 19, 2012 | Resource Central
Medical practices have been contemplating the prospect of moving from paper-based records to electronic health record (EHR) systems for decades. But relatively few have begun taking steps to make the transition – until now. This white paper examines the factors that have kept many medical practices from moving forward with EHR over the years and the factors that are prompting action today; explains some of the technological requirements of making the transition to EHR and how to begin to meet them; and explores the significant operational, clinical and administrative benefits to be gained in the process.
3 Steps to Faster EMR Adoption with Desktop Virtualization & SSO March 19, 2012 | Resource Central
The Meaningful Use objectives in the HITECH Act are creating new urgency for hospitals and other healthcare provider organizations to implement EHR and CPOE systems. This white paper outlines three key steps that your organization can take to accelerate EHR and CPOE adoption. Read on to discover out how the combination of desktop virtualization and single sign-on make it faster and easier to deploy new clinical applications while optimizing the clinician experience, protecting patient data, and reducing cost and complexity.
Enabling Fast and Secure Clinician Workflow with One-Touch Desktop Roaming March 19, 2012 | Resource Central
The move from paper-based medical records systems to electronic medical records (EMR) technology is improving patient outcomes, increasing clinician productivity, and lowering costs. However, access to patient information must not only be secure, but also fast, convenient and reliable. Technologies that provide security but frustrate clinicians will slow EMR adoption to a crawl. In this white paper, you’ll learn how you can solve this “last mile” problem and maximize user adoption by providing fast, convenient, secure access to EMR data across multiple clients, where and when the clinician requests it.

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Like it or not, MU is underway May 18, 2012 | Diana Manos - Senior Editor
No matter how you feel about the federal incentive program to drive the adoption of healthcare IT, the numbers speak for themselves.
Retirement and healthcare costs May 15, 2012 | Jeff Bogue - Bogue Asset Management
How can you account for rising healthcare costs within your retirement planning? Here are several things to consider.
ICD-10 essentials for busy physicians who would rather be doing something else -- depression and anxiety May 09, 2012 | Rhonda Butler - ICD-10, 3M
This post looks at documentation and coding in ICD-10 for people who typically are on prescribed antidepressants or anti-anxiolytics for something other than a formally diagnosed thought disorder.
Health exchange standards finally surfacing May 08, 2012 | Hannah King - Health Information Exchange
HIEs have to talk to each other in order to source data across cities and states so that information can be where the corresponding patients are. The technical capability is alive and well. All we need are standards to facilitate the movement.
The OCR audit documentation request list May 03, 2012 | Mac McMillan - Privacy and Security
This request for documentation is important because, not only does it inform the audit team about your programs, but it also informs their audit plans for you.
CMS, WEDI working out HIPAA 5010 issues May 02, 2012 | Carl Natale - ICD10Watch
Reimbursements are being held up without much help from the payers rejecting claims. Luckily the government is here to help.
I don’t really want my $127 MLR rebate check May 01, 2012 | David Williams - Health Business Blog
Health plans could relax their cost-containment initiatives if it looks like they are not spending up to the 80 or 85 percent mark.
Searching for meaning behind the numbers April 27, 2012 | Jeff Rowe - Contributing Editor
Evidence that care delivery and impact goals are being approached will be the true indicator of the HITECH program’s success.

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22-physician Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic selects the SRS certified EHR to pursue meaningful use May 18, 2012 | Industry Release
SRS, the leader in productivity-enhancing EHR technology and services for high-performance physicians, today announced that Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic has selected SRS' certified EHR for its providers eligible for the government's EHR incentives program. Upgrading to the SRS certified EHR enables Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic's providers to attest to meaningful use and earn the EHR incentives. Raleigh Orthopaedics is a well-established practice, known throughout North Carolina for the high-quality care its physicians deliver.
Kansas’ College Park Family Care Center switches to eClinicalWorks EHR May 14, 2012 | Industry Release
eClinicalWorks®, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, today announces that College Park Family Care Center, the largest non-hospital owned multi-specialty group in the Kansas City-area, has chosen eClinicalWorks comprehensive electronic health records (EHR) solution for its 91 providers across 12 locations. Designed to improve communication with access to real-time information, this initiative will aid the group in pursuing quality of care initiatives, including Meaningful Use and Patient-Centered Medical Home™ (PCMH) recognition.
SCOI selects the SRS certified EHR for its 32 physicians to pursue MU May 11, 2012 | Industry Release
SRS, the leader in productivity-enhancing EHR technology and services for high-performance physicians, today announced that the Southern California Orthopedic Institute (SCOI), one of the largest private orthopaedic practices on the west coast, has selected the SRS certified EHR for its providers who are eligible for government EHR incentives. Upgrading to the SRS certified EHR enables SCOI providers to attest to meaningful use in a highly efficient manner.
Chilmark Research examines changing HIE market May 10, 2012 | Industry Release
Even as the last of the federal funds earmarked for public health information exchanges (HIEs) run dry this year, rapid growth and evolution will continue to define the nascent HIE market, according to a report released this week by Chilmark Research. The report, 2012 HIE Market Report: Analysis and Trends, uncovers a market that is making a significant shift to serving healthcare organizations (HCOs) of all sizes -- what the report defines as the enterprise market.
UP and Beaumont Health System develop HIPAA-compliant interface May 04, 2012 | Industry Release
United Physicians, Inc. (UP) and Beaumont Health System have finalized a process for exchanging patient health information. To date, 3 million health records have been successfully transmitted.
MedAptus partners with Intelligent Medical Objects® in preparation for ICD-10 May 01, 2012 | Industry Release
MedAptus®, the market leader for charge capture technologies, today announced that it has selected Intelligent Medical Objects' IMO® Problem (IT)™ search engine for integration in its Professional Charge Capture solution. This advanced search capability will provide clinical end-users of MedAptus with a rapid diagnosis search experience along with a higher degree of search accuracy when completing charge documentation using the ICD-10 code set.
LifeMed ID partners with Resolute Health to launch the use of a health security smart card April 27, 2012 | Industry Release
LifeMed ID, a “Health Security Smart Card” software company providing patient identity management solutions and medical record connectivity across entire provider systems and disparate groups, has deployed its SecureReg™ software at Resolute Health in New Braunfels, Texas. The Resolute Health BeneFIT card will be issued at the Resolute Health Center for Wellbeing and the Resolute Health Family Urgent Care Center.
Emdat makes medical documentation more efficient with newest version of Inscribe April 18, 2012 | Industry Release
Emdat Inc., a leading provider of web-based medical documentation software, announces the newest release of InScribe, the HIPAA-compliant typing application designed to help clinical documentation specialists easily and quickly complete quality documents. InScribe version 4.109 boasts advanced voice recognition (VR) integration and Qualified Text capabilities.

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