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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.

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EHR Connection

Issue 44, November 3, 2008

• Report addresses work force needs pertaining to EHRs

  The American Health Information Management Association and the American Medical Informatics...

• MIT hosts EmTech08 Conference

  A panel of EHR experts addressed topics such as privacy, interoperability, liability, and physician...

• HIMSS announces award recipients

  The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) announced the recipients of the...

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

  This scenario is becoming increasingly common: A patient presents to the HIM department and...

• Tip: Technology facilitates release of information

  Release of information is a business function that requires a dedicated software application that...

• Notice: Last issue of EHR Connection

  HCPro is sorry to report that this is the final issue of EHR Connection. We thank you for being a...

Issue 43, October 27, 2008

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

  The Health Resources and Services Administration is distributing nearly $19 million in grants to...

• Milwaukee area physicians are trendsetters in EHR adoption

  A survey by the Wisconsin Medical Association has found that 21% of the state’s hospitals...

• EHR success requires examination of the big picture

  Wide-reaching collaboration to address medico-legal concerns inherent in EHR implementation is...

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

  Kyle Miller, CISSP, has spent nearly three decades in information technology (IT), including work...

• Tip: Protect your electronic perimeter with a firewall policy

  A firewall policy describes the management of an organization’s firewalls and other perimeter...

• Notice: Second to last issue of EHR Connection

  HCPro is sorry to report that next week’s issue of EHR Connection will be the last. We thank...

Issue 42, October 20, 2008

• Patients' medical records made public in Atlanta hospital snafu

  Human error—not hackers—is apparently to blame in a security breach that affected 45...

• USA Today commentary lists many reasons for slow EHR adoption

  A laundry list of reasons explains why only 13% of U.S. physicians have transitioned to an EHR...

• Presidential election has potential healthcare IT side effects

  Pressure by health insurers on hospitals to contain costs has contributed to increased use of...

• PPV: Keep your staff members' e-mail private and secure

  In an era of instant connectivity, many physicians find that sending PHI and other confidential...

• Tip: Adopt encryption policy to ensure confidential data remains secure

  The Internet is an open, public communications medium not subject to centralized control. Sound...

Issue 41, October 13, 2008

• GAO report reviews advantages, risks of IT in healthcare

  Advances in information technology (IT) can improve the quality and other aspects of healthcare...

• Vermont to evaluate its investment in health IT

  The state of Vermont wants to know what it will get for its money when it subsidizes the...

• Grant awarded to help fund EHRs for Oregon's migrant workers

  The Regence Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to the Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation to...

• PPV: Develop a plan for system downtime, slowness, and glitches

  “The system is down” are four words no HIM director ever wants to hear.

• Tip: Define these terms in EHR documentation policy

  An EHR documentation policy establishes the expectation that every clinician will use the EHR to...

Issue 40, October 6, 2008

• Conference to assess current state of health IT

  The eHealth Initiative will host its fifth annual conference and awards dinner December 3–5...

• Researcher says fear about lost competitive advantage stalls HIEs

  Stakeholders’ fear of losing their competitive advantage is slowing the development of heath...

• New device keeps patient medical information always close at hand

  Patient information is now available in a flash at one California healthcare system, The Salinas...

• PPV: Ensure your place at the EHR decision-making table

  There are leaders and there are followers. And during the labor-intensive process of an EHR...

• Tip: Ensure security of portable computers, media with detailed policy

  Portable computers and electronic media containing or used to access confidential data are at...

Issue 39, September 29, 2008

• Cost still deters many hospitals, physicians from implementing EHRs

  Despite years of effort to transition from paper to electronic medical records, cost and...

• National Quality Forum endorses new voluntary health IT standards

  The National Quality Forum (NQF) announced August 29 that it has endorsed nine new national...

• Holland to require EHRs for everyone involved in children's healthcare

  All Dutch institutions involved in children’s healthcare must implement EHRs by the end of...

