Cygnus: Workstation Solutions for Healthcare

The Reluctant Doctor: Realizing the Benefits of an EHR | EMR and EHR

2012-02-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

I had to share this post from one of my favorite blogs. Great read. Dan L.

The Reluctant Doctor: Realizing the Benefits of an EHR | EMR and EHR:

One foggy morning last week, I made my way to the Georgia State Capitol for a Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) Health event relating to the intersection of healthcare IT and state legislation. Little did I know that the state’s government is somewhat unaware of the benefits HIT can bring, both to the patient in terms of more coordinated care and improved quality outcomes, and to the state in terms of job creation and revenue.

I also was not aware that, when it comes to moving from paper to electronic health records, some doctors take a bit more convincing than others. And when I say “a bit,” I really mean they may need to be gently dragged kicking and screaming into the digital age. At least that’s the impression I got at the TAG event after speaking with Sherri Mesquita, an EMR/EHR Consultant – Project Manager, at Community Health Systems Inc. She works with ambulatory clinics and hospitals to help them establish strategy around meeting Meaningful Use deadlines, and has developed a keen sense of when doctors may need an extra “bit” of convincing.

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amednews: Small medical practices greatly at risk for data breaches :: Jan. 16, 2012 ... American Medical News

2012-01-31T08:46:00.001-05:00

from amednews: Small medical practices greatly at risk for data breaches :: Jan. 16, 2012 ... American Medical News:

Data breach experts are issuing a warning to small practices -- don't be the vulnerable target that data thieves assume you are.

The Top Cyber Security Trends for 2012, as compiled by Kroll's Cyber Security and Information Assurance, reported that small practices are more susceptible to security vulnerabilities because they are "the path of least resistance." Many rely on outdated technology. Basic security protections, such as proper use of encryption, often are overlooked as practices focus on meeting regulatory requirements, such as those related to meaningful use. (See correction)

Small practices often lack the technical sophistication to know what tools to put in place to avoid attacks, said Jason Straight, managing director of Kroll's Cyber Security and Information Assurance unit. Or they have the right tools, but the tools are not implemented or monitored correctly, he said. One example is having incorrectly installed data encryption.

Large organizations have become more "hardened," meaning they spend more money to safeguard their data, said Beth Givens, founder and director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, an education and advocacy group that has tracked publicly reported data-breach trends across all industries since 2005. "It only stands to reason [that data thieves] would go after small practices," she said.

Breach experts have long said medical data are among the most valuable because of the depth of the information. To thieves, small organizations are often the easiest source of this data because they lack the sophisticated security measures used by their larger counterparts. Because nearly three-quarters of practices are one- or two-doctor operations, there are simply more of them to target compared with large organizations. The advice given to practices is to take steps to ensure they aren't the victims of a breach.

The costs of a breach

Three of the six most significant data breaches in 2011 occurred at health care organizations, resulting in 11 million patient records being put at risk, according to a year in review report published in December 2011 by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Givens said medical data are valuable to thieves because of "the triple whammy" -- sensitive medical information, financial data and other identifying data that can be used for identity theft.

3 of the 6 biggest data breaches of 2011 were at health care organizations, putting 11 million patient records at risk.

When a breach occurs, the practices are faced with the cost of notifying all of the affected patients and usually paying for identity theft and credit monitoring for them. The per-patient costs associated with a breach have risen to more than $200 in 2011 for notification and loss of income, according to the Ponemon Institute, a privacy research center based in Traverse City, Mich.

Many breaches also bring to light deficient IT systems that the practice must replace immediately. In addition, the practices could face fines from the Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Although breaches at large medical organizations often get more media attention because of the sheer number of records involved, that shouldn't be an indication that small practice owners are in the clear, experts say.

It's hard to put an exact number on small practice breaches because breaches generally are categorized by industry and not broken down by practice size, Givens said. There's also a good chance many of the breaches in small practices aren't reported because they don't fall under the state or federal reporting requirements. For example, California doesn't require the reporting of paper breaches, and HHS doesn't require the reporting of breaches affecting fewer than 500 people.

A query of the HHS breach database and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse's database shows dozens of cases involving individual physicians and small medical practices that were victims of cyber attacks in 2011. Cases include the hacking of network servers, office burglaries, inside data thefts, and incidents caused by information technology problems that may have been malicious attacks or errors that resulted in data exposure. Givens said she is sure there are "a lot more breaches than are posted on our website."

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101 Tips to Make Your EMR and EHR More Useful – EHR Tips 1-5

2012-01-25T08:34:00.000-05:00

101 Tips to Make Your EMR and EHR More Useful – EHR Tips 1-5

Written by: John (from http://www.emrandehr.com/)

Time for the next entry covering Shawn Riley’s list of 101 Tips to Make your EMR and EHR More Useful. I can’t believe that this is the last post in the series. I think it’s been a good series chalk full of good tips for those looking at implementing an EHR in their office. I’d love to hear what people thought and if they’d like me to do more series like this one. Now for the final 5 EMR tips.

5. Automatic trending helps all over the place – A picture is worth a thousand words and this is never more true than when we’re talking about trending. Make sure your EHR software can quickly take a set of results and/or data points and graph them over time.

4. Keep training over and over – Are you ever done learning software? The answer for those using an EMR is no. Part of this has to do with the vast volume of options that are available in EMR software. However, the training doesn’t necessarily have to come from formal training sessions. Much of the training can also come by facilitating interaction and discussion about how your users use the software. By talking to each other, they can often learn from their peers better ways to use the software.

3. Infrastructure is key to performance – I love when people say “My EMR is Slow” cause it’s such a general statement that could have so many possible meanings. Regardless of the cause of slowness, the EMR is going to get the blame. For those wanting to dig in to the EMR slowness issue, you can read my pretty comprehensive post about causes of EMR slowness. I think you’ll also enjoy some of the responses to that EMR slowness post.

Infrastructure really matters when someone is using an EMR all day every day. There’s no better way to kill someone’s desire to use an EMR than to have it be slow (regardless of who’s responsible).

2. Quit pulling charts as soon as possible – I think this tip should be done with some caution. In certain specialties the past chart history matters much more than in others. Although, it’s worth carefully considering how often you really look through the past paper chart in a visit. You might be surprised how rare it is that you really need the past paper chart. If that’s the case, consider only pulling the chart when it’s needed. If you only find yourself looking through the past paper chart for 2 or 3 key items, then just have someone get those 2 or 3 items put into the EMR ahead of time. Then, it will save you having to switch back and forth. Plus, then it’s there for the next time the patient visits.

1. Crap process + Technology = Fast Crap – Perfect way to end 101 EMR and EHR Tips! I like to describe technology as the great magnifier. The challenge is that it will magnify both the good and bad elements of your processes. Fix the process before you apply the technology.

If you want to see my analysis of the other 101 EMR and EHR tips, you can find them all at the following link: 101 EMR and EHR tips analysis.

HHS may be in the final stages before releasing proposed rules for Stage 2 of the electronic health records meaningful use program - HDM Latest News Article

2012-01-23T14:55:00.001-05:00

HealthDataMangement Latest News Article Joseph Goedert Jan 23, 2012

The Department of Health and Human Services may be in the final stages before releasing proposed rules for Stage 2 of the electronic health records meaningful use program.

HHS has sent to the Office of Management and Budget for review a proposed rule that will accompany the Stage 2 incentive program rule. The accompanying rule would adopt standards, implementation specifications and certification criteria to ensure EHRs support Stage 2 measures.

OMB review often is one of the final steps before publication of a proposed or final rule. HHS previously has indicated the Stage 2 proposed rules are coming in January or February. Several sessions at the HIMSS Conference in February are specifically focused on Stage 2 issues. This includes a presentation at the day-long preconference Meaningful Use Symposium on Feb. 20, and these sessions on Feb. 22: ONC Certification Programs-Updates and Next Steps; Meaningful Use Stage 2 NPRM Overview; and ONC Town Hall with Farzad Mostashari.

Streamline Personnel Management with the Active Directory Bridge

2012-01-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

You probably already use Microsoft’s Active Directory to manage and monitor the electronic resources of your facilities. Who has access to what computers, who can access patient medical records, who reviewed selected patient records last week.
· Manage Personnel Access – Active Directory’s personnel database becomes single authority.

· Monitor – Cabinet access rules are updated , in real-time, by Active Directory changes

· Report – Active Directory audit reporting can show who has access to specific cabinets.

Benefits: · Timely disbursement and control of medications

· Secured Access to equipment

The NetLock™ Active Directory Bridge (AD-Bridge) allows administrators of the NetLock™ Software suite to simplify the task of managing user identities within the enterprise.

As more and more independent software systems are introduced into an organization, it is not uncommon for system administrators to develop one-off (and error prone) processes to ensure that appropriate user access configurations are maintained across systems. End-users can benefit from solutions which relieve them of this burden by automating the management of user access permissions.

AD-Bridge accomplishes this task by automatically synchronizing user data between the customer’s Microsoft Active Directory™ and the NetLock™ Software suite.

AD-Bridge Benefits:
· Eliminates the manual steps required to add and delete the users of the NetLock Access Control System.
· Reduces on-going operational costs by up to 50%, thru the automation of user access configuration maintenance.

· Using Microsoft’s Active Directory™ as a central user control point improves organizational security. When personnel leave the organization, one operation will remove their access to the network, and all physical facilities.

· Leverages the customer’s existing Active Directory centric security policies and procedures that are used to meet regulatory reporting requirements, such as HIPAA or Sarbanes-Oxley.

· Allows multiple locations to have local, independent access control systems, and yet have a single master personnel database.

· Reduced Training Expenses. AD-Bridge leverages the Microsoft Active Directory’s Group Membership features, to allow the management of the ACS personnel configurations with the same techniques used to manage access to other corporate resources.

· The AD-Bridge’s extremely flexible field-mapping feature allows easy configuration of the system to match the current Microsoft Active Directory usage.

AD-Bridge Controls Personnel Data & Access Authorization
AD-Bridge Controls Personnel Data Access Authorization handled by Security Department
AD-Bridge Controls Personnel Data for Multiple Installations

Hospital Security Project Brief

2011-12-07T15:52:00.001-05:00

Hospital Improves Safeguards for Dispensing of Medications:

Like other hospitals around the country, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore deals with the often competing goals of improving patient safety, patient satisfaction, nurse satisfaction and nursing efficiency, all while controlling costs. A recent project – the installation of single-patient, automated medication cabinets in each patient room – has resulted in improvements in all of these areas.

The initial goal of the project was to decrease the potential for error during medication administration by moving the entire process to the patient’s bedside. The “NetLock” Medication Cabinets, manufactured by Cygnus, Inc. of Petoskey, MI are in the patient’s room, thus eliminating the need for the Registered Nurse to make repeated trips to a centralized medication storage point, such as a medication cart. According to Bonnie Hartley Faust, MS, MBA, RN, Director of Patient Care Services for Sinai Hospital, “The new cabinets were a hit with our nurses from the start. Having the patient’s medications right at the bedside has not only improved efficiency, but it has afforded us an added level of medication safety. The nurse is better able to ensure that the correct meds are dispensed to the correct patient at the correct time. This added security has made the cabinets quite successful with our patients as well.”[Continue Reading]

CDW: Healthcare sector to lead IT spending | Healthcare IT News

2011-10-20T11:16:00.000-04:00

From Healthcare IT News

October 20, 2011 | Molly Merrill, Associate Editor

VERNON HILLS, ILL – In the midst of economic uncertainty, IT decision-makers in the healthcare industry report expected growth in overall IT budgets and hiring, according to the latest CDW IT Monitor.

While the latest wave of the CDW IT Monitor noted numerous fluctuations among sectors and industries surveyed, the comprehensive figures indicate that, on the whole, IT sentiment is holding steady. The Six Month Growth Outlook, which measures long-term anticipated investment, decreased one point from June, to 67, and was unchanged from one year ago.

[See also: Analysts forecast moderate growth for health IT]

“Despite ongoing economic uncertainties, the overall outlook remains relatively stable,” said Neal Campbell, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, CDW. “This shows that while IT decision-makers are evaluating and scrutinizing their investments, they are still spending, especially in areas such as software and security."

In the corporate sector, 22 percent of small business IT decision-makers predict budget increases in the next six months, gaining three percentage points from June. Additionally, small businesses anticipate more near term spending and are expecting to increase software investments by six percentage points and solutions investments by five percentage points over the next six months.

Leading the corporate sector, 66 percent of healthcare IT decision-makers anticipate budget increases in the next six months. Ninety-two percent expect to purchase hardware and software, while 66 percent foresee investments in solutions in the next six months. The healthcare industry also continues to see an uptick in hiring, up 24 percentage points since June.

[See also: Health IT No. 1 on list of top 10 'hot' careers]

Despite eight and 10 percentage point budget declines at the state and federal levels of government respectively, 29 percent of local government IT decision-makers foresee budget increases in the next six months, up seven percentage points from June. Local government is less bullish on long-term hardware and software spending, but expects to increase both one-month and six-month spending levels in IT solutions by four percentage points over June.

While six-month anticipated hardware spending dropped among medium and large-size businesses, 87 percent of medium and 90 percent of large-size businesses are still committed to hardware investments. On the software front, demand over the next six months slipped four percentage points for medium-size businesses to 84 percent, while investments at large-size businesses held steady at 91 percent.

Hardware and software investments over the next six months are expected to increase for state and federal government. According to the latest CDW IT Monitor, hardware investments at the state level will increase one percentage point to 84 percent and five percentage points at the federal level to 90 percent. The six-month outlook for software climbed five percentage points for government organizations at the state and federal levels, reaching 82 percent and 91 percent, respectively.

Investments in IT solutions remain a priority in both corporate and government; however, the weak budget outlooks did impact spending potential in the next six months. In the IT solutions category, security now tops the list of IT decision-makers' priorities. Fifty-nine percent of those IT decision-makers who are spending more on solutions this month will spend on security.

