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HEALTH TECH HATCH SERVES AS IDEA CROWDSOURCER AND USER TESTING PLATFORM FOR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES “BLUE BUTTON PLUS” MOBILE APP CHALLENGE

Company’s testing capability allows developers to collaborate with end users

to produce consumer-facing applications that make patient information useful

Iowa City, Iowa (June 6, 2013) – Health Tech Hatch (Hatch), a resource for entrepreneurs who create innovative health and wellness products and companies, today announced it will operate as the user testing platform for the Blue Button Patient Co-Design Challenge, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) newest challenge effort. The Challenge seeks to amplify the voices of patients with stories to tell and problems to solve through improved access to their health data.  The Challenge will also uniquely engage the patient community to teach what patients most want to do with their clinical data by crowdsourcing application ideas and incorporating patients in product design. Crowdsourcing and crowdvoting of ideas will take place from June 3 through June 11 at http://ideas.healthtechhatch.com/.

Blue Button Plus represents the technical standards and policy levers that help patients make use of their clinical and financial data in technology such as personal health records and health apps. All patients whose providers use Meaningful Use Stage 2 certified technology have the ability to view, download, and securely transmit their clinical data from their provider’s Electronic Health Record into another product or holding place of their choice. This is an enormous opportunity for patient-facing, data receiver applications that previously struggled to collect complete and accurate clinical data without manual patient entry.

Intended to increase the number of priority patient-facing applications able to receive clinical data via Blue Button Plus, the Challenge allows site visitors to vote for the highest priority problems and types of products they think will help them best take care of themselves and their families. The top three ideas/problems will become the target products for this Challenge.

“Supporting innovations that will actually be used by people to improve health is a shared mission among Hatch and HHS/ONC, and is the inspiration behind Hatch’s testing platform,” says Patricia Salber, CEO of Health Tech Hatch. “What is so great about this project is the way real patient engagement is built in, starting with crowdsourcing the ideas for the Challenge to having the developers post their concepts on Health Tech Hatch so that patients can iteratively interact with the developers in a codesign process, and vote. It’s the first time such an extensive involvement of patients in the development of apps/tools has taken place.”

Over the summer, developers from across the country will build patient-prioritized tools using the Blue Button Plus technical guidelines, which ensure that patients may move their own health data from a provider’s electronic health record or a patient’s own personal health record into these new products in a secure and structured way.  Developers will receive codesign support from real patients through the Health Tech Hatch platform. Testers will be compensated for their time. If you are interested in applying to be a tester, send an email to info@healthtechhatch.com.

In August, participants will vote again for the winner. Prizes will also be awarded for the best open source developer tools that make it easier for future applications to become Blue Button Plus enabled. Total prize money is $50,000.

“We want the Blue Button Co-Design Challenge to be a significant step forward in the creation and adoption of Blue Button Plus-enabled tools and applications, said Adam Wong, Management and Program Analyst, ONC. “Utilizing the knowledge and experience we’ve gained over the past two years from the many challenges we’ve run, we expect this challenge to result in a slew of new patient applications and developer tools that will bring Blue Button to a wide range of new users. And with the ideation crowd-sourcing and public voting elements we have incorporated the opinions of patients and consumers in an exciting new way.”

Hatch’s platform supports health care innovators by providing the infrastructure for iterative concept feedback from relevant users (consumers and providers) early in design, and hosts challenges that generate solutions for government agencies, foundations, academic institutions and other organizations. An entrepreneur may also crowdfund on the Hatch platform and raise matching funds from sponsor organizations.

The Blue Button Co-Design Challenge builds upon previous ONC activities to support consumer health and patient access to their data. These include Challenges such as Blue Button for All Americans, the Blue Button Mash Up Challenge, and the Health Design Challenge.

For additional information, please visit http://challenge.gov/ONC/557-blue-button-co-design-challenge.”

About Health Tech Hatch

Health Tech Hatch (“Hatch”) is a platform supporting healthcare innovation via early concept feedback, problem-solving challenges, and crowdfunding. Learn more at http://healthtechhatch.com/.

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June 12, 2013 I Written By

John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 15 blogs containing almost 5000 articles with John having written over 2000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 9.3 million times. John also recently launched two new companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com, and is an advisor to docBeat. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit and Google Plus.

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EHR Association Responds to HIT Policy Committee Request for Comments on Stage 3 Meaningful Use

The EHR Association has responded to the HIT Policy Committee’s Request for Comments on Stage 3 meaningful use requirements through their usual workgroup-led collaborative effort, with representatives from 24 of our 41 member companies working on this effort.

