Independent accreditation organization URAC has made revisions to its healthcare information technology standards that affect Web site accreditation and HIPAA privacy and security standards. The revised privacy and security standards emphasize the need for annual workforce training. "The revisions mirror advancements in the market, and strengthen the credibility of organizations that provide information and services on the Web," said Douglas Metz, DC, chairman of URAC's Health Standards Committee, in a statement. "Accreditation protects the public interest by giving organizations a framework to ensure they are protecting personal health information and providing beneficial health information."
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced an incentive for physicians to trade in their prescription pads and improve efficiency and safety by prescribing drugs online for Medicare patients. The initiative is included in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2009. Physicians who use electronic prescribing systems to transmit prescriptions to pharmacies may earn an incentive payment of 2% of their total Medicare allowed charges during 2009.
A mechanical snake that can enter the body through natural orifices to perform operations is just one futuristic device researchers believe will transform traditional surgical techniques. With a world recession looming and healthcare budgets under pressure, it may seem an odd time to talk about hi-tech surgery: The average selling price of the market-leading da Vinci system from California's Intuitive Surgical Inc is $1.35 million. Some critics have questioned the cost-effectiveness of robots when other treatments, such as cancer drugs, are being rationed. But proponents note prices will inevitably fall as usage and competition increase.
Changing diet and exercise habits to combat high cholesterol doesn't work for everyone. That's why some hospitals are moving toward a more unconventional method to lower cholesterol—a low-density lipoprotein apheresis machine. Growing in popularity throughout the country, the machine removes bad cholesterol from the patient's blood, in a process similar to kidney dialysis.
The number of patients whose hospital records were improperly accessed by employees at the UCLA Hospital System has topped 1,000, said Kathleen Billingsley, director of the California Department of Public Health's Center for Healthcare Quality. The 1,041 breached patient records is up from 939 in the state's last report in August. The hospital said it has taken measures to ensure patient confidentiality, including increasing audits of employees who can access patient files and requiring employees to identify reasons for accessing clinical records.
Two years ago, relaxed federal laws made it easier for hospitals to subsidize the cost of doctors buying software to maintain patients' medical records electronically. But a new study by the Center for Studying Health System Change shows that hospitals have been cautious about taking advantage of the rules. The findings reflect how barriers still remain to adopting new technology that many experts insist would reduce medical costs and improve patient care.