Quality and Safety

 
Q&A: Why IT security grows more complex
May 7, 2013 |
Anthony Brino
With digitization and interconnected devices come HIPAA compliance costs and a web of security issues. Organizations should thus be devoting extra scrutiny to vendors and designing security architectures from the get-go, one cyber-security analyst suggests.
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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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4 questions on HIT in America vs. the rest of the world
April 11, 2013 |
Tom Sullivan
How does America really compare to other developed nations in terms of health IT implementation?
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Allscripts opens lab with Singapore IT org
March 29, 2013 |
Anthony Brino
Allscripts is partnering with the Singapore Ministry of Health's IT organization to develop new medication, mobile and analytic systems for the country's health systems and possibly providers elsewhere in Asia.
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Tara Bishop: Now optimal time to push outpatient quality envelope
March 25, 2013 |
Bernie Monegain
Current measures of outpatient quality lack focus on safety, high-level effectiveness, coordination and efficiency, Tara Bishop, MD, argues in the Journal of The American Medical Association.
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Alzheimer's connection project wins HHS innovation award
March 19, 2013 |
Anthony Brino
A project linking patients, caregivers and Alzheimer's research centers won the Department's third annual innovation award, as Secretary Sibelius and a Google HR guru talked about the need for collaboration in such a large organization.
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Public health veteran to head WA State Department of Health
March 15, 2013 |
Anthony Brino
John Wiesman, a current country public health director, will take over as the DOH director, bringing an approach to public health that focuses on access to primary and behavioral health and encourages pedestrian-centric regional planning.
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HIMSS CEO envisions innovation center as worldwide hub for HIT testing
February 20, 2013 |
Bernie Monegain
Previously intended for Nashville, the HIMSS Innovation Center will be within the Global Center for Health Innovation, and it will house the Interoperability Showcase.
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5 potential safety problems with health IT
February 8, 2013 |
Bernie Monegain
Healthcare information technologies need to be considered in the context of three phases of any HIT project, according to a new report, and "shortsighted approaches can lead to adverse consequences."
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AHRQ looking to enlist experts for workgroups on quality indicators
January 28, 2013 |
Erin McCann
The agency is seeking individuals to participate in two workgroups focusing on hospital inpatient administrative metrics.
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AHRQ eyes quality improvement project
January 7, 2013 |
Erin McCann
The agency is hoping to embark on a project that creates a value and efficiency survey for healthcare organizations as a quality improvement measure.
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Update: VA, CDC eyeing UV to slash HAI
December 28, 2012 |
Diana Manos
A Veterans hospital in Central Texas is using an ultraviolet device to kill up to 95 percent of bacteria and spores with the ultimate goal of getting down to zero hospital-acquired infections. The CDC, for its part, is undertaking a study to measure UV's effectiveness as a means for reducing HAIs.
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May 10th @ 2PM ET -- Enabling Data as a Service in Healthcare
April 24, 2013 | Upcoming Webinars
Join this webinar to learn how Delphix can accelerate IT projects in healthcare while improving application quality and reducing infrastructure costs.
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Health Information Exchange Toolkit
January 30, 2013 | White Papers
This Experian QAS whitepaper discusses the challenges around the Health Information Exchange and details three simple steps agencies can take in order to streamiline the migration and enable a seamless implementation.
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Sizing Up Your Cloud Options - Is Now the Time?
November 7, 2012 | White Papers
A recent survey of IT executives found nearly 90% see business value in transitioning to Cloud computing, but only 20% have a plan to get there. Healthcare Cloud solutions require Compliance, Security, Privacy, Redundancy, and Scalability, so choosing the right path from on-premises servers to the Cloud can be daunting. Learn how to chart a quick and affordable course to healthcare Cloud Computing and how to choose the right Cloud services partner.
