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Executive
Board
Your officers for 2005 are:
President - Dr. Stephen Pittenger
President-elect - Dr.
Michael Martin
Secretary/Treasurer - Ms. Valerie Ball
Feedback
Please let us know if you have any suggestions
or comments about AVI.
Officer
Nominations/Elections
Nomination for Officer positions in AVI will be open until June
7, 2005.
Two positions are open:
President-elect and Secretary
Ballots will be sent out on July 17th and will be due back in
by July 12, 2005. The election results will be released at
the Annual Meeting on July 17, 2005 in Minneapolis, MN.
President's
Letter
Welcome to the April/May 2005
edition of the AVI HTML Newsletter.
April was a slow "news
month" so I decided not to clog your inbox.
The Annual Meeting is
practically right around the corner. The AVMA convention website
http://avmaconvention.org/
will list the entire CE program. We will send out notice in
the June newsletter as time draw nearer for information on the
Annual Meeting & Luncheon details and other tidbits of
information. Nominations are open until June 7th for the
officer positions. Dr. Martin and I look forward to working
with the next set of officers. If you have any questions
about serving as an officer, please do not hesitate to contact any
of us.
If you have a colleague that
may be interested in informatics, please pass along the
information!
Respectfully,
Stephen T. Pittenger, D.V.M.
About
AVI
Joining
the AVI
You
may renew or apply for membership in the AVI by completing an
application and paying the annual dues. An application is also
included in each issue of the AVI Newsletter. Membership is
for a full year, expiring July 31 each year. You may select
from several membership categories, work groups, and newsletter
formats as described in the application. All member
categories share the privileges of the newsletter and the
communication services of the society. Full and corporate
members have voting privileges. If you share AVI's
interests, please join us.
Mission
The AVI, formerly the American Veterinary Computer Society,
was formed to expand the use of the computer as a tool in
veterinary medicine. This includes serving as an educational
resource, promoting the use of information technology and
electronic communications, and developing and promoting standards
in veterinary information management.
Benefits
Membership
benefits include the monthly AVI
newsletter, participation in work
groups , the AVI-L listserv
discussion list, and an annual membership directory.
Levels
Membership
incorporates a range of levels to encourage participation from all
segments of the profession, veterinarians and non-veterinarians,
as well as its supporting organizations. This includes veterinary
practitioners and their staff, faculty and staff of veterinary
colleges, diagnostic laboratories, medical records personnel,
medical librarians, students, software and hardware developers,
and corporations supplying veterinary products and services.
Over one third of the members are individuals working in the field
of clinical veterinary medicine, one third are in academia, and
the remainder are in industry, government, and other veterinary
medicine. Membership is international, including Australia,
Brazil, Canada, Israel, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia, as well as
the United States.
Meeting
The
annual membership meeting is held in conjunction with the AVMA
Annual Convention and includes the one-day Richard
B. Talbot Symposium on Veterinary Informatics and two days of
general information on computer usage. The members of the
Association are encouraged to write articles and/or make
presentations regarding their experiences, as these are valuable
to establish veterinary informatics as a legitimate discipline and
to encourage individuals in the veterinary community to become
more involved in the information age.
Membership
Application (HTML)
Membership
Application (RTF)
In
the News
NCQA
to Certify Records Vendors
May
25, 2005
The
National Committee on Quality Assurance, an accreditation firm,
will launch a certification program for electronic medical records
systems. The program will evaluate if specific records software
supports the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program sponsored by
Washington-based NCQA and the American Diabetes Association. Under
the program, physicians can receive recognition for providing
quality care to diabetics, which can help them qualify for
financial rewards through various pay-for-performance initiatives.
To qualify for recognition under the diabetes program, physicians
are required to pull a random sample of patient files and
calculate the percentage of patients that have certain metabolic
rates--such as lipid and hemoglobin levels--under control, and
receive recommended foot, eye and blood pressure screenings.
Complete Health Data Management article available at:
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/html/
PortalStory.cfm?type=trend&DID=12718
Welsh
Telemedicine in Great Shape, Says First Minister
May
24, 2005
Welsh
First Minister Rhodri Morgan, has lent his support to the use of
telemedicine within the country, saying that it has had great
benefits for NHS Wales. Speaking ahead of last week's seventh
summit of the British Irish Council on the Isle of Man, which
focused on the benefits of telemedicine, Morgan said: "Wales
has a remarkable story to tell in this area. We have been at the
forefront of telemedicine development in the UK for a number of
years." Complete E-health Insider article available at:
http://www.e-health-insider.com/news/item.cfm?ID=1218
National
Scottish NHS IT Procurement Begins
May
24, 2005
The
National Health Service for Scotland has begun re-tendering
exercise for end-to-end delivery of its principal IT services, in
a procurement designed to meet the services' evolving national and
local business and clinical requirements. The contract notice
includes provision for the future development of a national NHS
Scotland Electronic Patient Record, and other future developments
such as "a move towards 24x7 support for critical
applications and a national GP desktop delivery mechanism".