• PPV: Clean up your MPI before implementing an EHR

  HIM directors concur—duplicate medical record numbers are extremely difficult to manage...

• Tip: Compile list of 'make or break' criteria when selecting EHR system

  Organizations in the process of selecting and implementing an EHR should compile a set of vital...

Issue 38, September 22, 2008

• California legislation aims to protect patient privacy

  California lawmakers are responding to repeated incidents of patient privacy with legislation that...

• South Dakota eHealth Collaborative seeks physicians for EHR demonstration

  South Dakota’s eHealth Collaborative seeks applications from physicians in small and...

• Three Washington communities to participate in EHR banking project

  The Washington State Health Care Authority will spend $1.7 million to finance EHR banking projects...

• PPV: Covered entity pays for a potential HIPAA violation

  HHS has thrown down the gauntlet; HIPAA violations may now come with a price. HHS and Seattle-based...

• Tip: Include desired EHR functional specifications when requesting proposal

  Organizations in the process of selecting and implementing an EHR should incorporate their desired...

Issue 37, September 15, 2008

• HHS Town Hall to focus on medical identity theft

  HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology will sponsor a Town...

• Illegible prescriptions no longer a problem at Kentucky medical center

  Jokes about physicians’ illegible penmanship are a thing of the past at St. Elizabeth Medical...

• Health IT offers many opportunities for return on investment

  Experts say healthcare providers and health information exchanges can demonstrate a return on...

• PPV: Train billing and coding staff members on HIPAA

  Coding and billing staff members don’t have much face-to-face interaction with patients, but...

• Tip: Duty to preserve electronically stored information exists outside FRCP

  The e-discovery amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), which govern civil...

Issue 36, September 8, 2008

• Canada aims to provide EHRs for all citizens by 2016

  Canada’s EHR projects increased by 12% during 2007 and have quadrupled since 2004, according...

• Experts predict increasing use of health IT will create thousands of new jobs

  Careers relating to how healthcare providers generate, store, and mine medical information are...

• Privacy advocates say PHRs offer patients convenience at a price

  Patients now have the ability to gather their health information—hospital visits...

• PPV: Avoid the ’dirty little secret’ inside healthcare

  Curiosity. Malice. Efficiency. Rivalry. To be helpful. To be hurtful. Because they have a brief...

• Tip: Electronically stored information subject to subpoena

  The e-discovery amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), which govern civil...

Issue 35, September 1, 2008

• Missing flash drive contains 1,200 Texas patients' AIDS, HIV information

  A Harris County Hospital District employee probably violated federal law when she downloaded...

• Massachusetts requires EHRs in hospitals, health centers by 2015

  Massachusetts will require hospitals and community health centers to use interoperable EHR systems...

• California migrant farm workers to have PHRs

  California will fund a project to provide PHRs for approximately 5,000 migrant farm workers and...

• PPV: Clean up your MPI before implementing an EHR

  HIM directors concur—duplicate medical record numbers are extremely difficult to manage...

• 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...

Issue 34, August 25, 2008

• UCLA Medical Center under fire for failure to protect patient privacy

  The scandal involving unauthorized access of computerized patient records at UCLA Medical Center is...

• New Mexico implements EMR systems in public health offices

  The New Mexico Department of Health has implemented electronic medical record systems in its public...

• PPV: What you may not know about HIPAA: Interesting facts and little-known requirements

  You probably have a thorough knowledge of HIPAA—protecting patient information is a big part...

• UCSF professor estimates cost of nationwide EHR implementation at $150 billion

  A California professor says that full implementation of networked EHRs in physician offices and...

• Tip: Scheduling and planning production of electronically stored information

  The e-discovery amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which govern civil proceedings...

Issue 33, August 18, 2008

• 800,000 Medicaid patients' information instantly available in database

  The South Carolina Health Information Exchange (SCHIEx) has made the medical histories of 800,000...

