A new issue brief from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers is urging CIOs to get involved with the Medicaid systems upgrades happening in their states. The brief, "The MITA Touch: State CIOs and Medicaid IT Transformation," describes the Medicaid Information Technology Architecture being developed by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. MITA is not merely a technical architecture, but also entails standardizing information and streamlining business processe, according to the brief. "State CIOs must understand that this can be a daunting task and will require considerable collaboration between state agencies and vendors, and a substantial modernization of current IT systems and also business practices and processes," the brief states.
In 2001, North Dakota lawmakers passed legislation that opened the door for a "telepharmacy" project after dozens of rural pharmacies went out of business. The project began with 10 volunteer sites in 2002 and has grown to 67 locations. The idea now may be catching on in other places, as other states have changed laws to allow for remote pharmacies. Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming have all done so, and more are on the way.
Big technology companies are seeing their customers in the financial services sector pull back on existing and new Information Technology projects, according to recent data issued by Forrester Research. Forrester polled almost 950 high-ranking technology managers at large businesses in North America and Europe, and found that more than 40% of the companies have cut back their technology spending. More businesses in the United States have cut their spending than anywhere else, and financial services firms have been the most aggressive in trimming their technology purchases, according to the findings.
After years of delays, a groundbreaking is finally scheduled for West Kendall Baptist Hospital in Miami. Executives aim to make the hospital the highest-tech and greenest facility in South Florida. The $160 million facility will include a medical office building and four-story, 80-bed hospital. Peter Goicouria of MGE Architects, the Coral Gables firm that designed the facility, said it's intended to be the first certified green hospital in South Florida. The facility's design aims to stay green by incorporating features such as those to reduce the consumption of electric power and limit water usage.
Adults with Type 1 diabetes can gain better control over their disease by using a device that continually monitors blood-sugar levels, according to a new study. The "continuous glucose monitoring" systems provide a steady stream of data that allows patients to adjust their insulin injections as needed. The systems are attached to a small sensor inserted just beneath the skin, and they also sound an alarm if blood sugar rises or falls to dangerous levels.
Introduced in the 1970s, computed tomography scans have become a standard procedure for common problems. Doctors in the U.S. ordered 68.7 million CT scans last year, more than triple the number in 1995, according to IMV Medical Information Division. Generating tens of billions of dollars in billing each year, CT scanning has become an economic engine for hospitals and doctors. But with the boom has come a rising concern that the abundant use of radiation is beginning to have a subtle effect on the health of the nation.