The Association’s comments call for a more pragmatic and focused approach to Stage 3 requirements, building on the substantial capabilities established in Stage 1 and especially Stage 2.  As part of this alternate approach, the Association also calls for policymakers to takes into consideration the time and resources required for developers and providers to get all the information needed to effectively develop, test, and adopt new functionality.  As we’ve stated in the past, and aligned with comments from other stakeholder groups, we suggest that ONC and CMS should not start Stage 3 until at least three years after the start of Stage 2.

Specific recommendations include that ONC and CMS invest time and attention to the maturity and alignment of quality measures across regulatory organizations, without adding a significant number of new quality measures, and enhancing infrastructure and standards based on the foundational work begun in Stage 2 to advance interoperability,

The EHR Association also notes that the public and private sectors are shifting to accountable care and value-based payment models, which are creating a business case for providers to adopt and use EHRs and other health IT.  Such market-based demand will drive additional customer-requested functionality and EHR use patterns for those who have already adopted and demonstrated sophisticated use by attesting for Stages 1 and 2.  We believe the needs of such experienced and often sophisticated users will best be met by market innovation, while extensive and detailed standardized requirements dictated by the federal government may actually interfere with the pace and direction of needed innovations.

Go to http://www.himssehra.org/docs/20130115_EHRARespondstoMU3RFC.pdf for the full response

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February 6, 2013 I Written By

John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 15 blogs containing almost 5000 articles with John having written over 2000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 9.3 million times. John also recently launched two new companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com, and is an advisor to docBeat. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit and Google Plus.

Filed Under: Electronic Medical Record  EMR  Healthcare  Healthcare IT  Meaningful Use  Meaningful Use Stage 2
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ICSA Labs Set to Begin Testing EHRs for Stage 2 Meaningful Use Requirements

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – ICSA Labs, an independent division of Verizon, is now officially authorized and accredited to begin certifying electronic health records for the next stage of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Meaningful Use requirements.

The new 2014 Edition, Stage 2 certification program of HHS’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology provides more transparency and elevates the overall testing and certification process by mandating additional requirements for organizations providing EHR services. These requirements include a strengthening of security, enhanced interoperability for facilitating health information exchange, better protection of private patient information and new ways for providers to become “meaningful users.”

Last September, ICSA Labs received authorization from the Office of the National Coordinator for the preliminary Stage 2 of the certification program.

To test and validate the ONC 2014 Edition methods and test tools, ICSA Labs successfully conducted a week-long pilot program in December with four vendors that offer EHR-related solutions supporting the more rigorous Stage 2 Meaningful Use Requirements. These included Dynamic Health IT and Glenwood Systems.

“The latest round of federal requirements will enable us to help companies strengthen the security and privacy of their EHR offerings, ultimately benefiting both patient and health care provider,” said Amit Trivedi, health care program manager for ICSA Labs. “Now that we are fully authorized and accredited to certify and test technology meeting the permanent Meaningful Use requirements, we are officially open for business.”

EHR vendors also must have their products tested by laboratories accredited by the National Voluntary Lab Accreditation Program and certified by bodies authorized by the ONC and accredited by the American National Standards Institute. ICSA Labs is accredited by both NVLAP and ANSI.

The ONC’s Health Information Technology Certification program, which provides authorization for the certification of electronic health care records, was established in January 2011.  The recently published Stage 2 Standards, Implementation Specifications and Certification Criteria Final Rule is administered nationally by the ONC.

ICSA Labs is NVLAP- accredited as a Health IT Test Lab and is also an ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) accredited by ANSI to ISO/IEC Guide 65.

About ICSA Labs

ICSA Labs, an independent division of Verizon, offers third-party testing and certification of security and health IT products, as well as network-connected devices, to measure product compliance, reliability and performance for many of the world’s top security vendors.  ICSA Labs is an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited and 9001:2008 registered organization. Visit http://www.icsalabs.com and http://www.icsalabs.com/blogs for more information.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with nearly 96 million retail customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500. A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of 184,500. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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January 16, 2013 I Written By

John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 15 blogs containing almost 5000 articles with John having written over 2000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 9.3 million times. John also recently launched two new companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com, and is an advisor to docBeat. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit and Google Plus.

Filed Under: ARRA  Certified EHR  EHR  Electronic Health Record  Electronic Medical Record  EMR  Healthcare IT  Meaningful Use  Meaningful Use Stage 2
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HIMSS Statement on Release of Meaningful Use Stage 2 NPRM

UPDATE 2-24-12: This afternoon, ONC released the proposed rule for ”Health Information Technology: Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology, 2014 Edition; Revisions to the Permanent Certification Program for Health Information Technology

HIMSS is pleased that the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have published their proposed rule for Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program Stage 2 (Meaningful Use Stage 2); the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) is expected to publish the associated Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria tomorrow. These are significant steps forward in transforming healthcare in the United States of America.