• ACLU tells Congress to 'go for the gold standard' in transition to EHR systems

  The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wants standards for conversion to electronic patient...

• 50,000 state employees in Minnesota to have online access to medical records

  Minnesota’s 50,000 state employees will have online access to their health records as early...

• PPV: Train patient access staff members on HIPAA

  Editor’s note: The following article is the fourth of five in a series about effectively...

• Tip: Production requests extend to electronically stored information

  The e-discovery amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which govern civil proceedings...

Issue 32, August 11, 2008

• Overhaul of Texas foster care system includes EHR implementation

  The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has implemented an EHR system for the more than...

• Lost, stolen computer equipment put Indian Health Service patients at risk

  Computers with sensitive medical information are among 5,000 items lost or stolen nationally by the...

• Medicare to adopt carrot-and-stick approach to encourage e-prescribing

  Medicare will adopt a system that rewards providers who prescribe electronically and penalizes...

• PPV: Presidential election casts uncertainty on HIPAA

  The presidential election is still months away, and presumptive nominees John McCain and Barack...

• Tip: Address e-discovery issues early to prepare for Rule 26(f) conference

  The e-discovery amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which govern civil proceedings...

Issue 31, August 4, 2008

• Failure to adequately protect patient information results in $100,000 fine

  Providence Health & Services will pay a $100,000 and has agreed to a corrective action plan to...

• And the EHR winners are . . . payers and patients, but not providers

  A recent study on the value of computerized order-entry systems for clinical use found that most of...

• Survey reveals concern about security of computerized medical records

  A recent Harris Poll reveals that most American adults believe computerized medical records are at...

• PPV: Medical identity theft an increasing challenge

  It’s a hot topic everywhere—in television commercials, movies, and on the nightly news...

• Tip: Inadvertent production of privileged information and 'claw back' agreements

  The e-discovery amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which govern civil proceedings...

Issue 30, July 28, 2008

• ONCHIT initiative focuses on medical identity theft

  HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) will...

• New Jersey insurer invests in medication safety initiative

  Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) will invest up to $500,000 in select...

• Boston Globe editorial questions patient interest in PHRs

  An editorial in the July 2 edition of The Boston Globe regarding the agreement that gives Blue...

• PPV: HIPAA housekeeping: Focus on these periodic tasks to ensure compliance success

  You wouldn’t drive your car to work every day without performing regular oil changes, or let...

• Tip: Understand the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and limitations of e-discovery

  The e-discovery amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which govern civil proceedings...

Issue 29, July 21, 2008

• PHR proponents adopt privacy standards to encourage use, assuage fears

  The shared goal of persuading more people to store their medical records online has served as a...

• New York Times editorial chastises U.S. physicians for slow EHR adoption

  Adoption of EHRs by American physicians is disturbingly slow and if the conversion from paper to...

• European Union initiatives aim for cross-border EHR interoperability

  The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union (EU), has launched two health...

• PPV: Ask these questions to define your legal health record

  Unlike clothing, “one size fits all” is not an option when defining a legal health...

• Tip: What litigants need to know about e-discovery

  Discovery, the process by which litigants obtain information held by other parties to a lawsuit, is...

Issue 28, July 14, 2008

• Survey finds size of physician practice a good indicator of EHR adoption

    Nearly half of the nation’s physicians practice in small offices, either alone or...

• NAHIT, ONCHIT announce health information technology definitions

  The National Alliance for Health Information Technology (NAHIT) has finalized definitions for six...

• EHR expansion to create Wisconsin's largest patient database

  Ministry Health Care will begin using an EHR software suite already in use at Marshfield Clinic...

• PPV: Understand e-discovery and what it means for you

  Facilities that don’t know exactly where their PHI resides are less prepared to defend...

• Tip: Ambulatory EHRs offer variety of CDS benefits

  Ambulatory EHR systems often include a set of clinical decision support (CDS) tools. This is the...