Fixing EMR Drawbacks | EMR and EHR

2011-10-18T08:28:00.000-04:00

Written by: Priya Ramachandran from www.emrandehr.com

FierceHealthIT editor Ken Terry had a recent post on the need for better human-computer interfaces in EMRs. He highlighted a few areas where EMRs could stand some improvement, and I thought they were bang on. These are aspects I’ve thought about a great deal myself, and true to the Steve Jobs dictum of staying foolish, I’m offering some solutions to these oft-mentioned problems. I’m sure there are plenty of people who have already thought of these and better solutions, but here we go:

1) Initial Data Entry – The biggest headache for providers’ offices today is what to do with all those boxes of medical records. Scanning solutions exist but they leave you with unstructured data. Manual extraction is time-consuming and requires upfront investment. I’ve pondered for a while about this. I think on-demand data extraction might be the way to go. Provider offices know ahead of time what their weekly, even monthly appointments are. If a provider’s office digitizes the records of patients with upcoming appointments every week, it should have most of its records digitized by end of year. This is assuming patients make it to the doctor’s office for at least once-a-year appointments if not more. If the office outsources this work, it needs some monetary investment, no doubt, but such a setup might be affordable since it is pay-as-you-go.

2) Templating – Terry states that many doctors hate the templates that come with most EMRs. And templates make it easy to generate pages and pages of verbiage which say exactly the same thing for patients with similar profiles, or say very little that is meaningful. Surely customizable or extensible templates can get rid of this problem. Or speech-to-text dictation that allows the doctor to mirror practices from not so long ago.

3) Alert Overload – Many EMRs are designed to issue alerts for adverse drug interactions, prompts for patients and similar such decision support tools. But too few of these and you risk not asking the right questions. Too many providers just ignore them, or worse, override them. No easy solutions for this one, except maybe to figure out where the fine line lies between lack of decision support and too many alerts.

4) Interoperability – EMRs cannot talk to each other. So a patient who moves from one provider to another is really at the mercy of software whimsies. Or worse. For providers, it’s equally frustrating not to be able to get ahold of the patient records in a format suitable for their particular EMR software. One simple answer – standards. Granted HL7 is still evolving, but EMR vendors need to at least consider offering data exports in this format.

Lawmakers speak up for healthcare IT | Healthcare IT News

2011-10-13T09:41:00.002-04:00

From the October 2011 print issue HealthcareITNews

Push for legislation despite ‘tough year’ in Congress

Members of Congress have been absorbed this year in federal budget issues and the economy, but not all of them have forgotten the cause of healthcare IT advancement.

Rep. Michael Burgess, MD (R-Tex.) was slated at press time to give a keynote at this year’s HIMSS Policy Summit in conjunction with National Health IT Week, Sept. 12-16 in Washington, D.C.

“When I came to Congress in 2003, I was not the biggest proponent of health IT,” Burgess told Healthcare IT News in an exclusive interview. But, events after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 changed his mind “in a big way.”

At a field hearing post-Katrina in New Orleans, Burgess said he saw “row after row” of paper records at Charity Hospital turned black from mold. Hazmat protection was required to touch the destroyed documents.

A few days after the hurricane, Burgess assisted other doctors in the Dallas Arena in treating victims of the hurricane. Many were in no condition to remember any of their medical history or the medications they were taking, he said. Walgreens was there with computers loaded on a truck, assisting victims who had used them as a pharmacy. They were able to look up prescription records electronically to get some of a patient’s medical history. “These were powerful images,” Burgess said.

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1.6 Million Affected by Lost Backup Tapes

2011-10-11T09:43:00.000-04:00

1.6 Million Affected by Lost Backup Tapes:

I really can't figure this out! When will people learn? Don't store sensitive data in your car, trunk, briefcase...ANYTHING!! Keep the stuff locked up. Store the items in a place where there is something like our NetLock which tracks access and has a complete audit trail. The NetLock can even snap a photo or video clip of when the card is presented to open a door.

Until then, please don't put laptops, backup tapes, thumb drives containing patient data in your car. I literally read WAY TOO MANY stories like this; that are completely avoidable.

HIPAA Audits: Documentation Is Key

2011-08-25T09:07:00.000-04:00

Evidence of Compliance Efforts is Critical, Expert Stresses

August 24, 2011 - Howard Anderson, Executive Editor, HealthcareInfoSecurity.com

Having complete documentation of every aspect of your privacy and security strategy is the best way to prepare for a HIPAA audit, says consultant Cliff Baker.

If HIPAA compliance auditors discover an organization cannot produce adequate documentation, they'll suspect its compliance efforts are subpar, Baker says.

In an interview, Baker recommends that healthcare organizations have a long list of documents ready. Among those are:

Security and privacy policies and procedures;
A risk assessment and corrective action plan;
An organizational chart outlining privacy and security responsibilities;
A technology inventory, including all security tools used;
Business associate agreements;
An incident response plan; and
HIPAA compliance training materials.

The Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights has hired KPMG to launch HIPAA privacy and security rule compliance audits in the months ahead (see: McAndrew Explains HIPAA Audits).

[Continue Reading]

Point of No Return?

2011-08-11T08:38:00.001-04:00

May 12, 2008 By Annie Macios, For The Record, Vol. 20 No. 10 P. 14

A pair of studies raises concerns about the viability of implementing mobile, point-of-care solutions.

As healthcare documentation becomes more automated and streamlined, technology enters into the equation across the continuum of care—including at the point of care. Mobile documentation at the point of care can do wonders for workflow and documentation; however, its implementation is not without challenges.

Two recent reports by the Spyglass Consulting Group—“Healthcare Without Bounds: Point of Care Computing for Nursing” and “Healthcare Without Bounds: Point of Care Computing for Physicians”—highlight the current state of mobile computing in hospitals and ambulatory care. They present the findings of an end-user market study focused on the adoption of point-of-care computing by physicians and nurses across the United States.

The reports uncover strong opinions gleaned from more than 200 in-depth interviews regarding the opportunities and challenges for adopting computing solutions at the point of care. It also identifies the market drivers, trends, opportunities, and challenges in using mobile computing devices.

According to the survey, clinicians believe the right point-of-care computing device depends on physical location, urgency of the situation, tasks to be performed, complexity of the required applications, and, most importantly, personal preferences. Gregg Malkary, founder and managing director for Spyglass Consulting Group, says there is really no ideal device for point-of-care computing thanks to these variables.

Smartphones/PDAs
While viewed by physicians as an ideal device for communicating, managing personal and clinical workflows, and accessing stand-alone, reference-based tools, smartphones are used by fewer than 14% of the physicians interviewed to access single-function clinical applications for managing patient data, prescribing medications electronically, and capturing patient billing charges.

There is a big push for physicians to use smartphones and PDAs for accessing clinical applications, but the study shows that doctors are not using it in this way because screen size presents a problem. “If given a choice between a 2- X 2-inch screen or a full-size terminal, they’ll choose the full-size screen,” says Malkary. For that reason, he says smartphones/PDAs currently have limited clinical utility but great potential.

Tablet PC
Tablet PC use varies based on the environment. “For the hospital-based clinician, it is too heavy and its battery life is only two to three hours for what is often a 10- to 12-hour workday,” says Malkary. Tablet PC applications resemble DOS applications, and with wireless networks there are often dead zones because of poor handoffs within the hospital. According to the report, more than 90% of nurses are reluctant to use the tablet PC for bedside nursing.

In an ambulatory environment, however, tablet PCs are more prevalent and have more widespread adoption because there is limited geography. Malkary says the tablet PC is more convenient in this setting because there are usually no more than 30 steps between offices rather than the five or six miles that hospital-based clinicians may encounter during an average shift. Financials also come into play in ambulatory settings, where doctors are more financially motivated to use tablet PCs because they pay for them themselves, according to Malkary.

Mobile Clinical Carts
Patient safety concerns have driven 56% of the healthcare organizations represented in the Spyglass Consulting survey to implement departmental initiatives that include mobile computer carts. Ideally, these carts enable nurses to generate structured clinical documentation, automate safety checks and procedures through bar code technology, access information on demand, automate the collection of vital sign data, facilitate real-time communication among all care team members, and practice evidence-based nursing.

Mobile clinical carts, also known as computers on wheels (COWs), are the workhorse of hospital-based nursing. Unfortunately, while the cart is mobile, it is usually left in the hallway due to space limitations in hospital rooms. Another reason for COWs’ lack of use at the site of care is that it is not yet required by hospital administration. However, “That will change as medication administration moves to bar coding,” says Malkary.
According to the survey, rather than COWs, nurses prefer to use a fixed station for documentation. “If they can find a terminal every 10 yards, they will use those instead,” says Malkary. He also notes that nurses often do their documentation on paper first and then input the report afterward.

Wall-Mounted PCs
According to the survey, these devices are gradually replacing COWs as a more useful point-of-care computing tool. Ironically, COWs have helped establish wall-mounted PCs. “The good thing about the COWs is that they let you know where to put a fixed station,” says Malkary.

Putting Them Into Practice
While smartphones, tablet PCs, mobile clinical carts, and wall-mounted PCs offer opportunities for point-of-care computing, the pitfalls associated with these devices sometimes overshadow the benefits. Malkary says better communication can help overcome many barriers. “Facilities have to develop a better solution and get the clinicians involved in the process. IT makes recommendations on the technology, but they also need to understand the clinical workflow,” he says.

Malkary says getting clinicians involved in the decision making for such devices will improve the chances of implementing a user-accepted solution and, ultimately, improve workflow, patient care, and patient safety.

The physician survey suggests that widespread adoption of these devices depends on how practitioners perceive their use. When looking to increase the adoption of point-of-care computing technology, Malkary says the investment a facility is able to make, as well as the return on investment, are important factors to consider. “In looking at the investment perspective, you have to ensure the technology will deliver an automated hardware, software, infrastructure, and workflow solution,” he says. “If you only automate the current system that you have, that helps, but you have to automate across the board for the adoption to be more widespread. It all comes down to eliminating inefficient processes.”

Malkary says the point-of-care device selected at a particular facility depends on the investment an organization can make. With IT investments, facilities usually start with an electronic medical record (EMR) and a digital infrastructure. EMR deployment usually takes a significant amount of capital and includes many subsystems, leaving little left in the budget for items such as point-of-care computing technology. “But the requirements of doing documentation at the point of care need to be automated, and it takes a lot of deployments and experimentation to get to a point where it works most efficiently,” says Malkary. By coming up with standardized solutions that work facilitywide, the adoption of these devices can potentially increase, he adds.

Communication overload can interfere with practitioners’ ability to get the clinical information they want when they want it. “The devices offer a lot of support tools for doctors, but they [physicians] also get flooded with a lot of alerts and reminders to respond to. If physicians click off an alert in an effort to go straight to the clinical data, then they have added liability should some medical situation arise from that alert,” says Malkary.

Citing inefficient processes as a common difficulty of effectively employing mobile computing, Malkary finds that a facility’s technical infrastructure is often inadequate to support work from point-of-care devices. “Security is a big impediment, especially when a physician might need to know 10 or more user names and passwords because security is made so stringent. A doctor might have to log in 80 to 90 times a day, which is an unrealistic expectation,” he says.

Infection Risk
According to the survey, 65% of physicians say they fear infection if they use mobile computing devices at the point of care, a 160% increase from 2005.

“Point-of-care computing devices are a large vector of contamination, and hand washing is the key to reducing the risk of infection. It’s a real infection control risk, but it’s not always been seen as a risk,” says Malkary. He notes that perceptions are changing now that Medicare is no longer paying for medical mistakes such as infection caused within the hospital.

Success Stories
While the news from the Spyglass surveys is not encouraging, the deployment of mobile computing technology is working at some facilities. Medstar Health in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C., region and Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital in Parkersburg, W.Va., are examples of how point-of-care computing devices can be successfully deployed in healthcare facilities big and small.

MedStar Health, the largest healthcare system in its region, introduced mobile devices to its physicians in 1998 and has experienced success with the technology since then. Included on Hospitals & Health Networks’ list of the top 100 most wired hospitals for four consecutive years, MedStar is a nonprofit, integrated system that includes a community-based network of eight hospitals with more than 5,000 physicians.

Used at five of the system’s eight hospitals, PatientKeeper, which is deployed on Palm Treo smartphones, helps physicians collect and input charges at the point of care. As any healthcare administrator knows, being paid appropriately and in a timely manner is an integral part of keeping a healthcare facility running smoothly—a fact that physicians are also keenly aware of. “We are able to provide the hospitalist physicians with patient billing demographics through an interface, and it provides a much more efficient and effective way of capturing inpatient charges,” says Suzanne Carter, Medstar’s vice president of information systems customer service.

Staci Parks, the project leader for the PatientKeeper initiative, says physicians responded positively to the technology, which allows them to view and act on information. Its applications give physicians the power to access patients’ electronic records, write prescriptions, enter charges for services, document patient encounters, and send messages securely to other caregivers in a single, integrated environment available at the point of care.

The most noticeable benefit has been capturing a more effective charge cost, mitigating the problems associated with misplaced paperwork, and the lapse in time between the point of care and documentation. Benefits are also realized on the administrative side, where the practice management staff know instantly which patients the doctors have seen. “The entire process has been sped up,” says Parks, who adds that the initiative will expand to additional facilities within the system and into surgical specialty areas.

Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital, a 375-bed facility that is also listed among the top 100 most wired hospitals, as well as one of the top 25 most wireless facilities, adopted mobile computing carts approximately six years ago. Within the last 16 months, after a long discovery process and a one-month trial with multiple carts, Camden-Clark adopted Artromick mobile computing carts to replace more bulky, cumbersome equipment that wasn’t being used as much as it otherwise might be.

Nursing informatics analyst Kerry Cottrell works with the nursing staff on a daily basis and has seen firsthand the improved workflow and time savings the new mobile computing carts have offered the hospital. Among the benefits Cottrell reports are the ability to use the carts at the bedside, the additional area for charting that is decentralized from the nursing station, and the capability to provide readily accessible information in a timely manner.

“It improves efficiency by allowing one-time documentation at bedside rather than once at bedside then again at the nursing station. The nurses are using them pretty extensively—a lot more than ever before,” says Cottrell, adding that it saves time for nurses, who can quickly access information over the wireless network and no longer have to save their charting until a computer is available at the nursing station. The new mobile computing carts are so efficient, in fact, that the old ones are no longer at the facility, says Cottrell.

Besides being easy to use, Cottrell says the carts are ergonomically efficient and adjustable, easy to move and control, and have a better, more easily rechargeable battery life than those on previous carts, all adding to the overall acceptance and successful implementation of the technology.

— Annie Macios is a freelance writer based in Doylestown, Pa.

SaaS EHR Down Time vs. In House EHR Down Time

2011-08-10T08:23:00.001-04:00

Posted: 09 Aug 2011 03:26 PM PDT on www.emrandehr.com

As part of my continuing series of posts about EHR Down time (see my previous Cost of EHR Down Time and Reasons Your EHR Will Go Down posts), I thought it would be interesting to look at how a SaaS EHR down time is different from an in house EHR down time.