For many years now, HIMSS has championed the best use of information technology and management systems for the betterment of healthcare.  Since the inception of the HITECH provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), HIMSS has equipped stakeholders for increasingly sophisticated meaningful use of health information. To help providers and patients improve care delivery and health outcomes for all Americans, HIMSS members strongly encourage the federal government to continue promoting the adoption of EHRs through the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program in support of the standards-based collection, analysis, and exchange of health data in a safe and secure environment.

The release of these regulations during the HIMSS12 Annual Conference and Exhibition gives attendees the opportunity to engage directly with CMS and ONC officials about the new rule. Both CMS and ONC have hosted interactive town hall sessions, and more than 80 HIMSS12 workshops, symposia, and general education sessions have focused on meaningful use.  Using social media and HIMSS.org, HIMSS staff have been posting – within hours – key takeaways from policymakers’ remarks.  HIMSS will be reviewing the proposed rule and posting summaries and analyses in the coming days.  Stay tuned to HIMSS’ Meaningful Use OneSource, where we expect to post substantive analyses beginning next week.

The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs have already had an enormous impact on EHR adoption rates. Forty-three states have started their Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs; over 190,000 Eligible Professionals (EPs) and Eligible Hospitals (EHs) have registered for the Medicare and/or Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs; and more than $3 billion has been paid in incentive payments to EPs, EHs, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) across the country.

New HIMSS Analytics data, reported in the December 2011Summary of Meaningful Use Readiness, indicates that seven segments of hospitals show increased capability to achieve Stage 1 of meaningful use. The hospitals in these seven categories typically demonstrate IT adoption that outpaces their peers, a segment that also includes hospitals at Stage 6 or Stage 7 on the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). Tremendous progress has been made toward improved patient care and efficiencies offered by health IT, and HIMSS is excited to work with our members to move into this next phase of transforming healthcare.

To give providers and vendors adequate time to meet the new requirements, release of the proposed regulations at this juncture meets a recommendation of HIMSS and other organizations that the final rule be released at least 18 months prior to enactment.

HIMSS looks forward to engaging our members and colleagues in the development of HIMSS Board of Directors-approved responses to the proposed regulations that provide practical, real world observations and recommendations.

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February 27, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: ARRA  EHR  EHR Vendors  Electronic Health Record  Healthcare  Healthcare Conferences  Healthcare IT  Meaningful Use
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New Healthcare Interoperability Standard for Clinical Documents by Fujitsu and Osmozyz Identified by ONC

Fujitsu and Osmosyz Pioneer New Healthcare Standard for Electronic Clinical Documents; Interoperability Standard Identified by The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology 

Fujitsu Network Scanning Solutions Designed to Meet HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA®) Standard For Converting Paper Charts Into “Smart” Documents Interoperable With Any Healthcare System

LAS VEGAS, Nev., October 24, 2011 — Fujitsu, the market leader in document imaging scanners, and Osmosyz, experts in document interoperability, today announced the availability of a new product suite that supports the use of exchange standards which have been identified by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Fujitsu and Osmosyz, along with the Health Story Project, a collaborative of healthcare vendors, providers and associations, worked for two years through the HL7 International standards development organization to develop and publish an implementation guideline for unstructured clinical documents. The “Unstructured Document” standard, based on the HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA®), offers healthcare organizations a powerful on-ramp to healthcare information exchange through basic document management workflow guidelines that are now universally recognized and accepted.

Today, based upon the unstructured document standard, Fujitsu is launching the first and only solution of its kind designed to support Meaningful Use Stage 1 requirements and meet anticipated requirements for Stage 2, as defined in the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. The Fujitsu ScanSnap N1800 Network Scanner and ScanSnap fi-6010N iScanner, equipped with Inofile ChartMD software from Osmosyz, gives healthcare organizations the ability to make clinical documents, such as paper-based clinical notes and other encounter-related documents, available across multiple systems in an electronic format that meets international standards for information exchange. Fujitsu and Osmosyz, along with their EHR partner Aprima Medical Software, will be giving hands-on demonstrations of these network scanning solutions at the annual MGMA Conference (Booth #1108 and #409) in Las Vegas, Oct. 23-26, 2011.

“Fujitsu and Osmosyz worked hard through Health Story to create a standard for managing unstructured documents within health information systems, and we couldn’t be happier about the current traction the standard is getting and the forth-coming recognition by the federal government for Meaningful Use,” said Victor Kan, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. “The Fujitsu network scanners with Inofile are the first and only solution available today that use standards-based capture to create smart documents that can be easily integrated into any EMR system and support national goals for healthcare information exchange.”