Complete E-Health Insider article available at:
http://www.e-health-insider.com/news/item.cfm?ID=1220
BlueCross,
Cerner Team on Database
May
22, 2005
BlueCross
BlueShield of Tennessee has signed on with Cerner Corp. to create
a database of patients' medical records that eventually could
contain all health records in the state. Complete Nashville
Business Journal article available on the MSNBC Web site at:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7950238
QIOs
to Help Physicians Adopt and Use IT for Better Care
May
25, 2005
Under
a new three-year contract (2005-2008) with the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services, the national network of Quality
Improvement Organizations (QIOs) will begin in 2005 to help
physicians adopt and use Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and
other health information technology (HIT) to improve care. QIOs
will assist the physician practices that often need the most
help—mainly smaller and medium-sized practices that make up
the majority of primary care practices in America. QIOs will seek
to accelerate adoption of HIT by offering free assistance
assessing and redesigning office workflow and care processes so
that physician practices can use HIT for improved efficiency,
quality and patient safety in their every day work. Helping
physicians use HIT to implement more effective care management
processes and patient self-management of chronic conditions is a
key QIO goal. Complete press release available at:
http://www.ahqa.org/pub/media/159_678_5184.cfm
Ability
to Invest in Health Care IT Increasingly Important, Moody's Says
May
23, 2005
In
a report May 23 examining the benefits and challenges for
not-for-profit hospitals of investing in clinical information
technology, Moody’s Investors Service says allocating a
portion of the hospital’s annual capital budget to IT will
take on increased importance as hospitals strive to improve health
care quality and safety, and should “pay for performance”
reimbursement become more common. Complete AHA News Now article
available at: http://www.ahanews.com…
Hospital
Patients Give Their Consent Using Computers
May
24, 2005
Interactive
system explains procedures and gauges patient comprehension.
Complete Orlando Sentinel article available at:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com…
(UK)
Pharmacists advised not to sign ETP Agreements
May
23, 2005
Pharmacists
are being advised not to sign agreements for electronic
transmission of prescription (ETP) enabled systems until guidance
on compliance status is issued by NHS Connecting for Health. The
Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has released
a statement advising pharmacists not to commit to anything yet. It
is understand that some suppliers are offering to sign up
pharmacists now to agreements to deliver ETP enabled systems.
Complete E-Health Insider Primary Care article available at:
http://www.ehiprimarycare.com/news/item.cfm?ID=1216
Patients
Becoming Apprehensive of NHS CRS
May
24, 2005
Patients
are contacting their GPs with concerns about the confidentiality
of their data held on GP computer systems as awreness about the
NHS Care Records Service spreads, according to the British Medical
Association's GP Committee. Complete E-Health Insider Primary Care
article available at:
http://www.ehiprimarycare.com/
news/item.cfm?ID=1221
Office
Technology: Software for Symptoms
May
23, 2005
Diagnostic
software hasn't caught on yet among doctors. But that may be
starting to change. Complete Wall Street Journal article available
only with paid subscription at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111627938932135070,00.html
European
Countries Meet on Telemedicine
May
23, 2005
Some
500 officials from 38 European countries met in northern Norway on
the fast-expanding practice of telemedicine, by which doctors
treat faraway patients using telecommunications technologies.
ADVERTISEMENT "What was science fiction 10 years ago has
become a reality today for a growing number of European patients,"
the European Union's health commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, said
in the inaugural speech for the two-day conference in the northern
city of Tromsoe. Complete AFP/Yahoo! News article available at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050523/
hl_afp/norwayeuhealth_050523200719
Allscripts
Targets Small Practices
May
20, 2005
Allscripts
Healthcare Solutions has introduced electronic medical records
software for practices of 15 or fewer physicians. The
Libertyville, Ill.-based vendor previously targeted its TouchWorks
software suite to mid- to large-size practices. Complete Health
Data Management article available at:
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/html/
PortalStory.cfm?type=newprod&DID=12707
IBM
Software Aims to Provide Security without Sacrificing Privacy
May
24, 2005
International
Business Machines is introducing software today that is intended
to let companies share and compare information with other
companies or government agencies without identifying the people
connected to it. Security specialists familiar with the technology
say that, if truly effective, it could help tackle many security
and privacy problems in handling personal information in fields
like health care, financial services and national security.
