Those in the healthcare community anxiously awaiting a definition of “meaningful use” from the Office of the National Coordinator’s (ONC) HIT Policy Committee will have to wait a little longer. After a lively discussion at its June 16 meeting, the Committee asked the Meaningful Use Workgroup to revise its recommendations for presentation at the July
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LifeBridge Health has begun an electronic exchange of health information between its two hospitals, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and Northwest Hospital, and Saint Agnes Hospital, a community hospital. The hospitals have an overlapping service area but use different EMR systems. “We wanted to pilot a health information exchange to learn about the technology, how much
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When discussing healthcare reform, most politicians and stakeholders agree that patient medical data must be more readily accessible to caregivers, regardless of the venue of care. In communities across the country, health information exchanges (HIEs) are focused on facilitating the clinical data exchange process. While specific HIE models vary greatly, all require participation from multiple
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Immediately following the February 17, 2009 signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) legislation, professional associations, vendors, and consultants rushed to provide interpretations of the bill’s implications for hospitals and providers. From longtime HIT experts to the mainstream press, facts and opinions have flooded media outlets, the Internet, and the personal in-boxes of
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As the focus on electronic health information exchange grows, the issue of engaging and educating consumers about privacy, security, and benefits has moved to the forefront. Developing educational materials regarding health IT and electronic health information exchange for consumers has been the focus of the Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC) Consumer Education and
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