HealthLeaders Media IT - January 19, 2010 \| Quality Reporting May Prove Challenging Under Meaningful Use Add news.editor@healthleadersmedia.com to your address book.	View as a Webpage \| Subscribe for Free


Quality Reporting May Prove Challenging Under Meaningful Use Carrie Vaughan, Technology Editor I think it's fair to say that healthcare executives and physicians would all agree that the sooner hospitals, health systems, and physicians start gathering and reporting on quality indicators, the sooner healthcare quality can be improved. So it's not surprising that quality metrics are central to the meaningful use requirements outlined in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services interim final rule. What did surprise healthcare leaders, however, was the number of quality measures that is required for 2011. [Read More]

January 19, 2010

Editor's Picks
Technology improvements key to healthcare reform Healthcare reform isn't possible without major improvements in how information is accessed, stored, and moved, said Randy Spratt, CTO/CIO at McKesson Corp during a meeting of the Pittsburgh Technology Council. The United States ranks 17th or 18th in mortality worldwide, roughly 40 cents of every healthcare dollar is absorbed by administrative costs, and 60% of clinical records are still on paper, making it difficult for physicians to review a patient's complete history. There is an opportunity here, said Spratt. "Information technology will play a major role," he says. [Read More] Users pan University of Iowa Hospitals' records system A new $61 million electronic health record system at University of Iowa Hospitals, which is supposed to improve efficiency, patient safety, and help the organization meet changing regulations, is generating a lot of backlash from physicians, nurses, and other clinicians. According to this article in the Des Moines Register, University Hospitals switched from a homegrown EHR system to an EHR system from Epic Systems in May 2009. But the rapid rollout, extra work for staff such as manually entering old records into the new system, and a backlog of technical issues have caused delays and frustration. [Read More] Will the Apple Tablet revolutionize healthcare? There have been plenty of rumors about the Apple Tablet and how it will redefine how industries like publishing and media, entertainment, finance, and computing do business. There have also been rumors that Apple is designing a tablet for the healthcare industry. The iPhone is already viewed as a great platform for medical applications—physicians can check for drug-to-drug interaction, identify pills by physical characteristics, and perform medical calculations such as Body Mass Index. However, some apps are limited by the overall screen size of the iPhone and its ability to handle so much data. Rumor has it the Apple Tablet may enhance medical applications and change the way patients interact with doctors. We'll just have to wait and see. [Read More]

Tech Headlines
Nashville health leaders to meet with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer The Tennessean - January 19, 2010 Five Lessons U.S. Hospitals Can Take From Haiti Scott Wallask, for HealthLeaders Media - January 19, 2010 Security Breach Puts 500,000 BlueCross Members' Data at Risk John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media - January 14, 2010 Reform Provision Would Require Providers to Buy Testing Equipment for Obese Patients Cheryl Clark, for HealthLeaders Media - January 14, 2010 Neurosurgeons going paperless at convention Philadelphia Inquirer - January 18, 2010

Webcasts
January 25, 2010: Marketing Oncology: Service Line Strategies for Marketers January 22, 2010: Joint Replacement Service Lines: Alignment and Business Strategies for a Changing Environment On Demand: Women's Health: Building a More Profitable Service Line With Existing Assets
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From HealthLeaders Magazine

Five Strategies that Prove Healthcare is Still a Growth Industry
Here is a review of growth opportunities that will increase revenue, decrease costs, or enhance services in the areas of leadership, finance, physicians, technology, health plans, quality, and outcomes. [Read More]

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IT Forum

Next-Generation Analytics that Drive Better Clinical Care Decisions: Health plans are urgently seeking ways to improve quality while controlling costs. We are seeing next-generation analytics that can draw from multiple sources to meet some of our greatest challenges. We are moving into an era of information that is specific and current. Newer technologies integrate lab values and point-of-care clinical information—including data from electronic health records, writes Douglas M. Moeller, MD, medical director at McKesson Health Solutions. [Read More]

Audio Feature

Reaction to Meaningful Use Definition: Nate McLemore, general manager of business development and policy for Microsoft Health Solutions Group, says providers shouldn't view personal health records as a burden or a filing cabinet on the Web. Instead, PHRs should be looked at as a tool that can help facilitate remote patient monitoring and scheduling, and, ultimately, help patients, hospitals, and physicians achieve better outcomes. [Listen Now]