Complete New York Times article available at:
http://query.nytimes.com…
Health
Hero Network Partner Sananet Honored by Ministry of Health for
Best Practice in Telehealth
May
23, 2005
Health
Hero Network's Dutch partner Sananet B.V., an eHealth company
offering information and communication technology products and
services to improve the quality of health and social services in
the Netherlands was selected by the Dutch Ministry of Health,
Welfare and Sport (VWS) for a best practice project in
telemedicine. Complete press release available at:
http://www.marketwire.com/
mw/iwpr?id=87194&cat=Me
Safety
Innovators Put IT on the Line
May
23, 2005
Some
provider organizations are facing medical errors head-on and are
using technology to try to bring them under control. Complete
Health Data Management article available at:
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/html/
current/CurrentIssueStory.cfm?PostID=19493
Peer
Pressure: Scholarly Journals' Premier Status is Diluted by Web
May
23, 2005
More
research is free online amid spurt of start-ups; publishers'
profits at risk. Wall Street Journal article exploring this issue
available with paid subscription at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111680539102640247,00.html
Powerful
Potion
May
23, 2005
Internet
and CRM technologies could help Big Pharma overcome historically
weak links to the people who use their drugs. Complete Information
Week article available at:
http://www.informationweek.com/show
Article.jhtml?articleID=163105989
Seven
Steps: Using Marketing in Healthcare Technology Planning
May
23, 2005
In
the face of ever-expanding information technology solutions, many
healthcare executives continue to wrestle with how best to invest
their resources and effectively manage digital applications
throughout the healthcare organization. Often, decisions regarding
what technologies to buy are being driven by short-term internal
and external pressures rather than sound business planning and
long-term vision. Complete Healthleaders article available at:
http://www.healthleaders.com/news/
feature1.php?contentid=68034
Doctors
Slowly Going Digital with Records
May
23, 2005
New
York Newsday discusses the slow acceptance of electronic medical
record technology. Complete article available at:
http://www.nynewsday.com…
IT and
the Single Practitioner
May
20, 2005
Healthleaders
provides an in-depth article on one practitioner's experiences
with using electronic medical record technology in his solo
practice. Complete article available at:
http://www.healthleaders.com/news/feature1.php?
contentid=67986
Oregon
Moves Toward a Health Network
May
17, 2005
The
Oregon Senate has passed legislation to start the work of building
collaborative regional health information organizations in the
state. Complete Health Data Management article available at:
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/html/
PortalStory.cfm?type=gov&DID=12695
Regents
Name (AMIA Board Member) Leading Informatics Scholar, Connie
Delaney, Dean of University of Minnesota School of Nursing
May
16, 2005
The
University of Minnesota Board of Regents Friday approved the
appointment of an internationally recognized health informatics
scholar, Connie White Delaney, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FACMI, as Dean of
the School of Nursing. Delaney is currently a professor and the
Director of the Institute of Nursing Knowledge at the University
of Iowa, Iowa City. "Dr. Delaney will deepen the bench of
health care leadership at the School of Nursing, as well as at the
university and in the State of Minnesota," said Frank Cerra,
Senior Vice President of the Academic Health Center. Complete
press release available at: http://www.ahc.umn.edu…
Medem
Launches Free PHRs for General Public
May
18, 2005
Medem,
a not-for-profit group that operates physician-patient
communication networks, last week launched no-cost electronic
personal health records for the general public. The program,
called iHealthRecord, is the result of a multiyear collaboration
led by Medem and supported by about 45 major medical societies,
including the American Heart Association and the American Cancer
Society. Complete iHealthBeat article available at:
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/index.cfm?action=
dspItem&itemID=111570&changedID=111548
Medical
Errors Still Claiming Many Lives - study urges hospitals to take
action, speed change
May
18, 2005
As
many as 98,000 Americans still die each year because of medical
errors despite an unprecedented focus on patient safety over the
past five years, according to a study released today. Significant
improvements have been made in some hospitals since the Institute
of Medicine released a landmark report in 2000 that revealed many
thousands of Americans die each year because of medical mistakes.