I’ll use the list of reasons your EHR go down as my discussion points for how it’s different with a SaaS EHR versus an in house EHR. On each point, I’ll see if either approach has an advantage over the other.

Power Outage – Certainly a power outage will impact both types of EHR implementations. If your computer or router doesn’t have power, then it doesn’t matter where your EHR is hosted. However, many clinics use laptops which can run for quite a while without being plugged in. Plus, a small UPS for your network equipment is pretty cheap and easy to implement.

However, a good UPS for your own server will cost a bit more to implement. Plus, the UPS won’t likely last very long. Most UPS are there to give you enough time to power down your system properly or to handle a short power outage. Of course, in this case we’re talking about a small clinic implementation. I have done an EMR implementation where we had some nice UPS and even a backup generator. However, this is the exception.

Conclusion: Slight Advantage for the SaaS EHR

Hard Drive Failure – Certainly the failure of a hard drive in your desktop machine will affect both types of EHR install equally. So, that part is a wash. However, the hard drive failure on your local server is much more of an issue than a SaaS EHR vendor. At least, I’ve never heard of a hard drive failure causing an issue for any SaaS software vendor of any type. Both in house and SaaS EHR implementations can implement redundant hard drives, but SaaS EHR vendors have to implement redundant servers.

Conclusion: Advantage SaaS EHR

Power Supply Failure – This one is similar to the Hard Drive failure. I know a lot of EHR vendors that have their clinics buy an in house server that doesn’t have redundant power supplies. I can’t imagine a SaaS EHR vendor buying a server without redundant power supplies even if the redundancy is across servers.

Conclusion: Advantage SaaS EHR

Network Cable – Cables can get pulled out of switches just as easily as servers. So, I conclude that it will affect SaaS EHR and in house EHR the same.

Conclusion: Tie

Switch/Router – Loss of a switch/router will cause either a SaaS EHR or in house EHR to go down.

Conclusion: Tie

Motherboard Failure – An in house server only has one motherboard. If that motherboard fails, you better hope you have a great tech support contract to get a motherboard to you quickly (For example, Dell has a 4 hour support contract which is amazing, but pricey). Certainly a motherboard can fail for a SaaS EHR as well, but since they likely have multiple servers, they can just roll the users over to another server while they replace the motherboard.

Conclusion: Advantage SaaS EHR

EHR Software Issue – This is a hard one to analyze since a software issue like this could happen on either type of EHR install. It really has more to do with the EHR vendor’s development and testing process than it has to do with the way the EHR software is delivered.

You could argue that because the SaaS EHR is all hosted by he company, they will be able to see the issues you’re having first hand and will have tested on the hardware they have in place. A client server/in house EHR install could be on a variety of EHR systems that the EHR vendor didn’t know about and couldn’t test as they developed and deployed the system. So, I could see a slight benefit for the SaaS EHR system.

However, one disadvantage to the SaaS EHR system is that they are hosting it across dozens of servers and so when something goes wrong on a server it’s sometimes hard to figure out what’s going wrong since all the servers are the same. Maybe that’s a bit of a stretch, but we’ve all seen times when certain users of a service are down, but not others.

Conclusion: Maybe a slight advantage to SaaS EHR

Internet Outage – This one is the most clear cut benefit to an in house server. When your internet connection goes down, the in house server keeps plugging along no problem. Loss of your internet connection with a SaaS EHR is terrible. No doubt that’s often the greatest weakness of a SaaS EHR. Although, it can be partially mitigated with multiple internet connections (ie. wired internet and wireless broadband internet).

Conclusion: Advantage In House EHR

I have to admit that I didn’t realize going into this analysis that it was going to be a landslide for the SaaS EHR. Although, that’s quite clear from this analysis. When it comes to EHR down time, the SaaS EHR is much better. Unless, you live in an area where the internet connection is unreliable and slow. Then, you don’t really have much choice since SaaS EHR needs a reliable internet connection.

It’s also worth noting that this article only talks about how EHR down time relates to SaaS EHR versus in house EHR. There are certainly plenty of other arguments that could be made for and against either implementation method such as: speed, privacy, security, cost, etc.

Match your computer workstations.

2011-07-25T16:38:00.001-04:00

Is your facility using a combination of computer carts and wall mounted computer cabinets? Cygnus offers the ability to match the two together.

Our computer cabinets, carts and medication cabinets are available in over 20 standard 3D laminate colors with many more available so you can match virtually any decor.

We also have antimicrobial 3D laminates so our carts and cabinets aren't only beautiful but are doing their part in the fight against the spread of infection.

See more about our antimicrobial laminate and metal finishes on our website.

Five criteria for choosing a certified EHR specialist

2011-07-05T14:37:00.001-04:00

July 05, 2011 | Molly Merrill, Associate Editor from HealthcareITnews.com

NEW YORK – As the need for certified electronic health record specialists (CEHRS) grows, it is important that healthcare organizations are able to recognize whether potential candidates are EHR-ready, says one consultant.

The CEHRS job is to create, maintain and secure patient records, said Lena Feygin, executive VP of Alameda Services, a New York City-based HIT organization specializing in workforce development and intense EHR training.

[See also: Top 7 cities for IT jobs]

Alameda has developed a curriculum for training EHR specialists in two years. She said it focuses on four major areas: the technology segment, the workflow and business processes, compliance with regulations like HIPAA and ARRA and a hands-on component that requires working with the software in a clinical environment.

Feygin says that their program often exceeds the requirements of the National Healthcare Association (NHA), the governing body for the CEHRS certification, and has been successfully piloted at La Guardia Community College and the Met Council on Jewish Poverty.

“We believe that EHR employment readiness requires training and knowledge of both the healthcare industry and the information technology that the industry uses. We often see one or the other, but it isn’t sufficient,” said Feygin, who is also director of business development for Alameda Services.

[See also: Clinical informatics officers, IT specialists wanted]

The training organization has developed a five- point checklist to help prospective workforce development organizations, students and healthcare providers assess the readiness of an EHR candidate for certification and employment.

EHR Employment Readiness Checklist:

Get healthcare and EHR expertise. Candidates for EHR training and CEHRS certification should have prior experience in either healthcare administration or information technology. Someone who has worked in a healthcare practice as a front desk clerk, billing person, or office manager might require a skills upgrade that will not only enable them to maintain their existing job, but gain a new job and add to their earning power. Someone with IT experience who understands hardware and software infrastructure will require clinical- and healthcare-specific software training that will allow for a wider spectrum of job opportunities. Training for the CEHRS exam requires that students understand both healthcare practice operations as well as medical record-keeping information. “It’s not enough to understand how a healthcare practice operates or how some software works; EHR specialists must understand both in order to be effective,” says Feygin.
Study with an NHA-approved curriculum. Ensure that the training program is approved by the NHA. “Training organizations that provide approved national certification, such as CEHRS, as part of their programs report better retention, and placement,” says Feygin. “In addition, approved certification fosters the adoption of standards and an understanding of basic topics required for better job opportunities.”
Obtain more hours of EHR training than the baseline. While the NHA only requires 60 hours of training, Alameda Services suggests that significant additional training is necessary so EHR students can spend hands-on time with more than one EHR system, making them more versatile with multiple products. This increased training can also enable them to actively participate, where applicable, in the selection of an EHR that is most fitting for a given healthcare practice. “We provided students in our EHR training programs for La Guardia Community College and the Met Council on Jewish Poverty with more than five times the required baseline – over 300 hours of training,” says Feygin. “The NHA certification sets the criteria and baseline for the industry. But we feel it is important to understand that achieving the baseline alone is not enough for success in the field.”
Become fluent in healthcare records compliance. There is an entire alphabet-soup of healthcare records compliance requirements that healthcare records specialists must be fluent in: HIPAA, ARRA, HITECH, PQRI and Meaningful Use criteria. “We recognize that this can almost seem like speaking a second or third language,” says Feygin. “But healthcare providers must adjust to the new rules and demonstrate compliance. EHR specialists must be capable of preparing practices for these changes in the field.” In August she says the company is launching an eLearning program geared to those in the workforce that will aim at getting them up to speed on compliance issues.
Learn multiple EHRs. While there are many competing EHR software packages, there are a great number of similarities. Becoming trained in multiple EHR programs makes students more employable, according to Feygin. “Healthcare EHR staffers who have hands-on experience with more than one EHR are able to provide guidance to their healthcare practices about which one might be the best fit. They can also quickly adapt to an existing EHR as a new employee.” She says the company provides a “vendor agnostic program”, which can be plugged into any program. Currently they work with EHR vendors Practice Fusion and EHealth Made Easy.

Our latest computer cart!

2011-06-06T11:55:00.001-04:00

LC3000 Computer Cart

The NorthPort LC3000 is an incredible mobile point-of-care computing cart offering quality engineered features, all while maintaining an affordable price point.
Small base footprint of only 18” x 20” combined with dual-wheel, low-friction, 360° swivel casters allows the LC3000 to be moved easily with minimal effort.

Can house full sized keyboards and even the largest widescreen laptops, such as the Acer, Dell and many others.
A Large 22” x 21” work surface with raised drip edge.
B Ergonomic design with assisted height adjustment.
C Over 14 inches of vertical adjust, perfect for both standing or sitting.
D Dual ball bearing wheels for smooth, long lasting usage.
E Convenient foot pedal height adjustment.
F Two locking casters.
G Cage for power brick.
H 4’ to 10’ coiled power cord & hook.
I Storage Basket. (Optional)
• Antimicrobial paint finish helps prevent the growth of bacteria.
• Locking laptop compartment.
Light weight at 73 pounds.

HITECH Rule Called 'Unreasonable' by Some, 'Overdue' by Others

2011-06-02T10:35:00.001-04:00

June 2, 2011 - Howard Anderson, Executive Editor, HealthcareInfoSecurity.com

A provision in the proposed Accounting of Disclosures Rule mandated under the HITECH Act that calls for providing patients with an "access report" listing everyone who's electronically accessed their records is stirring up debate.

Many predict regulators will receive an overwhelming number of comments in the coming two months before work begins on a final version of the proposal to modify the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which was unveiled May 27. That's because some observers contend that creating access reports as envisioned under the proposal will prove cumbersome and impractical.

But others say the reports offer a valuable way to identify records snoops and provide patients with a method to monitor who has accessed their information.
Access Reports

Under the proposed rule, drafted by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights, patients could request an access report that lists the names of those who have electronically accessed a "designated record set" for many purposes, including treatment, payment and healthcare operations. These reports would only include the names of those who accessed the information, as well as the date and time of the access, says Adam Greene, a former OCR official who was primary author of the proposal (see Author Describes Disclosures Rule).

The reports would account for electronic access to information by a wide variety of individuals, including those employed by a hospital or clinic, independent physicians with hospital admitting privileges or business associates.

The reports also could include what kind of information was accessed, and whether the user modified the record, but only if the organization has a newer information system that can readily provide that information, says Greene, who's now a partner with the Washington law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.

A designated record set includes medical records, billing records "and other information that may have been used to make decisions about treatment or payment," Greene explains.

The proposed rule contains a second provision on "accounting of disclosures," streamlining what's already required under HIPAA. That provision goes beyond addressing "who" accessed a record to spell out "why" it was disclosed to an outside party for certain limited purposes, such as law enforcement, judicial proceedings and public health.

Greene says it could take OCR six months to a year to complete a final version of the rule after the 60-day comment period ends August 1.

Continue Reading the Rest of the Article

HIPAA changes announced by HHS

2011-06-01T10:45:00.000-04:00

A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning the accounting of disclosures requirement under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) Act Privacy Rule, is available for public comment. The proposed rule would give people the right to get a report on who has electronically accessed their protected health information.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is proposing changes to Privacy Rule, pursuant to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. HITECH is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“This proposed rule represents an important step in our continued efforts to promote accountability across the health care system, ensuring that providers properly safeguard private health information,” said OCR Director Georgina Verdugo. “We need to protect peoples’ rights so that they know how their health information has been used or disclosed.”

People would obtain this information by requesting an access report, which would document the particular persons who electronically accessed and viewed their protected health information. Although covered entities are currently required by the HIPAA Security Rule to track access to electronic protected health information, they are not required to share this information with people.

The proposed rule requires an accounting of more detailed information for certain disclosures that are most likely to affect a person’s rights or interests. The proposed changes to the accounting requirements provide information of value to individuals while placing a reasonable burden on covered entities and business associates.

People may now read the proposed rule at: http://www.federalregister.gov/.

People who believe a covered entity has violated their (or someone else’s) health information privacy rights or committed another violation of the HIPAA Privacy or Security Rule, may file a complaint with OCR athttp://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/index.html. Additional information about OCR’s enforcement activities can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr.

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available athttp://www.hhs.gov/news.

20” Laptop Computer Cabinet with Locking Storage

2011-05-18T10:58:00.001-04:00

BV2035

Our BayView 2842 is a great computer cabinet that even won a national design award a while back. We've continued to refine the cabinet. We have versions that are 4" deep for used for hallway computing as well as the original that was 7.5" deep, designed for use in the patient room. The deeper computer cabinets allow room to include an articulating arm, can hold more options for the actual CPU and can include an integrated medication box.

We've recently created a scaled down version of the 2842 for a facility who was using laptops and wanted an integrated medication box. We took the overall design of the 2842 and crossed it with our 2023 laptop unit. The result is our BV2035 pictured here. The unit has ample space for medications or supply storage plus can house many of the wider laptops.

VITAL STATISTICS

BV2035: Metal frame with Wood 3D laminate.
Dimensions: 20” W x 35” H x 4” D
Weight: 45 lbs
Features
• Adjustable self-closing door
• Two, separately locking storage compartments
Options
• Custom configurations available
• AnchorPad laptop security
• Push-button mechanical or electronic keyless lock
• Spring or cam keyed locks
• IP-based network lock
• Lights, LED or halogen
• Recessed flange package
• Pen/pencil holder, tack strip and erasable marking board

U.S. healthcare IT market to surge

2011-05-17T08:43:00.002-04:00

May 10, 2011 | Healthcare IT News Staff www.healthcareitnews.com

Cygnus Workstation BV2842

The healthcare IT market in the U.S. is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 24 percent during 2012-2014, says a new report from global market research and information analysis company RNCOS.

The U.S. healthcare IT industry has been taking huge strides for the past few years. Currently, the U.S. healthcare IT market is highly fragmented with local vendors, known for their legacy systems, retaining a strong position. As it is still at its development stage, various companies are making hefty investments in the country.