How Do Healthcare Organizations of Any Size Get Started?

Clinicians in the U.S. create more than a billion clinical notes each year. More than 60% of the full patient narrative resides in these unstructured documents and outside of discreet data elements within an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) database. These notes are often used as the primary source of information for reimbursement and proof of service. With established data standards such as the new standard for “Unstructured Documents,” the output can easily be integrated with EMR systems and Health Information Exchanges (HIE), providing a low-cost and universally accepted path to interoperability. Working through Health Story, Fujitsu has helped deliver a standard that raises the level of interoperability for clinical documents.

“Many providers do not know that companies in the clinical documentation industry can produce and offer electronic documents in the CDA format,” said Bob Dolin, MD, president and chief medical officer, Lantana Consulting Group and chair of HL7.  “In many cases they can leverage their current vendors to get to structured information in a way that supports national goals for meaningful use and that is minimally disruptive to clinician workflow.”

By applying the “Unstructured Documents” standard, Fujitsu is helping healthcare organizations include their clinical documents in their digital enterprise and to provide full access to the longitudinal patient record across a continuum of care. Below are a few key dates and milestones for healthcare organizations to note:

  • ·       August 2010: CDA “Unstructured Document” standard approved by HL7
  • ·       October 2011: HL7 CDA standard identified by the ONC as a national standard to support Meaningful Use
  • ·       January 2011: Registration for the EHR incentive program begins
  • ·       May 2011: EHR incentive payments begin
  • ·       2014: Last year to initiate participation in the Medicare EHR incentive program
  • ·       2016: Last year to initiate participation in Medicaid EHR incentive program

Network Scanning: Apply Data Standards, Integrate With EMRs, Increase Workplace Efficiency

The biggest challenges in meeting new government requirements while adhering to standards are the cost and complexity of the technology involved. In today’s economy, the time and resources required to train users and deploy new technology can be crippling to healthcare providers. The Fujitsu ScanSnap network scanning solutions equipped with Inofile ChartMD software offer new tools to make digitizing documents simple and specialized training unnecessary, enhanced security features to combat the threat of data compromise, and the ability to seamlessly integrate within a company’s existing network infrastructure allowing users to easily scan and share information on the network.

The Inofile interface on the Fujitsu network scanners allow hospitals and clinics to scan a batch of documents, perform a quality assurance check of the documents on the touch screen, index the documents with a few simple keystrokes, and upload the documents to a content repository or EHR without having to be tied to a workstation. This means critical clinical documents can be added to the electronic patient record in seconds without having to be added to a queue for scanning at the end of the shift, day, or week. It also means secure two-way exchange of information across multiple systems, including HIEs, EMRs or even personal health record databases.

“Healthcare organizations are realizing that deploying a network scanning strategy is quite simple and the learning curve to quickly scan and share documents across the entire organization is minimal,” said Therasa Bell, chief architect of the distributed clinical scanning module, Inofile, and president at Osmosyz, Inc. “The Fujitsu/Inofile solution allows an organization to send and receive smart documents over an exchange and submit to an EMR. This removes the need for fax transmission of documents between providers and allows documents to automatically transfer between different providers and different EMR applications, saving valuable time and money.”

Aprima Medical Software, Inc. recognized the value of the combined solution that the Fujitsu network scanners and Inofile application delivers to a practice. More than two years ago Aprima became the first EHR to support the CDA architecture and adopt it into its product via the Fujitsu/Inofile solution.

“When Fujitsu came to us with this solution, we immediately recognized the value over traditionally labor intensive and cumbersome document management processes, as well as the newly increased value of the data once loaded into a database using CDA,” said Mark Richards, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Aprima. “We couldn’t wait to integrate these solutions into our EHR as it not only helps ease the initial transition from paper to electronic records, but long term it improves overall workflow in physician offices. Customers of all sizes from 1 to 100+ are taking advantage of this every day. In addition, it doesn’t tie up a workstation, it requires minimal training, and is extremely secure.”

Additional Supporting Resources

For more information about the data standards initiative for clinical document and Fujitsu Network Scanners, visit:

About Health Story

The Health Story Project was founded a little over three years ago by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI), the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the Clinical Documentation Industry Association, Lantana Consulting Group, and M*Modal. It is now a collaborative of over two dozen healthcare vendors, providers and associations. Health Story accelerates development of HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) Implementation Guides for common types of electronic healthcare documents, brings them through the HL7 ballot process and promotes their adoption within the industry. Over the previous three years, the initiative supported the development of eight technical implementation guides for standard electronic documents, including the Consultation Note, Diagnostic Imaging Report, Discharge Summary, History and Physical, Operative Note, Procedure Note, Progress Note and Unstructured Documents. Health Story Promoter members include A-Life Medical, Emdat, Fujitsu, GE Medical, InfraWare, MedQuist, Nuance, Osmosyz, 3M and Verizon. It has affiliate relationships with AHIMA, AHDI, CDIA, Healthcare Information and Management Systems and HL7 International.  For more information, please visit:www.healthstory.com.