Issue 27, July 7, 2008

• CCHIT approves final criteria, accepting applications

  The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) has published its 2008...

• Massachusetts Blue Cross to partner with Google Health

  Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts will be the first insurer to allow its members to import...

• Idaho e-prescription program expanding

  The Idaho Physicians Network and its parent company, Primary Health, Inc., have begun expansion of...

• PPV: Prepare for the worst, hope for the best

  Most HIM directors think a disaster will never occur at their hospitals. And although channeling...

• Tip: List of CDS benefits in ambulatory EHRs continues

  Ambulatory EHR systems commonly include a set of clinical decision support (CDS) tools. This is the...

Issue 26, June 30, 2008

• ONCHIT releases comprehensive plan to advance health IT

  HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) released a...

• California establishes database to fight prescription drug abuse

  California Attorney General Jerry Brown has announced a plan to provide physicians and pharmacists...

• Cleveland Clinic leading the way in health information technology

  Renowned for its cardiovascular care, the Cleveland Clinic has also positioned itself as a leader...

• PPV: Don’t make a hasty decision when selecting an EHR vendor

  A hasty EHR vendor selection can lead to frustration at best or a failed implementation at worst...

• Tip: More benefits of ambulatory EHR clinical decision support tools

  Clinical decision support (CDS) tools are a common component of ambulatory EHR systems. This is the...

Issue 25, June 23, 2008

• HHS selects 12 participant communities for EHR demonstration project

  HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has named the 12 communities that will participate in a nationwide...

• Walter Reed latest target in string of security breaches affecting federal government

  A security breach at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, and other military...

• Texas physicians slow to join EMR bandwagon

  A survey by the Texas Medical Association reveals that only a third of the state’s...

• PPV: Audit logs, e-mail, videotapes and ... dentists?

  Q: Our system generates audit logs that capture all accesses and updates to patient information...

• Tip: Ambulatory EHR systems offer variety of clinical decision support tools

  Ambulatory EHR systems generally include a variety of clinical decision support (CDS) tools. This...

Issue 24, June 16, 2008

• Security experts say online health records at greater risk than financial data

  The launch of Google Health, a repository for PHRs, has created concern among security experts that...

• Congressional Budget Office questions projected EHR financial benefits

  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has discounted earlier projections of large cost savings...

• Baltimore area hospitals, retirement communities to exchange health data

  Erickson Retirement Communities and three hospital systems in the Baltimore area will create a...

• PPV: Prepare for a security audit

  The secret to handling a potential security audit is preparation. So, prepare your policies and...

• Tip: More definitions to aid in the transition from paper records to an EHR

  The transition from a paper medical record to an EHR isn’t simply about accessing patient...

Issue 23, June 9, 2008

• CMS to select 12 EHR demonstration participants

  CMS will select 12 participants for a Medicare EHR demonstration project from among more than 30...

• California bows to health insurers, encourages more PHR use

  The results of a survey of California’s major health insurers have inspired the state’s...

• MRI announces 2008 TEPR awards

  The Medical Records Institute (MRI) has announced the 2008 TEPR (Toward the Electronic Patient...

• PPV: Physicians-Blog without violating patient privacy

  Imagine a place where physicians can support each other in difficult situations, discuss...

• Tip: Assess staff readiness for EHR implementation

  Preparing the people involved in and affected by a transition from paper records to EHRs is often...

Issue 22, June 2, 2008

• Staten Island hospital waits four months to notify 88,000 patients of data breach

  A computer stolen from Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) during December 2007 contained the...

• Privacy advocates urge Congress to ensure e-prescription laws protect information

  The Coalition for Patient Privacy, a group of 25 organizations including the American Civil...

• Illinois upgrades Medicaid database to reduce medical errors, redundant care

  The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has upgraded its database containing...

• Illinois upgrades Medicaid database to reduce medical errors, redundant care

  Illinois physicians treating Medicaid patients can now review their prescription histories and...