The U.S. Healthcare IT Market Analysis report provides extensive study of the U.S. healthcare IT market and has included detail description of the factors driving the growth of the industry. Among several factors discussed in the report, consolidation of the industry has been identified as the critical factor for the surging revenue of the healthcare IT industry. It is also considered important due to the fact that, it helps in technology exchange and development of advanced and technologically innovative healthcare services.

Mergers and acquisition activities in the healthcare IT space will continue to be strong in coming quarters. During 2008 and Q3 - 2009, 112 mergers and acquisitions related to the healthcare IT market were completed across the globe, major were from the U.S.

Researchers segmented the report into IT hardware, IT software, and IT services and includes topics such as mhealth and ehealth.

The report also provides information of the key competitors in the market along with their business information and areas of expertise. It provides segment level analysis of the industry along with the emerging trends that may shape up with the betterment of economic conditions. Researchers say the report will help consultants, industry analysts and vendors get an in-depth knowledge of the current, past and future performance of the industry. The report also provides an extensive research on the recent trends of the U.S. healthcare IT industry along with impartial analysis considering the impact of financial crisis on its performance.

Click here for more information about the report.

Riding the HIPAA Wave

2011-05-04T09:07:00.003-04:00

Posted on ACROSEAS.com by Dr.Charu A Chitalia

Every act or a statute conveys an objective to be achieved. The objective of HIPAA, which stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is to protect patient security and privacy. An act introduced by the U.S Congress in 1996, and augmented April of 2003, HIPAA was predominantly focused on easy portability of patient health information (PHI) for easy health insurance coverage in spite of shifting jobs and locations.

The concept of “portability” brings an increasing thrust on “accountability.” The portability of health information is beneficial to the patient, the physicians who record and refer back to the patient’s history and the insurance companies which settle the medical claims of the patient. Because HIPAA is used as a resource by three different parties, the risk of information breach is very high. It is a practice-driven policy where extra care needs to be taken during the transfer and storage of information. It is to be noted that for any kind of transfer, the form of the record is vital. The implementation of HIPAA paved the way for electronic versions of the patient health records (PHRs), which required an urgent enforcement of technology based regulations.

Come 2009, the heat was felt and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, part of the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), was signed in the month of February by President Obama and was to come into affect by 2010. This emphasized the need and importance of going paperless when it came to PHRs. This brought in a practical way of implementation of HIPAA and gave it more importance to take affect.

All the three acts — HIPAA, HITECH and ARRA — collaboratively focus on tightening the healthcare screws when it comes to patient information, use of technology and its benefits, and the penalties in cases of non-compliance. It is to be noted that prior to the enactment of HITECH, HIPAA was looked at as a mere set of rules and regulations on paper. The proposed requirements under the HIPAA were so stringent that it wasn’t practical enough to implement. For example, HIPAA requires the exchange of information through a secured encrypted email carrier. However, in reality, the healthcare professionals typically preferred the convenience of the act, rather than the security it provided. The professionals were known to use cell phones and personal laptops, which would not only overlook a secured network, but also force other issues like loss of data, attacks and malicious activities by the hackers and other third-party intruders. Previously, saying that one’s record-keeping method was “HIPAA compliant” may not have been strictly true, even though it’s clear that being so is only good option.

As we are into another decade and the legions of law are looming over the healthcare industry, it is only advisable to stay put to non-fraudulent practices and monitor every move. Because the eyes of the healthcare police are on us and they wouldn’t blink in today’s age.

Study: Patients believe EMRs bring accuracy to their records

2011-04-25T11:13:00.000-04:00

From: www.healthcareitnews.com April 21, 2011 | Healthcare IT News Staff

TAMPA, FL – The majority of patients and physicians have a positive perception of electronic documentation, according to a survey conducted by Sage Healthcare Division, a unit of Sage North America.

“The adoption of electronic health records has grown in recent years as the U.S. government’s incentive plans and the benefits of these systems are realized by more and more office-based physicians,” said Betty Otter-Nickerson, president of Sage Healthcare Division. “The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics estimates that more than half of office-based physicians have adopted a basic EHR, while more than 10 percent have adopted a fully functional system, such as Sage Intergy EHR. The results of the study will help Sage Healthcare design solutions that maximize the benefit to physicians and their patients.”

The Sage Healthcare Insights study examines the effect of implementing an electronic health record system on both physicians and their patients. The purpose is to understand how the perceptions of physicians who use EHR systems differ or are similar to the perceptions of the patients who recall seeing their physician use the system. According to the study, patients felt more comfortable with physicians that used an EHR system, and more importantly, felt that the information contained in the medical record was more accurate when they physically saw information being entered electronically. “What we learned is patients like to see their verbatim information entered into the record as they said it, not as the doctor interpreted it,” added Otter-Nickerson.

For Key Findings, [Continue Reading] article on www.healthcareitnews.com

NORTHERN MICHIGAN REGIONAL HOSPITAL VASCULAR SURGERY PROGRAM NAMED NUMBER ONE IN NATION

2011-04-18T08:28:00.001-04:00

Petoskey, Mich. – April 13, 2011 – Northern Michigan Regional Hospital has been named number one in the nation for unparalleled medical excellence and patient safety for vascular surgery.

With state-of-the-art diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of blood vessel, artery, and vein disorders including blockages, closures, and clots, patients have access to innovative vascular surgery procedures that produce the best outcomes in the nation.

“From non-invasive diagnostic techniques, to angioplasty and stenting, to aortic aneurysm repair or carotid artery surgery, patients have access to experts and excellent outcomes, both essential ingredients of our award-winning vascular surgery program,” said Reezie DeVet, President & CEO of Northern Michigan Regional Health System.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Northern Michigan Regional Hospital has also been named among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation for medical excellence in cancer care, spinal surgery, women’s healthcare, overall surgical care, and for overall hospital care by CareChex. CareChex is a medical quality rating service that provides a comprehensive evaluation of all components of medical quality including process of care, outcomes of care, and patient experiences.

“For a hospital this size to be named number one in the entire country for vascular surgery and among the top 10 percent in the country for cancer care, spinal surgery, women’s healthcare, overall surgical care, and overall hospital care – that recognition is truly a testament to the hard work and dedication of our surgeons, physicians, and all of our Colleagues,” DeVet said. “Patients can not only expect, but will receive the best care when they come to Northern Michigan Regional Hospital.”

MEDICAL EXCELLENCE
#1 in the Nation VASCULAR SURGERY

PATIENT SAFETY
#1 in the Nation VASCULAR SURGERY

MEDICAL EXCELLENCE
Top 10% in the Nation   CANCER CARE
SPINAL FUSION
SPINAL SURGERY
WOMEN'S HEALTH
OVERALL SURGICAL CARE
OVERALL HOSPITAL CARE

PATIENT SAFETY
Top 10% in the Nation
CANCER CARE
GASTROINTESTINAL HEMORRHAGE
HEART ATTACK TREATMENT
JOINT REPLACEMENT
MAJOR ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY
TRAUMA CARE
WOMEN'S HEALTH
OVERALL SURGICAL CARE
OVERALL HOSPITAL CARE

PATIENT SATISFACTION
Top 10% in the Nation
OVERALL MEDICAL CARE
OVERALL SURGICAL CARE
OVERALL HOSPITAL CARE

Northern Michigan Regional Health System   Northern Michigan Regional Health System is a non-profit organization that is committed to providing a full continuum of patient-centered specialized care to residents in 22 counties throughout northern Michigan and the eastern part of the Upper Peninsula. With more than 15 affiliates and regional partners, the flagship of Northern Michigan Regional Health System is Northern Michigan Regional Hospital, a 202-bed, regional referral center located in Petoskey with a medical staff of nearly 200 physicians representing nearly all medical and surgical specialties, enabling full-service care. For more information, please visit northernhealth.org.

Farzad Mostashari named new head of ONC

2011-04-08T11:59:00.000-04:00

By Christine LaFave Grace on http://www.modernhealthcare.com/

Posted: April 8, 2011 - 11:30 am ET

Dr. Farzad Mostashari has been named to succeed Dr. David Blumenthal as head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at HHS.

Mostashari previously was deputy national coordinator for programs and policy at the ONC. He joined the ONC in July 2009, according to the ONC's website.

Blumenthal announced in February that he would step down from his post as national coordinator for health IT to return to Harvard University, where he had served as a healthcare researcher.

Before joining the ONC, Mostashari worked for the New York City Health and Mental Hygiene Department as assistant commissioner for the primary-care information project, according to the ONC's website. He also established the department's bureau of epidemiology services.

Watch Modern Healthcare reporter Joseph Conn's video interview with Mostashari from the 2011 HIMSS annual conference and exhibition here.

"Farzad's experience in promoting adoption and use of EHRs among providers, particularly in underserved areas, addresses a critical need," said Dr. Harry Greenspun, Dell's chief medical officer, who applauded Mostashari's appointment.

Read more: Farzad Mostashari named new head of ONC - Healthcare business news, research, information and opinions | Modern Healthcare

Tips for Effective EMR Implementation

2011-04-01T15:03:00.001-04:00

From Health & Medical News (Republished from the CanadianEMR Newsletter March 9, 2011)

Once you have selected an EMR, signed your contract with the vendor, applied for funding according to provincial protocols (if you qualify), and scheduled a date to implement the system, the real hard work begins. Implementation can be a smooth and streamlined process if you are well prepared or it can be disruptive and difficult. Preparation and attention to detail are the keys to success. The following are some tips to consider when implementing your EMR that should help you through the process:

Develop a six-month timeline until you go live and stick to it.
Communication is the key to success within your practice amongst physicians and staff.
Make sure you clearly understand your data transfer processes. These will vary depending on whether you are converting from paper to an EMR or transitioning from one EMR to another. Ensure that your vendor is well versed in these processes and ask for them to be explained to you.
Physician buy-in is CRITICAL. This is an all or none situation. If physicians are not fully bought into the process prior to implementation, make sure you resolve any issues before the disruption of implementation begins.
Staff buy-in is also critical, particularly if there will be a change of workflow and job functions.
Recognize that there is significant variation in computer skills of staff and physicians and understand how you are going to improve skills for those individuals.
Identify who is going to provide technical support for your practice. Is this an internal skill set or do you need someone in your local community?
Set up custom lists for meds, referrals, templates, and diagnostic codes.
Understand how to set up common workflows in your EMR, e.g. front office (registration & check-in, halls), patient ready, encounter finished, and scanning and document management.
Identify user groups in your community (if there are any).
Plan implementation around a slow time of year.
Don’t go live on a Monday.
Appoint “Super Users” and start their training well in advance of go-live date.
Reduce physician schedules by 50% for the first 2 weeks and then by +/- 25% for the next 4–8 weeks.
Practice, practice, practice!

If Doctors Bought EMRs Like They Buy Cars…

2011-03-31T10:16:00.000-04:00

Written by: Katherine Rourke on www.emrandehr.com

You know, when you think about an EMR purchase, it’s obvious that there’s plenty of technical considerations involved. But the truth is, when it comes down to it, most doctors will never need to know anything about APIs or coding or middleware before they pick out a system. They just want the EMR to work.

The thing is, they’ve already made a big investment in technology before — maybe lots of times — even though they probably know little or nothing about how the gears really mesh. I’m talking about automobile buying, of course. I sort of doubt a single doctor has ever sat through a Webinar on the difference between anti-lock and regular brakes, the advantages of added cargo room or the physics of improved gas mileage. But they still buy cars, don’t they?

No, like everyone else, I’m sure your average doctor takes in commercials, makes a few mental notes as to how the promised benefits fit into their world, digests the information a bit and then goes shopping. At that point, they’re briefed on what features the car has, and tell the salesperson whether that works for them. Ultimately, they buy something that fits their budget, their needs and probably, their self-image too.

Now, an EMR isn’t a fashion statement — while cars most decidedly are — but in other ways, the purchasing process should be similar.

After all, the software they’re choosing should be as utilitarian as an SUV. They should come to the buying process knowing what needs they’re trying to address (in a car, say, the ability to haul big objects, or in an EMR, being able to enter patient notes quickly and clearly). Hopefully, they have a sense of how they’re going to use their EMR on a day-to-day- basis, as they obviously do when they’re car shopping.

And with any luck, they’ll also know what ongoing problems they’re trying to solve, be they managing the flow of laboratory results, making sure they’re reminded to follow up on preventive care, looking at the health of their patient population and so on.

If a practice knows these things, they won’t be blinded by a blizzard of technical terms or worry about whether they’re on version 2.15 of the latest build. They won’t have to spend much time debating over whether a SaaS or client-server solution makes more sense. They’ll just want to get the job done.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to get to that point when a technology comes in looking all scary, complicated and expensive. But as any one who’s ever bought a new car knows, you can always take the damned thing back.

VA plans better claims process with IT

2011-03-30T08:22:00.000-04:00

From the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,
http://www.va.gov/

March 29, 2011 | Mary Mosquera, Government Health IT

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to contract for management services to streamline and modernize the processing of its healthcare claims and develop tools to detect fraud and waste. It will also update IT services to help control costs in its beneficiary travel program.

Through the Health Care Efficiency effort, VA hopes to reduce program operational costs by such initiatives as standardizing clinical and business practices, and by monitoring and coordinating its IT services.

“Nationally, healthcare costs are accelerating without significant evidence of a correlating rise in healthcare delivery value or quality, and the Veterans Health Administration is experiencing similar circumstances,” according to aMarch 25 announcement in Federal Business Opportunities.

Many VHA systems have not been updated for cost effectiveness due to local variations in how they are established, according to the announcement.

Potential vendors will need to handle the efficient processing, payment or denial of healthcare claims submitted by non-VA providers. This includes making sure that systems are in place to determine and pay claims and supply program integrity tools that can assure accurate payments for non-VA healthcare services.

[Continue Reading]

ONC's Fridsma on Security for HIEs

2011-03-11T11:26:00.000-05:00

From Healthcareinfosecurity.com

Doug Fridsma

Doug Fridsma, M.D., of the HHS Office of the Coordinator for Health IT, compares and contrasts the security approaches of two national health information exchange projects.

Different security approaches are required to protect the privacy of health information "pushed" -- or exchanged directly between two organizations -- and information that is "pulled" as a result of more complex queries, says Fridsma, director of the ONC's office of interoperability and standards.

