HealthLeaders Media IT - August 28, 2007 | Readers Write Add news.editor@healthleadersmedia.com to your address book. View as a Webpage | Subscribe for Free

Readers Write Gary Baldwin, Technology Editor Thanks to the numerous folks who wrote me in response to my recent analysis of the film "Sicko" by Michael Moore. The mail ran pretty evenly divided, and I have excerpted several for this week's column. I'm not going to comment on them, but will say from my perspective as a journalist that lopsided storytelling serves mainly to preach to the choir and sheds little light on complex issues. [Read More]

August 28, 2007

Editor's Picks Clamping down on messaging Many organizations, fearful that inside information can slip out through innumerable digital avenues, now govern precisely what employees can or cannot put into e-mails, instant messages, Web postings and even offline documents. This story details the efforts of one hospital that uses special software to analyze the reams of e-mails sent through its network every day. The sheer glut of incoming e-mail can be a serious impediment to its utility. Our parent company struggles with this issue too, and we have devised a fairly effective spam catcher. But I still sift through the messages--some 100 or more a day--in search of strays. [Read More] Medication system saves time, money The Louisville Courier-Journal reports on an automated medication dispensing system used in a local rehab center. The technology combines bar code, biometrics, and automated recordkeeping of medications dispensed. Although it is not a so-called "closed loop" medication administration system, the technology apparently has streamlined once-tedious charting procedures. The massive industry is thus automated, with small local information systems that target niche problems. [Read More] Opinions sought on electronic health records A health data exchange in Louisville is surveying local residents to help craft a business plan. Given that data exchanges will likely have to be supported by public dollars, this is a smart move. [Read More] Judging healthcare is not a science, but Web sites give it a shot Here's a hard-nosed look at hospital "ranking" services, with the inside scoop on how hospitals have to fork over big bucks to participate. [Read More] Tech Headlines CalRHIO to provide $340,000 to healthcare information networks East Bay Business Times - August 28, 2007 Vein Viewer means fewer ouches for kids New Orleans Times-Picayune - August 28, 2007 A tale of RHIO success Digital HealthCare & Productivity - August 28, 2007 Web site details coverage options Washington Post - August 28, 2007 Events & Product News Wireless tracking system would monitor patients Appalachian Regional Healthcare picks McKesson Clarkston Medical Group selects Sage for picture archiving From HealthLeaders Magazine What All Great Hospitals Do Think you're headed for the top floor? Are you sure? [Read More] Going Green Recognition Overload Avoiding the (Nearly) Inevitable      Qualify for a FREE Subscription IT Leaders Forum The American Board of Pediatrics: Transitioning to Computerization A computer-based training approach works, writes contributor Hazen Ham, vice president of the American Board of Pediatrics. [Read More] RHIOs: Making your piece work Successful data-sharing initiatives need a well thought-out game plan, say contributors Mark Morgan and Rita E. Numerof. [Read More] Audio Feature IT Turnaround: Ed Martinez, chief information officer and vice president of information technology at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL, discusses how the facility revamped its IT department. Sponsor HealthLeaders Media IT Contact Lisa Brown, Director of Integrated Sales, at lbrown@healthleadersmedia.com or call 781.639.1872.

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