HealthLeaders Media IT - September 25, 2007 | Spoonful of Sugar Add news.editor@healthleadersmedia.com to your address book. View as a Webpage | Subscribe for Free

Spoonful of Sugar Gary Baldwin, Technology Editor While reporting this month's cover story for HealthLeaders magazine, I was reminded why the industry has had such a difficult time implementing the information technology others take for granted. Although hospitals have made headway, physician adoption in the practice setting continues to lag. Well below one-fourth of physicians have deployed EMRs in their practices, a figure which should give pause to everyone. As multiple sources pointed out, there are many valid reasons for this apparent unwillingness to step into the modern era, not the least of which is expense. [Read More]

September 25, 2007

Editor's Picks Hospital is 1st in Chicago area to put its track record online This story, and another one from Reuters, show the yin and yang of the latest "transparency" craze in healthcare: putting quality data online for consumer review. In my view, it is clearly a step forward, as patients have been virtually in the dark about their hospital's competency. But as the Reuters article shows, the data can be "conflicting and incomplete," according to Dr. Michael Leonardi and colleagues at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine who conducted the study. The keys will be to a) work toward consistent data reporting and standards and b) educate consumers as to their meaning. But all these data scorecards should repeat that standard mutual fund disclaimer, "past results do not assure future returns." [Read More] Davies awards announced Chicago-based HIMSS announced the winners of its Davies Awards for IT accomplishment. In an industry laden with IT awards, I have found the HIMSS honors to be noteworthy. We have featured several winners in HealthLeaders magazine, most recently James Morrow, MD. [Read More] Minnesota launching patient records system Here's some insight into why Allina won the HIMSS prize. The health system is helping to lead a newly announced state data exchange, reports the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal. [Read More] Doctor and pharmacy owner plead guilty in Internet pharmacy conspiracy This wire story highlights the risks of playing foul with medical ethics. Online prescribing rackets have been around for several years, and they continue to clutter my spam catcher to this day. It raises the age-old question: What were they thinking? [Read More] Tech Headlines Nashville hospital first in nation to enroll patients in study of heart failure monitor The Tennessean - September 25, 2007 New language of healthcare in the Dallas area Dallas Morning News - September 25, 2007 ER kiosks let patients avoid long lines AP/Yahoo News - September 25, 2007 Heart treatment wins 'America's Nobel' prize USA Today - September 25, 2007 Boston hospitals duel over cancer treatment facility Health Imaging News - September 25, 2007 Events & Product News CMS awards $4 billion deal to streamline system development Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center Health Care System selects Eclipsys Computers help docs spot, treat infections Sponsored Headlines From AT&T RHIO: Electronic health records could save as much as $78 billion. Transition to Digital: More and more hospitals are going paperless. RFID: Business Revolution: Advancements in RFID are causing big changes. Improving the View: New videoconferencing technologies will benefit the enterprise. AHA Endorses AT&T: Hospitals need secure, digital databases--AT&T can help. From HealthLeaders Magazine EMR Pushback EMR systems promise a long list of benefits, but most physician practices remain unconvinced. Can clinical IT proponents entice physicians to retire their paper charts for good? [Read More] Round Peg, Square Hole Retail Decisions No Experience Necessary      Qualify for a FREE Subscription IT Leaders Forum How Legacy Health System Deals with its Electronic Afterlife: Contributor Tom Badrick, who is also the subject of this week's audio feature, describes how a group of Oregon hospitals tackles computer recycling. [Read More] EMR Implementation: Why Assess Readiness? A few simple steps can ease the transition to automated clinical documentation, says contributor Jill Arena. [Read More] Audio Feature A 'Green' Legacy (Parts I and II): Tom Badrick, sustainability coordinator at Legacy Health System in Portland, OR, discusses the extensive medical product recycling initiatives at Legacy, and the financial return on investment of being an environmental steward. Sponsor HealthLeaders Media IT Contact Lisa Brown, Director of Integrated Sales, at lbrown@healthleadersmedia.com or call 781.639.1872.

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