In an interview following a presentation at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Conference in Orlando, Fridsma:

Explains that the federal Direct Project amounts to a secure messaging system for simple "push" transactions that requires the use of authentication and encryption. "It's sort of like a handshake on both sides," he says. The Direct Project open source standards are now in pilot tests. The standards can be used, for example, when a primary care physician sends patient information to a specialist after a referral.
Outlines how the more complex transactions using the Nationwide Health Information Network standards require those making a query to present their credentials and then "it's the receiving organization's prerogative as to whether they will accept those credentials." For example, a hospital treating a patient in its emergency department might query other organizations to find out if they have electronic health records available for the patient. (Note: NHIN Exchange is a group of organizations testing the standards; NHIN Connect is the open source software involved.)
Describes the upcoming NHIN Governance Rule, now in development, which will "describe conditions of participation" for those organizations that want to use the NHIN standards, including guidelines for privacy and security.
Explains that the Privacy & Security Tiger Team's recommendations likely will be used in the NHIN Governance Rule as well as other regulations that ONC is developing in the months ahead. He points out, for example, that the Direct Project's encryption requirement is a result of the team's recommendation that steps be taken to ensure an intermediary routing a transaction cannot access patient identifiable information.
Outlines why it's too soon to tell how the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology's report calling for auniversal exchange language might affect ONC's various projects. He points out that a workgroup is reviewing the report, and comments received about it, and devising suggested alternatives for "how we might move forward and incorporate the PCAST recommendations into our ongoing work."

The HITECH Act, which funded the electronic health record incentive program as well as development of statewide health information exchanges, also called for the NHIN Hovernance Tule. ONC envisions the Direct Project and NHIN paving the way for the eventual national exchange of clinical information used in making treatment decisions.

Before joining ONC, Fridsma was on the teaching staff in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Arizona State University and had a clinical practice at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. In addition to a medical degree from University of Michigan, he has a Ph.D in biomedical informatics from Stanford University.

Tips For Keeping Your EMR Implementation Within Budget

2011-02-10T08:25:00.000-05:00

Written by: Anne Zieger on www.emrandehr.com

Just stumbled across a nice list from Physicians EHR listing 10 tips for keeping your EHR implementation within budget. Many of the tips offer smart suggestions on how to plan, including:

* Developing a pre-implementation budgeting worksheet listing project hard and soft costs
* Finding out which practitioners meet vendor requirements to be “licensed users”
* Conducting an inventory of current hardware to see if some items can be used with the new system

I have some serious quibbles with a couple of these points, though.

For one thing, they’re suggesting that management planners prepare for a six to 12 week reduction in productivity after go-live — and suggest that it will begin to bounce back weeks eight to 12.

While I don’t have hard data on this, this sounds bogus. The anecdotes I hear suggest that planners should expect productivity to drop for a much longer period, maybe several months if not more. (This of course begs the question of whether the rest of the analyses you’ve so carefully made will work, as low productivity can shoot the budget by itself.)

I’d also wonder whether it makes sense to “project EHR-related efficiencies” prior to implementation. While this is nothing more than common sense for most rollouts, EHR implementations are still something of a black box.

The reality is that the whole phenomenon of widespread EHR use is new, and the data on efficiencies scarce. I’d argue that the time to do that analysis is after testing the implementation with a select group of clinical users for three to six months, not trying to do ahead of time.

Still, I can’t argue with putting an emphasis on projected costs, analyzing software options and preparing for consulting fees. All told, this list is worth a look if you’re planning your EHR rollout.

Blumenthal: Look for Stage 1 meaningful use upshot by next winter

2011-01-31T10:26:00.001-05:00

David Blumenthal

January 26, 2011 | Bernie Monegain, Editor

WASHINGTON – Getting the balance just right between asking too much or too little of healthcare providers will be the key to the success of the government's meaningful use initiative, says David Blumenthal, MD, national coordinator of healthcare IT and chief architect of the three-stage program that ties implementation of electronic health records to millions of dollars in government incentives.

Getting the balance just so is enough to keep him up at night, as the country moves from a largely paper-based healthcare system to one that is all digital, and eventually interoperable.

Blumenthal talks with Healthcare IT News about his work, about what keeps him going and about what comes next on the hilly road to meaningful use.

What has been the hardest part of the job for you so far?
The hardest part of this job changes over time. The hardest part at this point is to reach the nation’s providers – the doctors, the nurses, other health professionals, the hospitals – and convince them that this is the right time to move into the electronic era. I’m convinced that it is. But that conversation – that dialogue – bringing home that point is hard in an environment where there are so many competing pressures, there are so many economic disincentives, there are technical issues to overcome and things are changing so fast. People think about the electronic health record and its capabilities in terms of technology that existed three or five years ago. The market is just exploding with new options. I think creating the optimism and the sense of inevitability is a big task that is essential to our success. So I think that’s been the hardest thing I’ve faced. In the coming year – over the next several years – it will be the interoperability challenge. Before you can create interoperability, you have to create operability, and that’s the first thing we’ve been working on.

[Read Full Article]

EMR - Advantages of Electronic Medical Records

2011-01-24T13:50:00.000-05:00

By Rosy Cruz

The health practice itself is definitely difficult and the last thing that you would want to do is to face endless amount of paperwork from your past and present patients. Handling a huge file of charts is a very daunting job that is why a doctor or any healthcare professional hires a secretary that can handle these documents. Today, thanks to the modern technology, there is no need for you to worry about filing huge numbers of paperwork into your patient's charts. With the use of electronic medical records, you can easily update the patient data and all other information regarding their health within your computer and save this important information at the same time.

You can save yourself from having hundreds of paper charts inside a cabinet and make your practice efficient over night. If you will think about the space that you can save within your office by storing all information and notes electronically, you will surely consider having this kind of technology. You can attend and serve more patients with ease and accuracy, and also eliminate loss of important data. With the help of electronic medical records, you will become more efficient with your work and all your files will be secured with a password protection. You can ensure confidentiality of files to your patients with the use of encryption. One single fire and it can burn your entire patient's paper-based files, but with the use of this new technology, you will have backups stored always ready for any emergency situations.

There is no need for you to worry about sloppy hand writing that could cause human errors on your paperwork or undecipherable instructions that may lead to delays in treatment. You no longer have to worry about mistakes at the pharmacy for an unreadable prescription. Electronic medical records can provide a standard format that can be transferred as well as easily understood by anybody. Pulling out old charts will be very easy with just a click of a mouse. Imagine how your life as a healthcare professional will change with the use of computerized charts. These records can help you to easily keep track to each patient's condition, so that, you can improve their healthcare effectively. You can further improve the quality control, easy resource management and surveillance of public health communicable diseases.

When you talk about saving, you can surely save a lot of time and space inside your clinic or any healthcare facilities. With the use of computerized information technology, you no longer have to face inpatient clients and long waits. You will also have happier staff, because they do not have to handle a lot of filing paperwork that they need to arrange every time there are patients returning. Healthcare is a very noble job and as a medical professional you should be rewarded. Electronic medical records are your reward to help you ease your work and save a lot of time. You can now have more time with your family at home.

For more information or to find more on electronic medical records advantage and to read EMR software reviews.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?EMR---Advantages-of-Electronic-Medical-Records&id=5779428

Survey: Eighty-one percent of hospitals, 41 percent of docs plan on meeting MU

2011-01-17T08:46:00.000-05:00

January 13, 2011 | Molly Merrill, Associate Editor

WASHINGTON – Significant proportions of hospitals and doctors already plan to adopt electronic health records and qualify for federal incentive payments, according to survey data released Thursday by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

David Blumenthal, MD, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, said the survey numbers represent a reversal of the low interest in EHR adoption in previous years. He credited leadership from the medical community and the federal government for the improved prospects for adoption and use of health information technology (health IT).

"For years we have known that electronic health records would improve care for patients and bring about greater cost effectiveness in our health sector, yet adoption rates by health care providers remained low," Blumenthal said. "In 2009, Congress and the President authorized major new federal support for EHR adoption and use, and in combination with medical professional and hospital leadership. I believe we are seeing the tide turn toward widespread and accelerating adoption and use of health IT."

The data comes from surveys commissioned by ONC and carried out in the course of regular annual surveillance by the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), an agency of HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The AHA survey found that 81 percent of hospitals plan to achieve meaningful use of EHRs and take advantage of incentive payments. About two-thirds of hospitals (65 percent) responded that they will enroll during Stage 1 of the Incentive Programs, in 2011-2012.

The NCHS survey found that 41 percent of office-based physicians are currently planning to achieve meaningful use of certified EHR technology and take advantage of the incentive payments. Four-fifths of these, or about a third of all office-based physicians (32.4 percent), responded that they will enroll during Stage 1 of the programs. Only 14 percent of respondents said they were not planning to apply for meaningful use incentives.

[Continue Reading]

CMS makes final meaningful use tweaks

2011-01-06T13:08:00.000-05:00

January 5, 2011 — 10:38pm ET | By Sara Jackson - Contributing Editor

Read more: CMS makes final meaningful use tweaks - FierceEMR

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has fixed a host of minor problems--from phone numbers to small, but important, wording mistakes--in its final rule explaining meaningful use requirements.

The correction notice was published in the Dec. 29 Federal Register, and took effect immediately so that there aren't any delays to healthcare providers signing up to receive incentive payments.

For the most part, the changes were typographical, changing mistakes such as "CY" or calendar year, being used instead of "FY" or fiscal year. There were, however, a few more substantial fixes. CMS clarifies, for example, that office visits, not "unique patients" will be the qualifier for patients receiving a clinical summary within three business days.

The agency also adjusted its definition of clinical decision support, reducing it to one rule instead of five in the final regulation. The agency also clarified that the one clinical decision support rule does not have to be linked to a specific clinical quality measure.

The clarification expands its prohibition on e-prescribing for controlled substances, bringing CMS regulations in line with the U.S. Drug Enforcement agency's controlled substance requirements.

For more information:
- check out the Federal Register
- read this Government Health IT article

HIPAA Enforcement: When?

2011-01-06T10:57:00.000-05:00

Howard Anderson

Audit Program in Limbo, State Civil Suits Yet to Kick In
January 6, 2011 - Howard Anderson from HealthcareInfoSecurity.com

When the HITECH Act was enacted as part of the economic stimulus package early in 2009, much was made of its provisions calling for tougher enforcement of the HIPAA privacy and security rules, along with tougher penalties. But at the dawn of 2011, we're still waiting for ramped-up enforcement to begin.

To be sure, the online posting of major health information breaches by the Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights has had a big impact. The HITECH-mandated list has called attention to such risks as storing information on unencrypted laptops and, hopefully, is leading more organizations to launch breach-prevention programs.'

[Continue Reading]

CYGNUS Offers Solutions for Improved Healthcare Delivery at HIMSS11

2010-12-29T16:23:00.003-05:00

Orlando, Florida welcomes the 2011 Annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Conference & Exhibition, Feb. 20-24, 2011, at the Orange County Convention Center. Some 29,000 healthcare industry professionals and 900 exhibitors are expected to attend and discuss cutting-edge technology and innovative healthcare solutions designed to improve patient care.

Cygnus will be on the HIMSS exhibit floor with its NetLock IP-based security system, which features remote administration and detailed audit trail. A project brief

can be found on their website about how Sinai Hospital solved security issues surrounding medication storage.

Key issues to be addressed at HIMSS11 include ARRA/meaningful use, emerging and enabling technologies, EMR implementation, privacy & security, quality and patient safety. Leading keynote speakers, more than 300 education sessions and innovative exhibits offering healthcare delivery solutions round out the conference.

To learn more about Cygnus healthcare IT solutions, visit 3674 during the HIMSS conference, or visit the Cygnus Web site at www.cygnusinc.net. Visit the HIMSS11 Web site at www.himssconference.org for more information on the conference.

Security Spending Up at Rural Hospital

2010-12-20T13:22:00.002-05:00

Ron Kloewer

Breach Prevention, Compliance Lead to Investments

December 20, 2010 - Howard Anderson, Managing Editor, HealthcareInfoSecurity.com

[Original Article at Healthinfosecurity.com]
Ron Kloewer, CIO at 25-bed Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, explains why the critical access facility's spending on information security will grow in 2011.

The rural Iowa hospital will spend more on information security because of its efforts to prevent health information breaches and comply with HIPAA and the HITECH Act, Kloewer says.

In an interview, Kloewer describes:

Top security projects for 2010, including network infrastructure upgrades, encryption of backup media and continuation of business continuity and disaster recovery improvements;
How plans to apply for HITECH electronic health record incentive payments are influencing security strategies, including plans for a gap analysis;
Why the hospital does not allow patient information to be stored on desktops, mobile devices or thumb drives;
Why the hospital won't hire more IT staff next year, instead focusing on providing technical training to staff members in various departments.

Kloewer wears many hats in his executive role at Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, a critical access facility in Red Oak, Iowa. He serves as CIO, risk manager, privacy and security officer and director of planning and development.

New Look at HIE May Change MU

2010-12-16T10:06:00.001-05:00

HDM Breaking News, December 9, 2010 from Health Data Management

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is seeking public comment on a call from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology to rapidly revamp how health information is exchanged. In particular, ONC seeks comment on how a quick transition in HIE policies and technologies would affect Stage 2 meaningful use criteria.

The President's advisors recommend development and use of a "universal exchange language" to facilitate health data exchange while enhancing the privacy and security of health information (see story). This type of language breaks data into individual units of data accompanied by a "metadata tag" with instructions on how the data is to be used.

ONC has published a request for information with comments due by the end of business on January 17. Among other areas, the agency seeks comment on standards and processes to support metadata and tagged data elements, ways to rapidly develop and use the standards and processes, transition challenges, associated policy actions, and lessons learned in other industries using universal exchange languages.

--Joseph Goedert

Hospital Improves Safeguards for Dispensing of Medications

2010-12-06T14:55:00.004-05:00

Sinai Hospital, Baltimore, MD

NetLock IP Controller

the patient’s medications right at the bedside has not only improved efficiency, but it has afforded us an added level of medication safety. The nurse is better able to ensure that the correct meds are dispensed to the correct patient at the correct time. This added security has made the cabinets quite successful with our patients as well.”

The NetLock Medication Cabinets utilize the IP PowerNet reader-controller to provide access privileges for medical personnel to the cabinets. To gain cabinet entry the nurse simply passes her/his employee identification card in front of the cabinet’s PowerNet reader and the door opens automatically. Once the patient’s medications are removed the cabinet door automatically closes and locks. Ms. Faust notes, “In the past, we were challenged with issues like medication cart doors that could be left open or batteries that died leaving the carts without an automatic locking function. Our new process is much more reliable. When the nurse walks away from the cabinet, the medications are immediately safe and secure. It’s a very good feeling.” Having the patient’s medications right at the bedside has not only improved efficiency, but it has afforded us an added level of medication safety.