About Osmosyz:

Incorporated in 2009, Osmosyz Inc. specializes in capturing documents, streamlining workflows and providing access to valuable information. The distinct products and consulting services are for the creation and exchange of interoperable healthcare documents to enhance the effectiveness of patient care.

Osmosyz is active in a broad spectrum of healthcare interoperability initiatives and standards boards including Health Level Seven (HL7), the National Health Information Network (NHIN) Direct Project, Continua Health Alliance, and the Integrated Healthcare Enterprise (IHE).  In addition, the Osmosyz founders are part of the initial members that formed the Clinical Document Architecture for Common Document Types (CDA4CDT) initiative in 2005.  Since that time, CDA4CDT has developed into a national standards consortium for interoperable healthcare documents called the Healthstory Project.  In 2010, Osmosyz was primarily responsible for developing the Unstructured CDA format that provided the missing link between simple scanned images to a fully structured XML document standard.

Osmosyz believes that narrative healthcare documents contain rich clinical detail that remains virtually untapped. Osmosyz is passionate about providing solutions that tap the value of the data and transition health care providers from paper-based patient records to a complete electronic medical record solution in a seamless and effortless way. For more information, please visit: www.inofile.com.

About Fujitsu
Fujitsu is a leading provider of information and communication technology (ICT)-based business solutions for the global marketplace. With approximately 170,000 employees supporting customers in over 100 countries, Fujitsu combines a worldwide corps of systems and services experts with highly reliable computing and communications products and advanced microelectronics to deliver added value to customers. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$55 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. For more information, please see: www.fujitsu.com.

About Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc.

Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. is an established leader in the Document Imaging industry, delivering innovative scanning solutions and services that enable our customers to solve critical business productivity issues and streamline operations. We provide cutting-edge document capture solutions for business and personal environments, backed by a comprehensive portfolio of service and support programs.  For more information about Fujitsu Document Imaging solutions and services, visithttp://us.fujitsu.com/fcpa or call us at 800-626-4686.

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October 24, 2011 I Written By

John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 15 blogs containing almost 5000 articles with John having written over 2000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 9.3 million times. John also recently launched two new companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com, and is an advisor to docBeat. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit and Google Plus.

Filed Under: Clinical Documentation  EHR  Electronic Health Record  Electronic Medical Record  EMR  Healthcare  Healthcare IT  HIE
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Continua Health Alliance Pledges at U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Consumer Health IT Summit

As part of National Health Information IT Week, Continua attended the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Consumer Health IT Summit and pledged along with other industry leaders to continue to engage consumers in dialogue about the importance of consumer access to electronic health information.

The Alliance agrees to continue to engage consumers in dialogue about the importance of consumer access to electronic health information

BEAVERTON, Ore. – September 12, 2011 –Continua Health Alliance, the international non-profit, open industry organization of leading healthcare and technology companies, today pledged to continue to engage members and consumers in dialogue about health IT and the importance of consumer access to electronic health information, during the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Consumer Health IT Summit to launch the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Consumer Program to engage consumers in their health via Health IT.

The Washington, D.C. event featured federal health and technology leaders, including HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius; Surgeon General Regina Benjamin; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Donald M. Berwick; U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra; HHS Chief Technology Officer Todd Park; and many other notable leaders from the public and private sector highlighting best practices and federal efforts to empower consumers to access and use their own health information to become partners in their own care through health IT.

“Continua commends the ONC for furthering the initiative to encourage consumers to be active participants in their own healthcare,” said Chuck Parker, executive director, Continua Health Alliance. “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to pledge today during what we see as a milestone in the ongoing effort to encourage consumers to use personal connected healthcare to monitor their health and the health of their loved ones.”

About Continua Health Alliance

Continua Health Alliance is an international non-profit, open industry organization of healthcare and technology companies collaborating to improve the quality of personal healthcare. With more than 240 member companies around the world, Continua is dedicated to establishing a system of interoperable personal connected health solutions with the knowledge that extending those solutions into the home fosters independence, empowers individuals and provides the opportunity for truly personalized health and wellness management. For more information visit: www.continuaalliance.org.

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September 21, 2011 I Written By

Filed Under: Healthcare  Healthcare IT  Healthcare IT Consulting
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NHIN University is Now NeHC University!