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Connect to Care Interactive Map: Public Sector Healthcare Innovation
August 14, 2012 | White Papers
This interactive map will show you how innovative technologies can enable public sector healthcare to improve patient access to healthcare, transform the clinician experience, improve clinical processes, create new models of care and lower costs. Specifically, this guide will show how clinicians conduct remote consultations, use wireless IP phones and radios, as well as how patients can connect to clinicians for home monitoring.
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Ten Things to Ask Your SAAS Vendor Before Entering the Cloud
October 12, 2011 | White Papers
This whitepaper provides tips based on best practices gathered through analysis of the industry and direct experience with thousands of cloud deployments—including tips from CIOs, program and project managers, directors of IT, engineers, developers, and administrators in various industries and various size companies
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Best Practices to Deploy ECM Technologies: Ensure Decisions are Made Based on all the Information, not a Portion of it
October 11, 2011 | On Demand Webinars
In this Web seminar, learn firsthand from five healthcare organizations how, after integrating Perceptive Software enterprise content management (ECM) products, they are realizing cost and time-saving benefits enterprise-wide. The customer panel will share lessons learned and best practices for deploying ECM technology with their business and health information systems.
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The Power of User Virtualization: Meeting Meaningful Use, Optimizing IT and Clinical Productivity
August 23, 2011 | White Papers
Transformative changes such as healthcare reform mandates, advanced stages of meaningful use criteria and conversion from ICD-9 to ICD-10 code sets require healthcare providers’ IT assets to be flexible, scalable and interoperable in order to respond. Learn how user virtualization provides the ability to react quickly while improving user experience and operational efficiency.
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Celebrating informatics in the wake of Boston Marathon bombing
May 16, 2013 |
Lorren Pettit
While a “cancer” in society was expectantly expressed, multiple technologies were employed to collect data and synthesize into a format that provided law enforcement with the informatics needed to isolate and ultimately expunge the offending sources.
An informatics nurse's recommitment to deliver quality and innovation in patient care
May 8, 2013 |
Maria Arellano MS, RN
For National Nurses Week, Mario Arellano shares three of the critical aspects of her real world knowledge of what it means to work as a nurse.
An IT Perspective on the Bombings in Boston
April 17, 2013 |
John Halamka, MD
Many reporters have contacted me for an IT perspective on the April 15 bombings in Boston. Within moments of the event, social media became the preferred mechanism for communication and coordination.
EHRs, HIE underutilized in battling infection
February 25, 2013 |
Jeff Rowe
While 70 percent of infection prevention specialists have access to electronic health records, the problem is that they are not involved in selection or implementation of technologies.
Informaticists offer EHR safety recommendations
February 1, 2013 |
Jeff Rowe
An article published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association points to the airline industry as an example healthcare might be wise to follow, at least in some ways.
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.
Are HIT and quality of care connected yet?
October 3, 2012 |
Jeff Rowe
To say the least, it’s an understatement to point out that EHRs and other forms of health IT have been promoted as potentially leading to significant improvements in our country’s healthcare system.
ICD-10 Benefits: A specific example of improving patient care
January 24, 2012 |
Carl Natale
One of the persistent arguments arguments against ICD-10 coding is that it will have no effect on patient care.
Good lessons on preparing for ICD-10 implementation
January 20, 2012 |
Carl Natale
I can admit I have a different way of looking at things. And sometimes different means wrong.
The Standards Work Ahead in 2012
December 20, 2011 |
John Halamka, MD
The December HIT Standards Committee included a discussion of the work ahead for the next year based on the priorities we've heard from stakeholders.
Top 5 Benefits of Clinical Decision Support in the ED
November 28, 2011 |
Robert Hitchcock, M.D.
High-acuity patients and surging patient volumes combine to make the emergency department (ED) a care setting with high variability and potential for medical error.
Are you feeling 10 percent healthier this year?
October 24, 2011 |
Steve O' Keefe: My Cup of IT
With salaries rising far less than health insurance premiums, perhaps it's time for something new, such as creativity, innovation, and sanity in care delivery.