Each cabinet can be individually assigned access privileges for that location with almost infinite variability as appropriate. For instance a group of nurses on a particular floor can be allowed access to specific cabinets on that floor only during the shifts they for which they are scheduled.

Double Medication Box

By the same token, pharmacy personnel who stock the cabinets can be assigned access at pre- defined time periods if desired.

Since the more than 400 cabinets at Sinai Hospital are managed on a single server in the hospital’s existing internal computer network, administration of access privileges for the over 1,000 staff members who need medication cabinet access is simple and can be granted in minutes.

Because the NetLock system also allows for the monitoring of each cabinet’s usage, the Nursing System Administrator is able to analyze and monitor activity trends and events. For example, if patient medications are not accounted for properly or are found to be missing, records of who accessed the cabinet and when are easily determined.

“I have seen estimates of the median compensation award for a medication error at over $600,000 per incident. That being the case, our project’s payback period could conceivably be measured in months, not years”, says Ms. Faust. The implementation of the in-room cabinets was completed by Sinai’s own Capital Improvements, Facilities and Information Services staff, under the direction and supervision of Ms. Faust as project leader.

During the deployment of the cabinet system there was minimal disruption of the hospital’s on-going operations, as the solution leveraged the data infrastructure already available throughout the organization.

Increased efficiency and better, safer patient care resulting in real cost savings – all have been achieved with the NetLock system.

About Sinai Hospital of Baltimore

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore provides a broad array of high-quality, cost effective health and health-related services to the people of the greater Baltimore area. Central to its role is the provision of undergraduate and graduate medical education to other health professionals, employees and the community at large. Sinai Hospital of Baltimore is ranked as one of the top hospitals in the country according to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2009-2010 America’s Best Hospitals edition. Learn more about Sinai Hospital of Baltimore at http://www.lifebridgehealth.org/sinaihospital/

About Cygnus, Inc.

Located in Petoskey, MI Cygnus, Inc. was founded in 1988. Cygnus provides custom cabinet patient-room charting stations, integrated computer stations and medical cabinets designed for form, function and flow. As pioneers in the industry and leaders in the development of expandable arms, Cygnus anticipates the needs of healthcare facilities and offers products to relieve their intense workloads. Cygnus promotes decentralized care and helps healthcare facilities meet Joint Commission (JCAHO) standards by creating storage solutions that keep caregivers close to their patients. For more information visit http://www.cygnusinc.net.

Certified Health IT Product List

2010-11-29T15:44:00.002-05:00

From the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

The Certified HIT Product List (CHPL) 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). Each Complete EHR and EHR Module listed below has been certified by an ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) and reported to ONC. Only the product versions that are included on the CHPL are certified under the ONC Temporary Certification Program. Please note that the CHPL is a “snapshot” of the current list of certified products. The CHPL is updated frequently as newly certified products are reported to ONC.

And now....THE LIST!!

Health Breaches: 5.35 Million Affected

2010-11-23T11:08:00.000-05:00

Fewer Incidents in Past Month, But One Was Large

November 22, 2010 - Howard Anderson, Managing Editor, HealthcareInfoSecurity.com

There was good news and bad news in the past month about the official federal tally of major health information breaches. While only six new incidents were added to the tally -- far fewer than in previous months -- one of those cases affected more than 280,000 individuals.

The tally from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights now stands at 192 incidents since September 2009, affecting a total of 5.35 million Americans.

Keystone/AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plans recently reported a health information breach involving the loss of an unencrypted flash drive that potentially affected 286,000 individuals. The flash drive included health ID numbers and certain health information on all the patients, plus the last four digits of 801 members' Social Security numbers and complete Social Security numbers for seven others, the Medicaid plans reported. The health plans, which serve a total of 400,000 members, offered free credit monitoring to those whose Social Security numbers, either in whole or in part, were on the drive.

With 286,000 notified, the Keystone/AmeriHealth incident is the fifth largest breach notification so far under the HITECH Act's interim final breach notification rule.

[Continue Reading FULL Article]

Quality reporting top concern for healthcare's top execs

2010-11-22T13:45:00.000-05:00

Article from HealthcareITNews.com

November 22, 2010 | Bernie Monegain, Editor

WEYMOUTH, MA – Top of mind for healthcare organizations aiming to achieve meaningful use is quality reporting, according to a new survey from healthcare consulting firm Beacon Partners.

Beacon Partners announced the results of its ARRA Preparedness and Sustainability study as the first deadline of July 2011 approaches for healthcare organizations to achieve meaningful use in order to obtain maximum ARRA incentive money.

"Right now there is a lot of emphasis on getting as much ARRA incentive money as possible," said Ralph P. Fargnoli, Jr., president and CEO of Beacon Partners. "Healthcare organizations are under a lot of pressure as such, but what about down the road when that money is no longer a factor? The results of this study provide a good glimpse as to how well healthcare organizations are preparing for the long-term sustainability of their investments after the ARRA incentive dollars are gone."

Key findings of the study include:

BV2842 Workstation

Forty-five percent of respondents have not applied for any federal or local grants, which is a viable way in which to ignite the process of initiating Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) to attain meaningful use.
In a step towards sustaining their overall IT investment, the majority of healthcare organizations have built IT expenditures into their financial plans for the coming years to help support patient care, clinical quality and safety as part of their annual spending, tactical planning and strategic multi-year plans.
Most healthcare organizations (more than 80 percent) will either maintain or increase their IT investments if they are awarded the meaningful use incentive payments.
Fifteen percent of respondents have operational HIEs. Nearly 60 percent of the respondents have HIE plans in development and more than 20 percent are in the pre-planning stages.
More than 40 percent of respondents have plans to enhance their physician and patient portals, which are crucial to the development of a sound and secure infrastructure at any healthcare organization.
In their efforts to achieve meaningful use, quality reporting is the biggest concern among 73 percent of respondents.

"In those efforts to achieve meaningful use, quality reporting is a major concern," notes the Beacon report. "Lack of quality reporting is largely due to the fact that the efforts required to transform current workflow into an EHR will require significant technology and human resources."

Study: EHRs improve quality of care

2010-11-17T08:19:00.000-05:00

M2023 Computing Station

Written by Editorial Staff, October 6, 2009

Routine use of EHRs may improve the quality of care provided in community-based primary care practices more than other common strategies intended to raise the quality of medical care, according to study findings published Oct. 6 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

According to the authors, recent proposals to reform primary care have encouraged physician practices to adopt such structural capabilities as performance feedback and EHRs. However, they noted that whether practices with these capabilities have higher performance on measures of primary care quality is “unknown.”

Data on practice structural capabilities were linked to multipayor performance data on 13 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) process measures in four clinical areas: screening, diabetes, depression and overuse.

Mark W. Friedberg, MD, from the nonprofit organization RAND Corporation, studied 305 groups of primary care physicians in Massachusetts in 2007, finding that practices that used multifunctional EHRs were more likely to deliver better care for diabetes and provide certain health screenings with higher performance on five HEDIS measures (three in screening and two in diabetes), compared with those practices that did not, with statistically significant differences in performance ranging from 3.1 to 7.6 percentage points.
[Continue Reading on CMIO]

NEW!! Wood tops for mobile carts!

2010-11-10T14:24:00.000-05:00

Cygnus is committed to creating solutions that fit in with the surroundings. Last year we released the BayView collection of wall mounted computing stations and medication boxes.

A few months ago I mentioned to the product developers that, as much as I like our new cart design, I'd be nice to feature a wood top. Well, guess what?! It took a little prodding but here it is. The new tops come in all our standard 3D laminates as well as over 200 custom laminates. I think if you match this new top with a darker powder-coat on the base, it'd look even nicer.

We'll be showing this new top at HIMSS11 in Orlando, FL February 20-24th!

So, what you think?

New Emblems

2010-10-28T08:45:00.006-04:00

We're happy to see our newest emblems that appear on all our products. The new chrome emblems look really nice with our BayView Collection of wood workstations.

Nurse leaders discuss the nurse's role in driving technology decisions

2010-10-25T14:32:00.004-04:00

Issue Date: January 2010 Vol. 5 No. 1
from American Nurse Today

American Nurse Today recently convened a roundtable of nurse executives from diverse settings to discuss nurses’ involvement in selecting, adopting, and using information technologies and high-tech clinical devices. At the heart of the discussion—engagement by nurse leaders and nurses on the front line when technology decisions are made. (For a list of participants, see Roundtable participants by going HERE and clicking on the PDF icon on the top of the page.)

Technology can help nurses make better decisions at the point of care, promote a healthcare organization’s core business of delivering care, and provide data about patient outcomes. Information technology (IT) and “smart” devices, such as beds with sensors and I.V. pumps with built-in safety alerts, offer great promise. They can improve safety and efficiency by reducing the risk of errors and eliminating redundant work, resulting in more time for nurses to care for patients.

Technology can be a factor in nurse recruitment as well. Frank Shaffer, Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of Cross Country Healthcare, reported that “nurses today frequently ask what technology is in use when deciding where they will accept employment.”

[CONTINUE READING]

Top 10 'urban myths' of EHRs

2010-09-28T15:29:00.000-04:00

September 28, 2010 | Mike Miliard, Managing Editor www.healthcareitnews.com

ORLANDO, FL – For the most part, electronic health records are terrific. But they're far from perfect. And providers implementing EHRs shouldn't expect them to be problem-vanquishing panaceas, said Ann Meehan and Julia Kendrick of Nashville's Ardent Health Services.

Speaking at the 82nd annual AHIMA conference and exhibition in Orlando on Monday, the two registered health information administrators (RHIAs), spotlighted what they considered the 10 most glaring myths about EHRs.

Broken HIM processes are resolved in an EHR automatically. The goal, obviously, is to gain improved processes and functionality, said Kendrick. But implementing an EHR will often shine a surprising spotlight on operational areas that need work. The key is to flow chart all your current processes beforehand and plan ahead as much as you can.
Chart reconciliation is a thing of the past. "Some paper has to be scanned," said Kendrick. "We still have to do chart reconciliations."
"Missing charts… what are those?" Kendrick said that missing charts are a fact of life, "whether it's a piece of paper, or an HL7 interface." Mistakes are made. Monitoring and correcting errors must be a priority, and coding and operations teams should work closely together to identify missing charts.
"Loose reports? Never again!" Loose reports "do not go away," upon implementation, said Kendrick. "We still get them, we just process them differently." Now they're in a pile waiting to be scanned. She said timely processing and scanning is imperative, and suggests "batch-process loose reports in order to decrease the processing time."
"High DNFB? Solved!" It's important to monitor uncoded reports on a daily basis for DNFB ("discharged, not final billed"), and staffers should be prepared to record uncoded accounts, or accounts waiting for a response to a query or additional documentation, said Kendrick, adding that "coding and operations must work together, not be us versus them. Coders can't code if operations can't find the charts. Ands sometimes operations needs coders to ID things that might be missing."

[CONTINUE READING]

Workgroup begins work on Stage 2 of meaningful use rules

2010-09-27T14:22:00.002-04:00

By Jean DerGurahian, News Writer

27 Sep 2010 | SearchHealthIT.com

The first stage of meaningful use rules haven't taken effect yet, but policymakers already are turning their attention to the second and third stages of the program designed to encourage the greater adoption of information technology among health care providers.

On Sept. 22, the Meaningful Use Workgroup of the federal Health IT Policy Committee held the first of two day-long brainstorming sessions that signal the beginning of work to draft the criteria doctors and hospitals will follow after 2012, when Stage 2 is set to begin.

Expect a lot more discourse on such issues as computerized physician order entry (CPOE), drug interactions indicators, advance directives, and quality measures and clinical decision support. While the workgroup is delving into ways to extend current meaningful use rules and develop new ones, those areas in particular were questioned deeply.

Under the federal Electronic Health Record Incentive Program (EHRIP), Medicare and Medicaid providers demonstrate they are meeting meaningful use rules and are eligible for incentive payments. The five-year program is voluntary, but providers that don't demonstrate they have adopted and are using health IT after 2015 will see cuts in their reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees EHRIP. The policy committee is run by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, or ONC, which works in conjunction with CMS on meaningful use and technology standards.

[Continue Reading on SearchHealthIT.com]

New Computer Workstation with Black Tambour Door

2010-08-17T16:32:00.002-04:00

We just built this version of our very popular computer workstation; the Bay View 2842AT. This is one of the first times we've put a black tambour door on one of our cabinets. I really like the way the black door matches up with the black hardware. The black also appears to contrast nicely with the wood. Can you tell I like it?

What do YOU think?

Thoughts about Meaningful Use Regulations

2010-08-13T08:08:00.004-04:00

From EHRscope blog

The widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) throughout the healthcare system received another boost last week when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its final criteria for the meaningful use of EHRs within the incentive program established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. After releasing preliminary meaningful use regulations back in January, the agency spent the past several months collecting the thoughts and opinions of anyone and everyone in healthcare who took the time to submit one. CMS has said these factored into the finished product quite heavily, so score one for transparency.

The final meaningful use regulations haven’t diminished the EHR incentive program’s impact on health plans, and its effect on health reform remains the same. If anything, they offer more flexibility than those proposed in January, which should increase EHR adoption within the plan’s first few years. The bottom line is that greater usage of EHRs will get electronic medical data flowing throughout the system. We’ll see more integration and sharing of information among payers, providers and even patients, which is a major step in the path to reform.

-Eric Demers

VP of Health and Life Sciences,MEDecision

New Product Sheets and Catalog Posted

2010-08-11T11:16:00.004-04:00

We've added our product sheets and catalogs to issuu.com. Issuu.com is nice way to present and distribute our product literature.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

Open publication

TweetBoard

2010-07-20T15:37:00.004-04:00

Cygnus relays information about changes in the healthcare industry ranging from security, electronic health records, meaningful use and anything else we think is relative. To the left, you'll see the TweetBoard for Cygnus. Feel free to connect with us on Twitter or a variety of other social media platforms.

Final HITECH Rules: The Security Details

2010-07-14T10:18:00.002-04:00

Risk Assessments Required; EHR Functions Spelled Out
July 13, 2010 - Howard Anderson, Managing Editor, HealthcareInfoSecurity.com

An 864-page final rule spells out how hospitals and physicians must "meaningfully use" electronic health records to earn federal incentive payments requires the providers to conduct a security risk analysis.