• PPV: Don’t make a hasty decision when selecting an EHR vendor

  Hasty EHR vendor selection can lead to frustration at best or a failed implementation at worst...

• Tip: Points to ponder about PHR policies

  If PHRs are or will become part of your organization’s health information system, ensure that...

Issue 21, May 26, 2008

• AMA encourages e-prescribing by physicians

  The AMA highlighted its support for e-prescribing and outlined steps to advance efforts to...

• CMS announces PHR pilot project in South Carolina

  CMS is expanding its efforts to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to use Internet-based resources to...

• New Hampshire governor sets lofty EHR goal for Citizens Health Initiative

  Governor John Lynch of New Hampshire has directed the Citizens Health Initiative to develop a plan...

• PPV: Outsource your data storage-Reduce stress and remain HIPAA compliant without breaking the bank

  Dan Novak, the information technology (IT) manager at Euclid Insurance in Itasca, IL, helps the...

• Tip: Begin transition to electronic format with archived records

  Organizations that have yet to transition their medical records from paper to EHRs should consider...

Issue 20, May 19, 2008

• Medical identity thieves strike it rich with sophisticated techniques

  Identity thieves are using increasingly sophisticated methods to steal patient information from...

• Savvy healthcare consumers do their homework before selecting PHRs

  With approximately 200 options for PHR storage available on the market, healthcare consumers...

• Kaiser Permanente provides outpatient EHR access to 8.7 million

  All of Kaiser Permanente’s 8.7 million enrollees in nine states and the District of Columbia...

• PPV: Handle medical record amendments as you move to EHRs

  The HIPAA privacy rule (section 164.526) permits patients to amend their medical records, and as...

• Tip: More definitions to ease transition from paper records to EHRs

  New technology usually requires a new language and EHRs are no exception. These definitions can...

Issue 19, May 12, 2008

• Security breaches threaten privacy of hundreds of thousands of patients nationwide

  Hackers aren’t the problem—the main threat to protecting the privacy of computerized...

• 'Holy trinity' makes hospital data especially enticing to identity thieves

  Hospital data breaches exposed more than 1.5 million names attached to patient health information...

• Security officers say they know the rules, but is patient information really safe?

  Physicians can’t cure the common cold and the healthcare industry apparently can’t stop...

• PPV: Outsource your data storage-Reduce stress and remain HIPAA compliant without breaking the bank

  As information technology (IT) manager at Euclid Insurance in Itasca, IL, Dan Novak is responsible...

• Tip: Add these acronyms to your EHR dictionary

  As more healthcare providers transition from paper records to an electronic record, health...

Issue 18, May 5, 2008

• Most New Hampshire hospitals joining technology bandwagon

  Kathy Bizarro, executive vice president of the New Hampshire Hospital Association, says that most...

• Medical Records Institute announces new TEPR Award

  Medical Records Institute (MRI) recently announced a new TEPR (Towards the Electronic Patient...

• E-mail is what the patient wants, but not what the doctor ordered

  U.S. physicians like the convenience of e-mail for nonurgent medical issues, but recent surveys...

• PPV: Don’t let voluminous paper overwhelm you during transition to an EHR

  Imagining a time when medical records are simply a mouse click away may be...

• Tip: Answers to some FAQs about EMRs

  Emerging technology is raising questions in HIM departments where a transition to EMRs has occurred...

Issue 17, April 28, 2008 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Schwarzenegger addresses security breaches affecting spouse, other celebrities

  California governorArnold Schwarzenegger told The Sacramento Bee that his administration is working...

• Electronic medical record use in physician offices increasing steadily

  Only 29% of U.S. office-based physicians use EMRs, according to a 2006 Centers for Disease Control...

• E-prescriptions increasing, but still a rarity overall

  The number of electronic prescription transactions in Texas has quintupled since 2005 to 1.8...