National eHealth Collaborative dramatically expands education program

WASHINGTON, DC (May 9, 2011) – *Social Media News Release* – National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) today unveiled NeHC University, a revamping and substantial expansion of its NHIN University program. NeHC University will move beyond the Nationwide Health Information Network, allowing stakeholders to explore the broader health IT (HIT) landscape and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of HIT in transforming the American healthcare system.

“NeHC University classes will now range from introductory programs to in-depth programs and interactive briefings. We hope NeHC University will be a great forum for raising awareness of innovations and success stories in HIT,” said NeHC CEO Kate Berry.

NeHC University will offer:

  • HIT Orientation: NeHC presents an introduction to the HITECH Act, initiatives sponsored by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), and a high-level view of the current HIT landscape in the U.S. This quarterly class is designed for stakeholders who are new to the HIT field, new to NeHC University, or just need a refresher on some of the HIT basics.

·       HIT Trends: NeHC will be joined by HIT expert and trends tracker Michael Lake to deliver a quarterly briefing on innovations, new developments, and trends in HIT. From discussions of major business and policy developments to updates on health information exchanges and HIT initiatives and how they are transforming healthcare financing and delivery, HIT Trends provides stakeholders with the opportunity to stay on the cutting-edge of the evolving health IT ecosystem.

·       HIT Policy and Standards Committees Quarterly Updates: NeHC will host a quarterly presentation by ONC staff to provide an update on the activities of the Federal Advisory Committees and workgroups. Classes will also serve to provide deep dives into particular topics of interest or aspects of the regulatory process. This class will encourage audience Q&A and actively solicit participant feedback.

·       Spotlight Learning Series: Each quarter, NeHC will offer two different three-class series designed to provide stakeholders with an in-depth examination of specific initiatives or issues in HIT. Each series will kick off with an introduction to the spotlight topic followed by more detailed discussions.

The opening Spotlight Learning Series will explore the vision for a Learning Health System, beginning with an overview of the vision and continuing to detailed discussions of the policy and technology frameworks necessary to bring a participatory rapid learning system to fruition.

The other Spotlight Learning Series this quarter will provide a comprehensive discussion on Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), including an overview of the Affordable Care Act, an investigation of ACO core competencies and potential pitfalls, and a discussion about models for ACO implementation, pilot ACO lessons learned, and the future ACO environment.

·       Industry Leader Briefings: NeHC will host bi-monthly interactive discussions with leading HIT experts on hot topics and timely issues. These hour-long lunchtime seminars will feature high level discussions on key initiatives and offer stakeholders the opportunity to dialogue directly with some of the foremost thought leaders in HIT and health information exchange.

·       Guest Lectures: NeHC University will also offer special one-time programs on timely and relevant issues in health IT. Guest lectures will feature topics ranging from special industry announcements to discussions of recent policy or regulatory recommendations and decisions.

·       NHIN University: National eHealth Collaborative’s popular NHIN University, an ongoing webinar series focused on the Nationwide Health Information Network, will continue to be a premiere feature of NeHC’s education efforts. The NHIN University 300 series will continue as scheduled as part of the new NeHC University programming.

NeHC has recruited a number of renowned HIT thought leaders to serve on an Advisory Council for NeHC University. The Advisory Council will assist NeHC in identifying topics, and will serve as and help to engage faculty. “The expansion of NeHC’s education program is a welcome and exciting announcement given the rapidly evolving world of HIT,” stated Advisory Council member Adam Clark, Ph.D., a member of the ONC Health IT Policy Committee and Director of Scientific and Federal Affairs at FasterCures. “Education is a critical part of accelerating the adoption and implementation of health IT. The Advisory Council is proud to work with NeHC on this program and looks forward to assisting in the development of new classes.”

In order to support the continued expansion and production of high-quality education programs, some NeHC University classes will be offered for a nominal fee. Government employees and ONC grantees should contact NeHC at university@nationalehealth.org for special rates.

NeHC invites stakeholders to check out some of the new NeHC University offerings free of charge, including the first HIT Orientation: Welcome to NeHC University and the first Spotlight Learning Series – Spotlight on the Learning Health System.

For a full class schedule, detailed descriptions of upcoming classes, and information on how to register, please visit the NeHC University website at www.nationalehealth.org/NeHCUniversity.aspx.