In addition, a 228-page companion rule creating standards for EHR software certified for the incentive program requires that the applications include encryption, authentication and other security functions.

Both rules, released July 13, will be officially posted on the Federal Register July 28. For now, they're available in near-final form at the Federal Register public inspection desk.

Also, the Department of Health and Human Services has a new web site devoted to the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive program.

[Continue Reading Story]

CMS, ONC release meaningful use final rules

2010-07-14T10:14:00.002-04:00

Written by CMIO Editorial Staff

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) issued the final rules on Meaningful Use and Standards and Certification, which providers must follow in order to benefit from the approximate $27.3 billion in financial incentives over 10 years, authorized under the HITECH Act’s EHR incentive program.

Those who joined in the announcement were Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Donald Berwick, MD, new CMS Administrator, David Blumenthal, MD, the National Coordinator for Health IT and Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, Surgeon General

The department published proposed meaningful use requirements on Jan. 16. The proposal prompted some 2,000 comments. Today, the HHS released a final regulation for the first two years (2011 and 2012) of this multiyear incentive program.

“Electronic health records are the foundation of a high performing and high quality health system,” said Sebelius. “When the record is properly designed and implemented, it is a powerful force for increasing physician and patient satisfaction. We hope that other provider groups will embrace these standards.” She noted that only 20 percent of hospitals and 10 percent of physicians use basic EHRs.

[Continue Reading Story]

Rule for Picking EHR Certifiers Unveiled

2010-06-23T11:35:00.003-04:00

Federal Rule Creates Temporary Software Certification Effort

June 18, 2010 - Howard Anderson, Managing Editor, HealthcareInfoSecurity.com

A final federal rule creating a temporary electronic health records software certification program requires certifiers to assess the applications' functionality, including security capabilities.

The rule creates a process by which an organization can become a certifier. "We anticipate that only a few organizations will qualify," the rule states.

Certifiers will be designated by late summer, enabling certified software to be on the market by fall, federal regulators said in a media briefing.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, headed by David Blumenthal, M.D., developed the rule, which will be published in the Federal Register June 24. It's now available in near-final format at the Federal Register's Public Inspection Desk.

[Continue Reading]

Think I Can Talk Alyssa Milano Into Being Our Spokeswoman?

2010-06-21T12:57:00.005-04:00

Okay, its a pretty big stretch. To be honest I've randomly looked at some of Alyssa's posts on Twitter and I have to admit, she's pretty interesting (I would have said "tweets" but that made me feel dirty.)

At about the same time I was working on some pictures for our new computer cart. So, I combined the picture of Alyssa and the cart. Now, I most certainly don't have permission to officially use her picture but she certainly makes that laptop cart look nice.

See more pictures of the laptop cart...sorry, no more pictures with Alyssa. Also, if you want more pictures of the cart, follow this link to our Flickr page.

Cygnus Announces Certified Products For Technology Refresh!!

2010-06-04T09:56:00.005-04:00

Cygnus values its relationship with HCA and has recently had several affordable, high quality wall mounted computer cabinets certified for the Technology Refresh program.

One of the cabinets receiving certification is the award winning BayView 2842. This cabinet won "Most Innovative Product" from the Healthcare Facilities Symposium Distinction Awards. The cabinet is available in flat door panels or with various inlay patterns.

Cygnus offers these great workstation solutions for Technology Refresh through Sayers.

Email Tom Lucas to get more information.
Tom Lucas - Account Executive
Phone: 727.536.3824 x4312
Order Fax Number: 727.524.3281

Federal workgroup wants encryption even for direct HIE

2010-05-27T14:40:00.004-04:00

May 27, 2010 — 12:27pm ET | By Neil Versel on http://www.fierceemr.com

The privacy and security workgroup of the federal Health IT Policy Committee is recommending that providers encrypt any personally identifiable patient information whenever they share data with others, even when a third-party health information exchange is not involved.

The workgroup is asking HHS officials to set policies for data encryption, limits on specificity in message headers and identity verification of both sender and receiver, even in direct, one-to-one exchanges, as part of final rules for "meaningful use" of EMRs, Government Health IT reports. Such rules are what a "reasonable patient would expect," said workgroup co-chair Deven McGraw, director of the Health Privacy Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology.

This recommendation takes into account new, tougher, HIPAA privacy and security rules, which come with increased penalties for violations. "If strong policies, such as the above, are in place and enforced, we don't think this scenario needs any additional individual consent beyond what is already required by current law," McGraw said.

Direct HIE likely will be a "stage 1" requirement of meaningful use. HHS promises a final rule in June.

New tambour door to our BayView 3049 wall mounted cabinet

2010-05-20T14:45:00.003-04:00

We recently had a request for a tambour door to be added to our BayView 3049. The facility wanted to eliminate as much "intrusion" into the patient room as possible and the tambour door definitely makes that possible.

We're going to try a black tambour door to see how it looks. What do you think?

See the complete line of Bay View wall mounted computer cabinets.

HIPAA Audit Update: Susan McAndrew

2010-05-12T14:14:00.002-04:00

New post from www.healthcareinfosecurity.com.

Federal HIPAA privacy and security rule compliance audits of healthcare organizations and their business associates likely will start later this year, says Susan McAndrew, deputy director for privacy in the HHS Office for Civil Rights.

In an exclusive interview, McAndrew says the timing of the start of the HITECH Act's mandated audit program "will really depend on the ultimate selection of what model we use" and how fast that model can be implemented.

McAndrew also said:

The audits likely will be outsourced and not conducted by OCR staff.
Security audits will check that organizations have completed a risk assessment and implemented appropriate administrative, technical and physical safeguards.
Audits for compliance with the privacy rule will focus on organizations' efforts to uphold individuals' rights, such as their right to access their own medical records.

McAndrew made her comments in an interview at the conference: "Safeguarding Health Information: Building Assurance through HIPAA Security," sponsored by OCR and National Institute of Standards and Technology.

New Site Navigation

2010-04-19T10:13:00.003-04:00

As you probably have noticed already we moved some things around on the website. Actually, the only thing that really changed is "how" you get to specific pages. In order to make room for our ever-expanding product line, we needed to make it easy for people to get to the information.

We also added a "series" section where you can look at products separated into their collection name. We added two specific series "The GlenArbor" and "The HortonBay", two very distinct product lines of wall mounted computer cabinetry that offer modern styling in wood and metal.

We will be developing these series with various size computer cabinets and medication stations. To keep up with new product releases please check sign up for our monthly newsletter or become a fan on Facebook.

New EMR Workstation Series Debut

2010-03-26T09:44:00.003-04:00

New logo for the Glen Arbor series of EMR cabinetry. The new series blends wood and

steel to create a distinctively modern look. Look for more images soon!

This is the first of several prototypes of the new Glen Arbor series of wall mounted computer cabinets. Looking forward to the development of this line.

We based the logo from a picture from Rein Nomm of the Sleeping Bear Dunes in Glen Arbor.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/646514

100 Percent of Primary Care Doctors in Denmark Use Electronic Medical Records

2010-03-15T15:20:00.003-04:00

March 11, 2010, New York, New York— All primary care doctors in Denmark use electronic medical records and 98 percent have the ability to electronically manage patient care—including ordering prescriptions, drafting notes about patient visits, and sending appointment reminders. In addition, almost all medical communication between primary care doctors, specialists, and hospitals is electronic, according to a new Commonwealth Fund profile of the Danish health care system.

Ramping up the use of health information technology (HIT) tools like electronic medical records (EMRs) in the United States, where currently only 46 percent of physicians use EMRs, is an important part of the recent stimulus bill and the health care reform currently being debated on Capitol Hill. According to Denis Protti and Ib Johansen, authors of the report, Widespread Adoption of Information Technology in Primary Care Physician Offices In Denmark: A Case Study, much could be learned from the Danish system, where HIT use among primary care doctors soared from 15 percent in the early 1990s to more than 90 percent by the year 2000. Data for the report were gathered through visits and interviews with Danish officials and general practitioner (GPs) over the past five years, as well as through a review of the scientific literature.

Danish patients have the ability to electronically access all of their medical information including, medical records, tests results, and hospital discharge instructions. They can also electronically schedule appointments and renew prescriptions, and have access to after hours care when they need it. As a result, Denmark residents have well coordinated, efficient health care and report the highest satisfaction in the European Union with their health care system.

Read the Full Story

Comments on the Interim Final Rule on Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for EHRs

2010-03-15T14:43:00.004-04:00

It seems CCHIT is looking out for the little guy with its latest recommendations to loosen regulations. The article below was taken from www.cchit.org.

======

The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) respectfully submits these comments on the Interim Final Rule (45 CFR Part 170, RIN 0991-AB58), published in the Federal Register of Jan 13, 2010, “Health Information Technology: Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology.”

Evidence Base

CCHIT has the most extensive experience in this country developing voluntary, consensus-based EHR certification criteria and test processes, and inspecting and certifying EHRs against Federally-recognized standards.[1] The Commission’s comments draw upon this deep base of practical experience.

Overview

The Certification Commission congratulates HHS and ONC on producing the Interim Final Rule within the statutory deadline. CCHIT is well aware of the challenges faced and the balances that had to be struck in a time-constrained environment. After careful review, however, the Commission believes that the certification criteria and standards in the IFR -- while an admirable first draft effort – need improvement and refinement to drive an achievable step forward in the meaningful use of EHRs, and to avoid an unintended deceleration in the pace of EHR adoption.

READ THE REPORT

New Drawer System for Non-powered Computer Carts

2010-03-15T10:31:00.003-04:00

Caregivers have asked for a robust locking system on a non-powered cart. Cygnus answered with a rechargeable battery-powered lock which can control multiple drawers on a non-powered computer cart.

As a modular unit, the drawer system can be added to any of the Northport carts by Cygnus. The drawer system is also completely compatible with Howard™ carts.

System Benefits:

Battery-powered, push button lock system

Adjustable bin configuration

Smooth action, ball-bearing drawer slides

One, two or three drawer options

Approximately 16 pounds

Custom configurations available

HHS panel says ease 2011 meaningful use tests

2010-02-18T08:39:00.005-05:00

By Mary Mosquera on GovernmentHealthit.com
Wednesday, February 17, 2010

A Health and Human Services advisory group today recommended the government abandon an “all or nothing” approach to its plan for offering doctors and hospitals financial incentives next year for getting electronic health record systems up and running.

In a meeting of HHS Health IT Policy Committee, members recommended the government relax some 2011 requirements for “meaningful use” of health IT in order to give providers more flexibility in qualifying for the plan in their first year of eligibility.

The Committee recommended providers be able to defer up to five proposed measures of meaningful use from 2011 to 2013. Six measures – including showing the ability to perform e-prescribing and providing patients an electronic copy of their heath records -- would remain fixed first year requirements.

Under the committee’s Feb. 17 proposal, providers would still have to meet 80 percent of the original meaningful use measures.

The shift would establish a common set of health IT functions among providers qualifying in the first year of eligibility while providing them options for ramping up for the new technology.

[Continue Reading]

Here we come HIMSS10!

2010-02-03T16:23:00.006-05:00

With the latest blast of winter weather we can't wait to get down to beautiful Atlanta. Lets hope the weather is sunny and warm.

We believe there is no better time to exhibit than right now. The move is on towards electronic patient charting and Cygnus has been creating solutions for point-of-care computing and charting since 1988.

Late 2009 we won a design award for our newest patient room computer workstation. We can't wait to demonstrate the workstation to everyone.

We'll also be showing our industry ONLY HID/prox cabinet security system that features PoE and full audit trail and remote administration.

Along with our wall mounted computer workstations we'll also be demonstrating our mobile computer carts which we released last year. This cart is amazing and can be customized with a multitude of options.

If you'd like a one-on-one demonstration you can fill out a meeting request.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Custom medication box with NetLock

2010-01-21T14:53:00.006-05:00

We're just completing a great project that had our design team digging deep to offer a custom solution to a customer. The customer recognized the need to have enhanced security over medications and supplies within the wall mounted medication cabinet inside the patient room.

Our NetLock system offers complete audit trail and ease of use by allowing the caregiver to open the cabinet with the pass of a proximity card.

The inside of the cabinet was custom fitted to hold various supplies and also has medication shelve has adjustable height. On the bottom of the cabinet are bins used to store McKesson medication envelopes and loose medications.

See our complete line of wall mounted locking medication cabinets and medication stations at www.cygnusinc.net/medication_boxes.html

Meaningful Use Rules Now Official

2010-01-13T16:35:00.002-05:00

HDM Breaking News, January 13, 2010

Agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services on Jan. 13 officially published two rules covering the meaningful use of electronic health records provisions of the HITECH Act within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Publication of the rules starts the clock for the public comment period, with both rules having a March 15 deadline for comment. The proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services defines "meaningful use" of electronic health records to qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments. It lays out a series of measures to collect and report data to government agencies. The rule is 169 pages long in a PDF format.

An interim final rule from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology sets initial standards, implementation specifications and certification criteria for EHR technology. The rule is 33 pages long in a PDF format. A forthcoming rule will establish an EHR certification program.

The rules are available at gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.htm

HHS defines rules for receiving billions for e-health systems

2010-01-06T09:09:00.002-05:00

BY ALIYA STERNSTEIN 01/04/2010

From http://www.nextgov.com

Recently released government standards for electronic health record systems show what medical professionals must buy to receive some of the nearly $20 billion in stimulus funding set aside to encourage the development of technology, and Web-based technologies that Google and Microsoft developed may be eligible purchases in the future, IT specialists say.

The Health and Human Services Department issued preliminary guidelines on Dec. 30, 2009. Medical professionals who make "meaningful use" of certified electronic health records, as defined by the department, will be eligible for up to $44,000 in Medicare bonus payments during the next five years.

One preliminary rule dictates the types of technologies providers must use to be eligible for the incentives, setting initial standards and criteria for certifying the systems. A separate proposed rule defines meaningful use as complying with specific procedures -- including the reliance on certified technologies -- in ways that enhance the coordination of care, engage patients and families, and ensure privacy. [Continue Reading]

Tis the Season for Wall Mounted Medication Cabinets

2009-12-10T14:33:00.003-05:00

Well, this is the season for many more things than just medication boxes but we just completed a new website which features JUST our medication boxes.

Cygnus has been creating wall mounted metal and wood medication cabinets for over 20 years. Our new wood medications cabinets are equally as secure and functional as our metal cabinets.

Our cabinets have several lock options available; standard key, push button, electronic push button and our network IP-based lock system with full audit trail.