• PPV: Ensure that your remote coding program’s security is up to par with CMS guidance and HIPAA

  Devices and tools used to store and transmit electronic protected health information (ePHI), such...

• Tip: Anticipate patient-driven amendments when selecting an EHR

  The HIPAA privacy rule permits patients to amend their medical records—and recognition of...

Issue 16, April 21, 2008

• Stolen NIH laptop computer contained more than 1,200 Social Security numbers

  National Institutes of Health (NIH) officials acknowledged that a laptop computer stolen in...

• New York Times editorial urges mandatory encryption in aftermath of NIH theft

  The New York Times wasted no time after the theft of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) computer...

• AHIMA responds to New York Times editorial, endorses greater privacy protection

  ”The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) strongly supports the concept...

• PPV: Think outside the box when thinking about EDMS

  Electronic Document Management Systems (EDMS) have existed for many years and have served varying...

• Tip: Use these strategies during negotiations with EHR vendors

  The devil is always in the details. This is especially true with respect to complex business deals...

Issue 15, April 14, 2008

• Minnesota healthcare providers receive loans for interoperable EHRs

  The Minnesota Department of Health has approved the first of two loans under the state’s new...

• Vermont information technology group supports fees to encourage EHR use

  In an about-face, Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL) officials have told state lawmakers...

• Online consumer rating service adds healthcare categories to its Web site

  Physicians, hospitals, and health insurers now face the same sort of consumer scrutiny as handymen...

• PPV: Expect increased patient-driven amendments with EHRs

  The HIPAA Privacy Rule (section 164.526) permits patients to amend their medical records, and as...

• Tip: Use these strategies to select the right EHR vendor for your facility

  The vast array of options in today’s EHR vendor market can be overwhelming. Ensure that you...

Issue 14, April 7, 2008

• Healthcare IT manager survey results demonstrate 'commitment to security'

  A recent survey of 307 healthcare information technology (IT) managers by Cisco Systems revealed...

• Physician blogs inform, but also raise patient privacy concerns

  Want to know more about popular pharmaceuticals, celebrity skin problems, brain disease, or...

• Healthcare costs, lack of insurance put Americans at risk for medical identity theft

  The results of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) survey suggest that nearly 250,000 Americans may...

• PPV: Consider these 12 tips for selecting an EHR vendor, effectively negotiating a contract

  p>Selecting an EHR vendor can be overwhelming due to the number of options available in today's...

• Tip: Answer these questions before you transition from paper records to EHRs

  Storing medical records will become easier when you transition from a paper-based system to an...

Issue 13, March 31, 2008

• Great expectations for EHR implementation in United States fall short

  President Bill Clinton proclaimed in 1992 that all physicians would use computerized records within...

• Milwaukee database aims to prevent prescription painkiller abuse

  The Medical Society of Milwaukee County is spearheading an effort to establish a database that will...

• NAHIT seeks final comment on proposed definitions

  The National Alliance for Health Information Technology (NAHIT) and the Office of the National...

• PPV: Employ an MPI clerk to control duplicate medical record numbers, clean up your MPI

  Most organizations have experienced the frustration of dealing with duplicate medical record...

• Tip: Eliminate acronym confusion with this cheat sheet

  Acronyms are ubiquitous in HIM settings. Use this reference guide when you hear one that's...

Issue 12, March 24, 2008

• HCPro, Inc. launches new logo and tagline as part of its new corporate branding initiative

  HCPro, Inc. is launching a new corporate branding campaign designed to reflect the company’s...

• Information technology will be topic at AHA membership meeting

  "Connecting for Care Revisited: What Hospitals are doing to Improve Patient Care through...

• GetRXConnected offers physicians online e-prescribing advice, assistance

  Five physician groups have joined forces to launch GetRxConnected.com, a Web site designed to...

• Massachusetts bill aims to require electronic medical records statewide

  Proposed healthcare legislation in Massachusetts would mandate statewide adoption of EMRs by 2015...

