HCPro.com: EHR Connection

EHR Connection is your connection to all the information you need to make your electronic health record efforts successful. You'll get tips each week on topics such as vendor selection, evaluating return on investment, getting buy-in from physicians and much more.

September 1, 2008 (Volume 5, Issue 35)

Missing flash drive contains 1,200 Texas patients' AIDS, HIV information
A Harris County Hospital District employee probably violated federal law when she downloaded medical and financial records of more than 1,000 patients with HIV, AIDS, and other conditions onto a flash drive that was either lost or stolen, The Houston Chronicle reported August 7.

Massachusetts requires EHRs in hospitals, health centers by 2015
Massachusetts will require hospitals and community health centers to use interoperable EHR systems if they seek to obtain or renew licenses to operate in 2015 and beyond, Federal Computer Week reported August 11.

California migrant farm workers to have PHRs
California will fund a project to provide PHRs for approximately 5,000 migrant farm workers and their families, Government Health IT reported August 6.

PPV: Clean up your MPI before implementing an EHR
HIM directors concur—duplicate medical record numbers are extremely difficult to manage. Correct one duplicate in the master patient index (MPI), and another one pops up right behind it. This should come as no surprise because industry experts cite a 3–40% duplicate rate for most hospitals, depending on how proactive they are in not only identifying duplicates but also in preventing their creation. Anyone who doesn’t find these numbers alarming should consider the potential effect on patients.

Tip: Failure to produce electronically stored information may lead to sanctions
The e-discovery amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), which govern civil proceedings in federal courts, adapt existing rules and concepts to electronically stored information.

Other recently-published articles from EHR Connection:

Report addresses work force needs pertaining to EHRs

MIT hosts EmTech08 Conference

HIMSS announces award recipients

PPV: Understand the details of PHRs to serve as a valuable patient resource

Tip: Technology facilitates release of information

Notice: Last issue of EHR Connection

Grants totaling $18.9 million to aid EHR implementation, health IT adoption

Milwaukee area physicians are trendsetters in EHR adoption

EHR success requires examination of the big picture

PPV: Attention to detail, information exchange process makes Oregon DHS a compliance success story

Tip: Protect your electronic perimeter with a firewall policy

Notice: Second to last issue of EHR Connection

Patients’ medical records made public in Atlanta hospital snafu

USA Today commentary lists many reasons for slow EHR adoption

Presidential election has potential healthcare IT side effects

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