About National eHealth Collaborative

National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) is a public-private partnership that enables secure and interoperable nationwide health information exchange to advance health and improve health care.  Working in conjunction with its partners, NeHC engages stakeholders in a collaborative and consensus-driven way to realize common goals that lead to transformative change.  NeHC reaches broadly into all sectors of healthcare and health IT, employs open and inclusive methods, and makes its outcomes broadly available for continued improvement.  This philosophy and approach allows NeHC to offer a uniquely balanced perspective that leverages diverse points of view and provides the essential public-private platform for collaboratively pursuing solutions to universal trusted and effective health information exchange. NeHC is a cooperative agreement partner of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

About NeHC University

National eHealth Collaborative’s NeHC University is a web-based education program designed to provide stakeholders with timely and relevant information on health information technology and health information exchange in the United States. By offering introductory programs focused on providing an orientation to health IT, as well as deep dives into specific health IT topics, NeHC University provides unique opportunities for interested stakeholders to learn about multiple health IT initiatives, programs, and trends all in one place.

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May 11, 2011 I Written By

Filed Under: ACO  Healthcare  Healthcare IT
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GE Centricity Perinatal Latest GE Product to Meet Eligibility Requirements for Meaningful Use Incentives

InfoGard Laboratories Validates Latest Version of Product for Modular Certification

GE Healthcare’s Centricity* Perinatal 6.90 has received Modular EHR Certification. This solution enables eligible providers and hospitals to use the Centricity  Perinatal solution as part of their efforts to meet meaningful use measures and qualify for federal health IT incentives.

“We are proud to have reached this milestone of modular certification,” said Don Woodlock, Vice President and General Manager of GE Healthcare IT’s Specialty Solutions business. “Certification is an involved process, and represents our commitment to empower our customers to address the challenges of meaningful use, should they elect to pursue federal incentives.”

Centricity Perinatal, an EHR Module, is 2011/2012 compliant. It has been certified by InfoGard, an ONC-ATCB, in accordance with the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This certification does not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or guarantee the receipt of incentive payments.

Certification for Centricity Perinatal 6.90 was received on March 21, 2011, Certification Number IG-2392-11-0043, meeting the following criteria: 170.302(g) Smoking status; 170.302(o) Access control; 170.302(p) Emergency access; 170.302(q) Automatic log-off; 170.302(r) Audit log; 170.302(s) Integrity; 170.302(t) Authentication; 170.302(u) General encryption; 170.302(v) Encryption when exchanging electronic health information; 170.306 (h) Advance Directives.

Full certification information is available on the Certified HIT Product List (CHPL), which provides the authoritative, comprehensive listing of Complete EHRs and EHR Modules that have been tested and certified under the Temporary Certification Program maintained by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).

*Centricity is a registered trademark of General Electric Company.

ABOUT GE HEALTHCARE:

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.

Our “healthymagination” vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website atwww.gehealthcare.com.

ABOUT INFOGARD LABORATORIES:

InfoGard has been instrumental in developing a number of government and private sector test and certification programs, including NIST’s Cryptographic Module Validation Program, programs for postage metering systems in five western countries, and two programs for the payment card industry. InfoGard is also an accredited Common Criteria laboratory. This experienced has provided InfoGard the ability to collaborate successfully with many different organizations in the development of IT testing and certification programs. InfoGard is independent, self-funded and employee owned. For further information, please visit www.infogard.com.

 

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April 1, 2011 I Written By

John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 15 blogs containing almost 5000 articles with John having written over 2000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 9.3 million times. John also recently launched two new companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com, and is an advisor to docBeat. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit and Google Plus.

Filed Under: ARRA  Certified EHR  EHR  EHR Vendors  Electronic Health Record  Electronic Medical Record  EMR  Meaningful Use
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eHealth Initiative Calls for Greater Focus on Health Information Exchange in Meaningful Use

March 1, 2011, WASHINGTON, D.C. – The eHealth Initiative submitted comments on Stage 2 Meaningful Use objectives Feb. 25 to the Office of the National Coordinator’s HIT Policy Committee, calling for an increased focus on health information exchange and a coordinated timeline for the rollout of Stage 2.

“The eHealth Initiative supports efforts that ensure that Stage 2 achieves its intended goals of acting as a stepping stone to subsequent stages of Meaningful Use and supports health information exchange,” said Jennifer Covich Bordenick, Chief Executive Officer of the eHealth Initiative. “Together these actions will result in a connected system of health that delivers optimal care in a cost-effective way and does so in an increasing patient-centered manner.”

eHI supports the ability of eligible providers and hospitals to meet the Meaningful Use requirements through the use of HIE, yet Stage 2 requirements remain focused on electronic health records and do not allow providers enough room to utilize HIE as a means to meet Meaningful Use requirements.

“As a start, we believe that Stage 2 should require that an achievable percentage of the requirement for provision of a summary of care record be accomplished through electronic transmission,” said Covich Bordenick. “Use of health information exchange should be encouraged throughout Stage 2 as an option for increasing electronic communication with patients and their families.”