• PPV: HIPAA audits-what you need to know to prepare

  Although covered entities (CEs) have known that CMS would eventually enforce the HIPAA security...

• Tip: Assessing staff readiness is first step in EHR implementation process

  Preparing clinicians for a new process is the most important factor in implementing an EHR-and it's...

Issue 11, March 17, 2008

• NYC effort will create nation's largest community-based EHR network

  New York City officials announced recently that the Big Apple is on track to meet its goal of...

• E-prescriptions are creating a new generation gap

  Most of the time, e-prescriptions are apparently not what the doctor ordered, according to a...

• Handymedical won't be so handy anymore

  If you store your personal health records online with Handymedical.com, you have just a few days to...

• PPV: Protect against the dangers of remote access

  Emerging communication technology in healthcare is yesterday's news-but the federal government's...

• Tip: Adopt user agreements to protect portable devices, media

  Portable devices and media such as laptop computers, PDAs, USB flash drives, CD-ROMs and...

Issue 10, March 10, 2008

• World Privacy Forum report identifies potential risks associated with some PHRs

  The World Privacy Forum has released a legal and policy analysis on the potential privacy...

• CCHIT announces plans to expand certification program

  The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) announced plans to...

• States strive for model privacy rule to aid health information exchange

  An eight-state collaborative is working to ease health information exchange (HIE) data-sharing by...

• PPV: Tackle the challenges of portable devices/media and remote access

  Controlling the flow and security of PHI within your organization's walls is difficult...

• Tip: Remember these 5 advantages when assessing the value of e-prescribing

  Illegible penmanship may be the most recognized and discussed problem associated with handwritten...

Issue 9, March 3, 2008

• Google, Cleveland Clinic are partners in long-awaited PHR pilot project

  Google, Inc., will begin storing the medical records of several thousand Cleveland Clinic patients...

• States planning HIEs address privacy, security concerns

  Most states have made significant progress with respect to defining their privacy and security...

• Indiana Health Information Exchange sets the pace in 2007

  The Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE) announced in a February 12 press release that the...

• PPV: Consider these six reasons to enable a switch to e-prescribing

  As more healthcare organizations focus on reducing medical errors, many physicians are turning to...

• Tip: Things to consider if PHRs are in your facility's future

  Personal health records (PHRs) are gaining momentum nationwide and may already be on the horizon at...

Issue 8, February 25, 2008

• Laptops missing in Memphis contain 320,000 blood donors' personal information

  Two laptop computers containing personal information about 320,000 blood donors are missing and...

• Electronic medical records are odds-on favorite in Las Vegas

  Las Vegas physicians, patients, and health insurers have all hit the jackpot with electronic...

• HHS seeks communities to participate in EHR demonstration project

  HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt is inviting community leaders nationwide to apply for a demonstration...

• PPV: HIPAA security enforcement will heat up in 2008

  The end of 2007 brings to a close a tumultuous year for covered entities, which faced NPI...

• Tip: Cite EHR benefits to rally support for implementation

  Successful EHR implementation requires support, enthusiasm, and participation throughout your...

Issue 7, February 18, 2008

• 300,000 Blue Cross members in NJ learn stolen laptop contains their personal data

  Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) has notified its members that a...

• Governors association seeks e-health taskforce members

  The National Governors Association (NGA) seeks nominations for membership on two taskforces that...

• Apply now to participate in CCHIT pilot test

  The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) is inviting EHR vendors...

• PPV: Now is the time to revisit your organization’s security program

  Now that CMS has contracted with Pricewaterhouse-Coopers (PwC) to conduct security audits of...

• Tip: Tout EHR benefits to encourage physician adoption

  The success of your EHR implementation plan depends on physician support and enthusiasm for the new...

Issue 6, February 11, 2008

• 30,000 health plan members' information on laptop stolen in Boston

  A laptop computer stolen in early January contained personal information about 30,000 members of...

