HIPAA NEWS & ARTICLES
HIMSS10 in photos: Day one
Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:34:36 +0000

With "meaningful use" on the mind of every HIMSS10 attendee, Mark Leavitt, MD, CCHIT chair, presented at an EHR Certification Town Hall.
Chip Means
Consumers weigh in on top 10 meaningful use arguments
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:24:11 +0000
A Washington-based advocacy group has collected consumer and employer perspectives on the top 10 arguments concerning meaningful use. And with only a week left before the public comment period on meaningful use comes to a close, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is urging the public to weigh in with their own thoughts.
Molly Merrill
Blumenthal unveils proposed certification rule at HIMSS10
Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:31:04 +0000
David Blumenthal, MD, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, surprised a packed hall of attendees Tuesday afternoon at HIMSS10 with the release of the notice of proposed rulemaking on certification.
Blumenthal said he wasn't aware that the rule would be unveiled that day, but as hundreds gathered to hear the latest news from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, he agreed the timing was right.
Diana Manos
Docs using mobile apps at the point of care
Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:30:40 +0000
The introduction of a medical check list for the iPhone could be a benefit to providers as mobile technology is quickly being integrated into the care process.
Peter Waegemann, vice president of development for the mHealth Initiative, Inc. says so many health professionals have started using smartphones to help administer better care that some say they "don’t know how colleagues manage without them."
Kyle Hardy
Panel proposes reducing meaningful use measures
Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:56:19 +0000
Members of a federal health IT advisory group last week proposed to relax the number of measures that would be required for healthcare providers to demonstrate "meaningful use" of electronic health record systems.
The Health and Human Service Department's meaningful use workgroup crafted an approach members said strike a "middle ground" between too few and too onerous a set of measures of meaningful use necessary to qualify providers for financial incentives under HHS's health IT adoption plan.
Bernie Monegain
Top 10 health law issues for 2010
Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:47:33 +0000
With 2010 bringing a heightened focus on healthcare compliance, reform efforts and enforcement, providers should be aware of the legal ramifications that surround these issues, says law expert Stephen W. Bernstein.
Bernstein, a partner at international firm McDermott Will & Emery LLP, outlines the top ten health law issues for 2010. At number five is healthcare information technology.
1. Stark Law Self-Disclosure
Molly Merrill
Fast Company selects top innovators in healthcare
Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:29:09 +0000
GE, athenahealth, and Sermo are among the top 10 innovative healthcare companies named by Fast Company. Kaiser Permanente is the sole healthcare provider on the list.
Bernie Monegain
White House calls for new health IT task force
Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:09:21 +0000
The White House on Friday called for the creation of a government-wide task force to strengthen coordination of healthcare IT among federal agencies that hold key roles in carrying out the administration's plans for a digital healthcare system.
The plan, described in a memo from Office of Management & Budget director Peter Orzsag and Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius, sets up a way for agencies with heavy healthcare responsibilities to participate in planning healthcare IT projects set in motion by passage of the HITECH Act last year.
Mary Mosquera
Survey shows nurses spend most of their time on paperwork
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:03:03 +0000
A new survey of hospital nurses found that they estimate spending one quarter of their 12-hour shift on indirect patient care, with paperwork taking up much of the rest of their time.
Bernie Monegain
Five features missing from most EHRs
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:52:30 +0000
While EHRs are increasingly essential for healthcare providers, their efficacy can be constricted by the nature of their design, their use and the interpretation of data.
Nancy McCallum