Population Health

 
Vermont's HIX as a path to single payer
April 29, 2013 |
Anthony Brino
While the design of the state's single payer plan may not be unveiled by the Governor for a few years, Vermont Health Connect officials see the exchange's IT and consumer assistance program as "a road, not a detour," to single payer and universal coverage.
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State and local governments stagnant on Big Data
April 29, 2013 |
Tom Sullivan
A new report found that even though state and local IT professionals understand the benefits Big Data strategies and technologies might bring, not many are moving forward on them.
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Health policy and implementation challenges to achieving big data outcomes
April 29, 2013 |
John Loonsk, MD FACMI
John Loonsk, MD explains why Big Data and related tools might take longer than it presently appears to gain traction, be put into strategic use and ultimately fulfill its potential role in research and population health.
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Senator halts Tavenner nomination to head CMS
April 26, 2013 |
Diana Manos
Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, said he is "beyond upset" that money for The Prevention Fund will be cut and cited that as his reason for blocking the nomination.
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Montana partnership intends to bolster care transitions
April 25, 2013 |
Mike Miliard
With a $10.5 million CMS Innovation Grant, the FMBHP project hopes to reduce readmissions and improve transition of care for rural patients.
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Report quantifies EHR benefits for Canadian docs
April 23, 2013 |
Anthony Brino
While only a bit more than half of Canadian primary care doctors have adopted EHRs so far, the benefits since adoption started growing in 2006 are estimated at close to $1.3 billion, from reduced administration and duplicate testing.
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PCORI to fund national patient-powered research networks
April 23, 2013 |
Tom Sullivan
Two cooperative opportunities will drive a hybrid approach of comparative effectiveness research that includes a broad array of participants, including patients and researchers, that hold the potential to enable patients with actionable information.
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HHS seeks input on HIPAA and gun background checks
April 23, 2013 |
Anthony Brino
Amid concerns over gun violence, HHS's Office of Civil Rights is trying to clarify HIPAA's role in reporting individuals with mental illness deemed potentially dangerous to the national background check system, while seeking input on current practices.
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Bipartisan Policy Center urges payment reform toward patient-centered care
April 19, 2013 |
Tom Sullivan
A new report recommends myriad ways to reform payment, taxes, HIT and other programs essentially en route to more efficient and effective care delivery, with the goal of $560 billion worth of deficit reduction in the coming decade.
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Why the CDC wants to modernize its pathogen, sequencing informatics
April 19, 2013 |
Anthony Brino
In its 2014 budget proposal, the CDC is seeking $40 million to modernize its infectious disease informatics and sequencing tools. As antibiotic-resistant bacteria grow and new pathogens like H7N9 evolve, the CDC sees the new systems as a long-term investment.
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Big data's promise on stage at TEDMED
April 18, 2013 |
Diana Manos
Personalized medicine, better healthcare and what one presenter referred to as "real wisdom" will all require the collection and use of big data, speakers said at the conference.
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Feds say big data rewards 3 years away
April 16, 2013 |
Tom Sullivan
IT obstacles remain and until those challenges are met, big data will be problematic for federal agencies and industry, according to a survey of leading thinkers in the realm.
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Editor's Desk: T.W.I.G. Notes
March 21, 2013 |
Tom Sullivan
No easy answers this week on patient engagement, EHR usability, mobile health questions.
Editor's Desk: T.W.I.G. Notes
March 15, 2013 |
Tom Sullivan
Am I the only one who took until mid-week to fully recover from HIMSS13? It was a blast, after all, even reminiscent of the tech tradeshows of old, brimming with glitz and new products.
Indiana Senate expands Medicaid telemedicine
March 8, 2013 |
Anthony Brino
The Indiana Senate has unanimously passed a bill expanding Medicaid reimbursement for telemedicine. Advocates hope expanded use of tele-consultations and more mobile medicine in general will help fill rural provider gaps.
Editor's Desk: T.W.I.G. Notes
February 22, 2013 |
Tom Sullivan
A new hashtag, VA CIO and CTO announce plans to leave, a Medicaid surprise in Florida, and tips for HIT recruitment and retention.
Blurry-eyed in Bangkok part II: The Bumrungrad story
February 19, 2013 |
David Lareau

In which David Lareau interviews Bumrungrad CTO Chang Foo about how his team of technologists cut patient wait times by nearly half. Hint: They did not look at the IT systems first.
Mobile HIX enrollment: A critical asset for ACA success
February 13, 2013 |
Lucy Streett
A large percentage of the Americans that the Affordable Care Act aims to bring into the insurance pool access the Web primarily through their smartphones. For the ACA to achieve its potential, federal and state governments must reach those citizens where it's most convenient for the consumer.
Top 5 initiatives to make a successful ICD-10 transition
February 11, 2013 |
Carl Natale
Looking beyond the timelines, there are steps healthcare organizations can take now to make the most of the code set conversion.
Editor's Desk: T.W.I.G. Notes
February 1, 2013 |
Tom Sullivan
This Week in Government Health IT ... HIE, HIT in a single act play, Vermont continues toward single-payer, reauthorized funding for public health, and the feds at HIMSS13.
3 ways Pew survey's health trackers collect data
January 29, 2013 |
Jeff Rowe
The Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project found that among the ways patients track health data, they're not harnessing IT nearly as much as they could be.
HIT around the globe: A one-act play titled 'Blurry-eyed in Bangkok'
January 28, 2013 |
David Lareau

Wherein the author recounts the 16 minutes it took a colleague to register at Bumrungrad hospital, see a doctor, and walk out with prescription contact lenses.
An ACO of one: My responsibility as a patient in an accountable care model
January 8, 2013 |
Adam Bazer
As the majority stakeholder in the healthcare partnership with his physician, HIMSS' Adam Bazer resolves to "bring a sense of accountability and mindfulness" to his own wellness.
Scoping the politics of healthcare in 2013 and beyond
December 31, 2012 |
Tom Sullivan
We’re bidding Political Malpractice adieu while ramping up our coverage of the political wrangling around health reform in the year ahead. And there will be plenty.