• Foreign hackers target American health records

  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reports that foreign hackers, primarily Russian and...

• NY health information exchange to send test data

  The Health Information Exchange of New York (HIXNY) will begin transmitting test data across its...

• PPV: Convey EHR benefits to get physicians on board

  When Sun Health, a nonprofit, community-owned network of healthcare services in Sun City, AZ...

• Tip: Remember these seven definitions to ease the EHR learning curve

  Change can be stressful, but EHR implementation ultimately makes everyone's life a little easier at...

• Correction

  The February 4 EHR Connection stated incorrectly in Maine to launch statewide HIE in 2008 that...

Issue 5, February 4, 2008

• California EHR study finds that size does matter

  A recent study by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) found that the larger the medical...

• Maine to launch statewide HIE in 2008

  Physicians, hospital leaders, and public health officials in Maine announced that construction of...

• Leavitt speech highlights AHIC accomplishments

  HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt commended members of the American Health Information Community (AHIC...

• PPV: Consider front-end speech recognition to reduce transcription turnaround time, improve documentation quality

  As hospitals begin the arduous transition to EHRs, many are striving to find ways to make the...

• Tip: Expand your EHR vocabulary with six new definitions

  New endeavors often require learning a new "language." If an EHR system is on the horizon at your...

Issue 4, January 28, 2008

• Tip: Develop your own dictionary with these definitions

  As you eagerly await the list of consensus-based definitions of important health information...

• NHIT Summit organizers announce featured speakers

  Featured speakers at The National Health Information Technology Summit scheduled for April 15-16 in...

• HIT definitions project on HIMSS conference agenda

  HHS's Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) will continue...

• Latex glove snafu inspires hospital "smart room"

  The patient's latex allergy was duly noted in the hospital's computer system, but somehow that...

• PPV: Standardize privacy reviews for simplicity and success

  Prior to developing the privacy impact analysis tool that San Francisco-based Catholic Healthcare...

Issue 3, January 21, 2008

• Vermont governor calls for EHRs statewide by 2010

  Governor James H. Douglas of Vermont expressed hope that every physician in the state would be...

• Register now for National HIT Summit in Houston

  Online registration for the National Health Information Technology Summit in Houston April 15-16 is...

• Researchers inadvertently identify online sex survey participants

  British researchers mistakenly included the names of respondents to a confidential online survey...

• PPV: Monitor the health of your HIPAA security compliance

  If you are responsible, directly or indirectly, for your organization's implementation of HIPAA's...

• Tip: CPR isn't always what comes to mind first

  While the National Alliance for Health Information Technology spearheads the effort to develop a...

Issue 2, January 14, 2008

• Study says "spin doctors" are Rx for early PHR adoption

  Framing communication in a manner that emphasizes the benefits of personal health records (PHRs) is...

• AHIC to meet January 22

  The 19th meeting of the American Health Information Community is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. (EST...

• HIMSS announces award recipients

  The Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) announced its Chapter Advocacy...

• PPV: HIPAA will heat up in 2008

  The end of 2007 brings to a close a tumultuous year for covered entities, which faced NPI...

• Tip: Decipher acronyms with this helpful list

  The National Alliance for Health Information Technology is spearheading the effort to develop a...

Issue 1, January 7, 2008

• Register for definitions project public forum

  HHS's Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has scheduled two public...

• eHealth Initiative survey reports progress

  eHealth Initiative announced the results of its Fourth Annual Survey of Health Information Exchange...

• Commonwealth Fund predicts HIT will save $88 billion

  The Commonwealth Fund says that increased capacity to share patient information electronically...

• PPV: Health information exchanges on the rise to share data, improve care

  In today's world of heightened privacy and security, a request to share personal medical...

• Tip: Resolve to protect EHR with monthly security checkups

  Healthcare providers should heed their own advice about regular checkups and apply it to their...