In its comments, eHI also urged the ONC to work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to develop a statement of guidance resolving the issue ofinconsistent timelines separating the Stage 2 regulatory process and the start of Stage 2 for providers and hospitals.

“Greater clarity from the ONC and CMS on Stage 2 timelines will encourage greater incentive program participation and increase the likelihood of achievement of program goals,” noted Covich Bordenick.

eHI also urged the HIT Policy Committee to clarify or provide definitions for a number of requirements and phrases in the proposed Stage 2 objectives, including online secure messaging, active patients, and longitudinal care plan.

“We urge the ONC to pursue clarity, simplicity and feasibility as it develops new definitions and requirements,” said Covich Bordenick. “We need to move ahead with an eye on the future, but any new or revised objectives should be created after a careful examination of the lessons learned from Stage 1 of Meaningful Use.”

About the eHealth Initiative: The eHealth Initiative (eHI) is a Washington D.C.-based, independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to drive improvements in the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare through information and information technology.  Working with its 210 member organizations, eHI works to create a world where consumers, health care providers, and those responsible for population health will have ready access to timely, relevant, reliable and secure information and services through an interconnected, electronic health information infrastructure to support better health and healthcare

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March 7, 2011 I Written By

John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 15 blogs containing almost 5000 articles with John having written over 2000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 9.3 million times. John also recently launched two new companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com, and is an advisor to docBeat. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit and Google Plus.

Filed Under: Healthcare  Healthcare IT  Meaningful Use
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XLEMR Receives Meaningful Use Certification

Atlanta, February 18, 2011 – XLEMR, a developer of custom electronic health records (EHR) that focuses on practices that seek a simple, mobile, and efficient solution, announced today that its EHR software has achieved certification as a Complete Ambulatory EHR under the Office of the National Coordinator’s (ONC) certification program.

Testing was performed by InfoGard Laboratories, an ONC-designated Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) for EHR systems, on January 26th and 27th, 2011.  During the test, XLEMR demonstrated their software meets the requirements for meaningful use.  Eligible providers can now use XLEMR to qualify for HITECH stimulus funds, which can result in up to $44,000 per provider under Medicare or $64,000 under Medicaid.

“XLEMR offers a unique solution to medical providers that want a simple, custom solution,” says Tripp Weeks, President of XLEMR.  “Most other EMR systems are rigid and complex, but XLEMR is built on Microsoft Office, which allows us to create simple, easy solutions that we can tailor to our clients’ needs.”

Providers using XLEMR’s certified product will have the benefit of the familiar interface in addition to all the features required by meaningful use.  For example, providers can take advantage of XLEMR’s interface to Microsoft Health Vault, which allows information sharing between the health record, the patient, and any other care givers authorized by the patient.

E-prescribing is another important feature that allows providers to check drug interactions, medicinal allergies, and formulary compliance.  Sending prescriptions electronically is more efficient than script pads or faxes; it also helps reduce fraud.  XLEMR’s unique approach to e-prescribing allows providers to enjoy all the benefits without additional monthly fees.

“One of the challenges for any vendor is how to incorporate the meaningful use functionality into a system without making it slow or difficult to navigate.  Complexity is one of the things medical professionals fear most in an EHR system.  Many providers hesitate to implement EHR, because they fear the software will be confusing and negatively impact productivity.  XLEMR’s architecture allows us to include all of the meaningful use requirements, while still maintaining our trademark simple interface,” Tripp elaborates.

Providers that want to participate in the stimulus program must first meet eligibility requirements under the Medicare or Medicaid program.  Next, providers must purchase an EHR system certified by an ONC-ATCB.  Finally, providers must use their software according to the measures outlined in the meaningful use rules to qualify for the stimulus funds.

About XLEMR, LLC

XLEMR, LLC is a leading developer of simple, mobile, and efficient electronic health records.  XLEMR focuses on a custom, hand-holding approach to implementation and development that allows their clients to experience a comfortable transition to EHR.  Their core product is based on Microsoft Office which provides an interface familiar to most users.  This architecture allows providers to be mobile without needing an internet connection or wireless data plan.  XLEMR provides efficiency by incorporating existing paper forms into the EHR to minimize training requirements.  For more about XLEMR visit www.xlemr.com.

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February 21, 2011 I Written By

John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 15 blogs containing almost 5000 articles with John having written over 2000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 9.3 million times. John also recently launched two new companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com, and is an advisor to docBeat. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit and Google Plus.

Filed Under: e-Prescribing  EHR  Healthcare  Healthcare IT  Meaningful Use
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