We have standard models on the site but we do offer custom configurations if you don't see a medication box that meets your needs. Our design team can create the absolute perfect solution for your situation.

New Open Display Unit

2009-11-19T11:30:00.003-05:00

We've made the open display unit for over 10 years. We dramatically redesigned the 2842OD to bring it together in the stylings of our award winning collection.

The wall-mounted computer workstation with open display works great with a touch screen monitor or all-in-one but also has enough room to house an small or ultra small form factor computer (depending on depth of cabinet).

The fold out keyboard tray flips open when longer input is required.

New clamshell door offers smaller in-use footprint.

2009-11-05T08:52:00.003-05:00

Using Cygnus' own Center Point Swing (CPS) technology, the doors nest inside the cabinet. The door design offers a split door that, when opened, has less than 5" of the door extended outside the cabinet.

Even when the doors are opened the contents of the upper compartments can be easily accessed.

Take a minute to view the short video about this great new design.

Survey: Healthcare organizations' security not up to HITECH standards

2009-11-04T11:22:00.002-05:00

Molly Merrill, Associate Editor at Healthcare IT News

CHICAGO – Healthcare organizations aren't prepared to meet privacy and security standards associated with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to a new survey.

The survey of 196 healthcare information technology and security professionals, conducted by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and sponsored by Symantec Corp., a Mountain View, Calif.-based developer of security, storage and systems management solutions, indicated healthcare organizations aren't using available security technologies to keep patient data safe. Reasons given include stretched budgets and lack of a chief security officer (CSO) or chief information security officer (CISO).

Approximately 60 percent of respondents said their organization spends 3 percent or less of their organization's IT budget on information security. This is consistent to the level of spending identified in the 2008 HIMSS study. And fewer than half of the respondents said their organization has a formally designated CISO or CSO. [Continue Reading]

Making your Investment Pay Off

2009-10-26T10:33:00.004-04:00

Ran across this great video by the Fox Group. The video runs about 10 minutes and goes into pretty good detail into the operational benefits, financial incentives, and potential pitfalls of migrating a medical practice to an electronic health record system.

Cygnus takes home the prize for its innovative wall mounted computer workstation.

2009-10-15T15:56:00.003-04:00

Cygnus product development lead, Shawn Peterson and President, Robert Waugh display the award recently received for Most Innovative Product by the Healthcare Facilities Symposium.

The two are standing in front of the product that won the award, the BV2842 EMR computer workstations. More information on the BV2842 product page.

The highly esteemed competition honors design teams and individuals who have made a profound contribution to the healthcare design industry. In addition it recognizes the best and most innovative new products exhibited at the Symposium. FacilityCare Magazine in association with the Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo sponsors the Awards.

Cygnus is located in Petoskey, Mich., and is the leader in point-of-care solutions for healthcare computing and medication storage.

For more information visit http://www.cygnusinc.net or call Dan Laninga at 888-760-8159.

MGMA: Many Physician Groups Not Yet Ready To Invest in EHRs

2009-10-14T09:39:00.002-04:00

From iHealthBeat.org

Many physician group practices are likely to delay electronic health record adoption because of logistical and financial concerns, experts said this week at the Medical Group Management Association's annual convention, Healthcare IT News reports.

MGMA represents 22,500 medical group administrators and managers from across the country.

Robert Tennant, senior policy adviser for MGMA, said most of the physician practices MGMA represents will not qualify by 2011 for incentive payments under the federal economic stimulus package.

Under the stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate "meaningful use" of EHRs will qualify for incentive payments through Medicare and Medicaid. However, the federal government has yet to issue a final definition for meaningful use.

[Continue Reading]

Promised E-Health Improvements Also Come With Shortcomings, Risks

2009-09-30T11:09:00.003-04:00

Sep 29, 2009

Efforts to achieve greater efficiency and higher quality in health care through new health information technologies are not without new risks as well.

For instance, the Houston Chronicle reports that "Even when notified by electronic e-mail alerts, doctors sometimes ignore test results that show the patient might have a serious condition, according to a Houston study. The study, conducted at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and its clinics, found doctors failed to follow up within a month on nearly 8 percent of such alerts. The alerts involved abnormal results, some later diagnosed as cancer, on imaging tests such as MRIs and X-rays" (Ackerman, 9/29).

The lead researcher, Dr. Hardeep Singh of the Baylor College of Medicine, "said the findings suggest that while helpful, electronic medical records do not eliminate the problem of missed test results, and other strategies need to be used to ensure patients get prompt care -- perhaps rules that clear up any ambiguity over who is responsible for following up," Reuters reports. The study appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine (Steenhuysen, 9/28)....[Continue Reading]

The Importance of Paper – Yes, Paper – in Health Information Exchanges

2009-09-23T11:14:00.003-04:00

by Ashish V. Shah

By several different measures, the past President and current President of the United States have little in common. But both do share a vision of transitioning the American healthcare system to the use of electronic health records (EHRs) as quickly as possible – George W. Bush backed a 2014 deadline and Barack Obama has provisioned incentives within ARRA to drive adoption by 2015.

The byproduct of this type of commitment has spurred heavy investment in the healthcare IT industry, focused primarily on the development of EHR technology to improve operational efficiency and patient care. So, why are some physicians rejecting the notion of EHRs or in some cases … de-installing them? You would think with strong Presidential support and no shortage of financial investment in the industry that penetration of EHRs into the physician market would exceed 33 percent.

The reality is that at least 67 percent of physicians today who receive information from caregivers or labs outside of their care setting depend on paper. What they care about is having timely and reliable access to the information they need – not whether it comes to them in paper or electronic format – and they most certainly won’t stop depending on paper overnight. In fact, even physicians with EHRs often must depend on paper, especially if their EHR is not interfaced to the data sources. Without interfaces, their EHRs are empty and, by many accounts, not very useful. If the EHR isn’t useful, they say, why disrupt the familiar paper-based workflow? [Continue Reading]

BayView wall mounted cabinetry wins prestigious award

2009-09-18T10:32:00.007-04:00

Since their debut earlier this year, the BayView series of EMR workstations and medication cabinets have made quite an impression.

We have recently received an award from the Healthcare Facilities Symposium. The award recognizes the BayView line for its innovative design and functionality.

Check out the BayView page for more information for more details. There are also several short videos showing these new EMR workstations in action.

No vendor is perfect on 'meaningful use,' report concludes

2009-09-15T12:52:00.003-04:00

June 08, 2009 | Bernie Monegain, Editor

OREM, UT – Even as the healthcare IT industry awaits the official definition of "meaningful use" from the federal government, a new report from KLAS examines which electronic medical record products should fit that description.

The report, "Meaningful Use Leading to Improved Outcomes," assesses how well core clinical vendors are delivering solutions for CPOE, nursing automation, medication administration and other key areas.

Nine EMR vendors are profiled in the report: Cerner, CPSI, Eclipsys, Epic, GE, McKesson, Meditech, QuadraMed and Siemens.

"Since the introduction of the stimulus package and its provisions for health IT, much of the market rhetoric and industry debate has centered on the concept of meaningful use – what will it entail and how will it impact the receipt of stimulus dollars," said KLAS Founder and Chairman Kent Gale. "Whatever the final definition of the term, if improved patient outcomes are indeed the ultimate goal, then some form of clinician adoption will be critical."

"In particular, deep adoption among physicians is pivotal to the overarching success of an EMR implementation," Gale said. [Continue Reading]

Pfizer gets a slap on the wrist.

2009-09-14T10:02:00.001-04:00

Pfizer pays record $2.3 billion in off-label drug marketing settlement

A drugmaker's subsidiary pleads guilty to misbranding Bextra.

By Kevin B. O'Reilly, AMNews staff. Posted Sept. 14, 2009.

A $2.3 billion settlement with Pfizer Inc. over off-label drug promotion has industry observers wondering whether the record-breaking deal will deter drugmakers from talking up unapproved medication uses with doctors.

A Pfizer subsidiary, Pharmacia & Upjohn Co., agreed to plead guilty in early September to a felony violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act for misbranding its COX-2 inhibitor, Bextra, for off-label uses. The company agreed to pay $1.3 billion in criminal fines for systematically promoting off-label Bextra use to physicians through marketing materials, drug rep talking points and more. [Continue Reading]

Spigots are Opening: $1.16B for HIT in 2010

2009-08-21T11:18:00.003-04:00

August 21, 2009 by John Moore of Chilmark Research

Yesterday, there was a press conference at Mt Sinai Hospital in Chicago with VP Joe Biden, HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius and ONC head David Blumenthal to announce the first major release of ARRA funds for HIT. The total amount, $1.16B will be distributed in 201o to address two priorities, setting up extension centers and helping states create RHIOs. The official announcement from Biden’s office provides a few more details. The HHS HIT site has a good letter from Blumenthal that further outlines the purpose if this funding.

Kaiser's Long and Winding Road

2009-08-20T09:37:00.001-04:00

Howard J. Anderson, Executive Editor

Health Data Management Magazine, August 1, 2009

Electronic health records are in the spotlight, thanks to the federal economic stimulus package. Many hospitals and physician groups are scrambling to draft strategies to fully implement EHRs in time to qualify for maximum federal incentive payments. Relatively few have rolled out every component of a truly comprehensive EHR.

But Kaiser Permanente is entering the home stretch in what's turned out to be a seven-year drive to implement comprehensive EHRs, personal health records and related systems at all of its hospitals and clinics. The experiences of the Oakland-Calif.-based not-for-profit organization, which owns 431 medical offices and 35 hospitals plus a large health plan, provide valuable insights for others that aren't as far along.

LC3000 Non-powered Mobile Computer Cart

2009-08-11T14:34:00.004-04:00

The NorthPort LC3000 is an incredible mobile point-of-care laptop computing cart offering quality engineered features, all while maintaining an affordable price point. Starting at $1,350, the cart is packed with features found in much more expensive healthcare laptop carts.

System Benefits

Easily adjusted for use while sitting or standing, adjusting from 30” to 46”.

Footprint of only 16” x 18” combines with dual-wheel, low-friction, 360° swivel casters allowing the LC3000 to be moved easily with minimal effort.

Can house full sized keyboards and even the largest widescreen laptops, such as the Acer, Dell and many others.

Work surface has raised drip edge tray to keep items from rolling off cart.

Antimicrobial paint finish helps prevent the growth of bacteria.

Separate transformer storage.
Locking laptop compartment.

Light weight at less than 60 pounds.

Cygnus: Workstation Solutions for Healthcare

The Reluctant Doctor: Realizing the Benefits of an EHR | EMR and EHR

amednews: Small medical practices greatly at risk for data breaches :: Jan. 16, 2012 ... American Medical News

The costs of a breach

101 Tips to Make Your EMR and EHR More Useful – EHR Tips 1-5

101 Tips to Make Your EMR and EHR More Useful – EHR Tips 1-5

HHS may be in the final stages before releasing proposed rules for Stage 2 of the electronic health records meaningful use program - HDM Latest News Article

Streamline Personnel Management with the Active Directory Bridge

Hospital Security Project Brief

CDW: Healthcare sector to lead IT spending | Healthcare IT News

Fixing EMR Drawbacks | EMR and EHR

Lawmakers speak up for healthcare IT | Healthcare IT News

1.6 Million Affected by Lost Backup Tapes

HIPAA Audits: Documentation Is Key

Point of No Return?

SaaS EHR Down Time vs. In House EHR Down Time

Match your computer workstations.

Five criteria for choosing a certified EHR specialist

Our latest computer cart!

HITECH Rule Called 'Unreasonable' by Some, 'Overdue' by Others

HIPAA changes announced by HHS

20” Laptop Computer Cabinet with Locking Storage

U.S. healthcare IT market to surge

Riding the HIPAA Wave

Study: Patients believe EMRs bring accuracy to their records

NORTHERN MICHIGAN REGIONAL HOSPITAL VASCULAR SURGERY PROGRAM NAMED NUMBER ONE IN NATION

Farzad Mostashari named new head of ONC

By Christine LaFave Grace on http://www.modernhealthcare.com/

Tips for Effective EMR Implementation

If Doctors Bought EMRs Like They Buy Cars…

VA plans better claims process with IT

ONC's Fridsma on Security for HIEs

Tips For Keeping Your EMR Implementation Within Budget

Blumenthal: Look for Stage 1 meaningful use upshot by next winter

EMR - Advantages of Electronic Medical Records

Survey: Eighty-one percent of hospitals, 41 percent of docs plan on meeting MU

CMS makes final meaningful use tweaks

HIPAA Enforcement: When?

CYGNUS Offers Solutions for Improved Healthcare Delivery at HIMSS11

Security Spending Up at Rural Hospital

New Look at HIE May Change MU

Hospital Improves Safeguards for Dispensing of Medications

Certified Health IT Product List

Health Breaches: 5.35 Million Affected

Quality reporting top concern for healthcare's top execs

Study: EHRs improve quality of care

NEW!! Wood tops for mobile carts!

New Emblems

Nurse leaders discuss the nurse's role in driving technology decisions

Top 10 'urban myths' of EHRs

Workgroup begins work on Stage 2 of meaningful use rules

More on the meaningful use rules

New Computer Workstation with Black Tambour Door

Thoughts about Meaningful Use Regulations

New Product Sheets and Catalog Posted

TweetBoard

Final HITECH Rules: The Security Details

CMS, ONC release meaningful use final rules

Rule for Picking EHR Certifiers Unveiled

Think I Can Talk Alyssa Milano Into Being Our Spokeswoman?

Cygnus Announces Certified Products For Technology Refresh!!

Federal workgroup wants encryption even for direct HIE

New tambour door to our BayView 3049 wall mounted cabinet

HIPAA Audit Update: Susan McAndrew

New Site Navigation

New EMR Workstation Series Debut

New logo for the Glen Arbor series of EMR cabinetry. The new series blends wood and

steel to create a distinctively modern look. Look for more images soon!

100 Percent of Primary Care Doctors in Denmark Use Electronic Medical Records

Comments on the Interim Final Rule on Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for EHRs

It seems CCHIT is looking out for the little guy with its latest recommendations to loosen regulations. The article below was taken from www.cchit.org.

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New Drawer System for Non-powered Computer Carts

HHS panel says ease 2011 meaningful use tests

Here we come HIMSS10!

Custom medication box with NetLock

Meaningful Use Rules Now Official

HHS defines rules for receiving billions for e-health systems

Tis the Season for Wall Mounted Medication Cabinets

New Open Display Unit