But nationwide, the pace of change is painstakingly slow, and the
death rate has not changed much, according to the study in The
Journal of the American Medical Association. Complete USA Today
article available at:
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/
20050518/1a_bottomstrip18_dom.art.htm
Hospital
Tech Costs High, But May Save in the Long Run
May
18, 2005
Star
Tribune discusses the costs and benefits of electronic information
systems in health care. Complete article available at:
http://www.startribune.com/stories/535/5409245.html
Massachusetts
Flips the Switch on $50 Million Health IT Test
May
13, 2005
Massachusetts
on Friday kicked off the formal launch of three large-scale
regional health IT pilots involving hospitals, physician
practices, nursing homes, and other care facilities in three large
communities. Complete Information Week article available at:
http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.
jhtml?articleID=163102079
Hospitals'
Electronic Linkup is Advancing
May
15, 2005
About
a third of the 3,300 physicians in the Indianapolis area are
hooked into an electronic clinical messaging system with hospitals
that ships lab test results and other patient records in the blink
of an eye. The system, which will make Indianapolis one of the
first cities in the nation with a broad-based electronic
communications network linking hospitals and doctors, should reach
all doctors in the nine-county area by the end of the year. "It's
been a challenge, but I'm pleased where we're headed. It's pretty
close to following the path we thought it would," said Tom
Penno, chief operating officer of Indiana Health Information
Exchange, which runs the system. Complete Indianapolis Star
article available at:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20050515/BUSINESS/505150351/1003
New
Health Alliance Has Leader with High-level Experience
May
16, 2005
A
new but well-connected alliance vowing to improve local patients'
health while cutting medical costs expects to announce its first
executive director today. Former Regence BlueShield executive
Margaret Stanley has been chosen to run the Puget Sound Health
Alliance, according to King County Executive Ron Sims. The
alliance is a consortium of insurance companies, health
professionals, unions, governments and other employers that cover
nearly 700,000 workers in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap
counties. Complete Seattle Post-Intelligencer article available
at: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/224415_alliance16.html
Linking
Lab Results with Electronic Health Records
May
13, 2005
A
new initiative seeks to encourage adoption of electronic health
records (EHRs) and facilitate electronic delivery of laboratory
results to clinicians in the office setting. The EHR-Lab
Interoperability and Connectivity Standards (ELINCS) project is
developing a national standard for the real-time reporting of lab
data to EHRs. Working on an aggressive timeframe established by an
expert steering committee, the ELINCS project aims to develop the
new standard within six to nine months. Then the standard would be
adopted by electronic health record vendors and laboratories
across the nation within another nine months. Complete press
release available at:
http://www.chcf.org/press/view.cfm?itemID=111046
&archive=2005
Health
Care Stakeholders Discuss IT Strategy, Potential
May
12, 2005
Congress
on Wednesday took another step toward modernizing health care as
Reps. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) and Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) introduced
the 21st Century Health Information Act of 2005 (HR 2234). The
legislation aims to transform health care by using IT to prevent
medical errors, streamline administrative processes and overhaul
quality reporting. The act would foster IT progress on the state
and community levels by developing collaborative financing plans,
community-based health information networks and local strategies
that ensure system interoperability. The act includes a variety of
IT financing opportunities, such as grants to regional health
information organizations, increases in Medicare reimbursements to
physicians participating in regional networks and loans. Complete
iHealth Beat article available at:
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/index.cfm?Action
=dspItem&itemid=111048
|
Continuing
Education
Complete Listing
for 2005
June 2005
North America
Jun. 1-4,
2005 - 23rd Annual ACVIM Forum - Location: Baltimore, Maryland,
USA - Contact: Joyce Pokryfke - Address: 1997 Wadsworth Blvd.,
Suite A, Lakewood, CO 80214-5293 - Tel: 303-231-9933 - Fax:
303-231-0880 - Web site: www.acvim.org - E-mail: ACVIM@ACVIM.org -
Comments: The ACVIM Forum is for veterinarians who take their
continuing education seriously - who are looking for world
renowned speakers and never before presented research. The ACVIM
Forum consistently offers: - Large and Small Animal Medicine at
Generalist and Specialist Levels - New Cutting-edge Research
Presentations - A Complete Food Animal Track - High Quality
Technicians' Program - Special Interest Groups, Workshops, Case
Discussions and Labs - Top-of-the-line Veterinary Companies in the
Exhibit Hall
Jun. 5-8, 2005 - 67th Annual Conference for
Veterinarians and Centennial Celebration - Location: K-State
Student Union, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 -
Contact: Linda Johnson - Address: 1 Trotter Hall, College of
Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506
- Tel: 785-532-5696 - Fax: 785-532-4021 - Web site:
www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/itc/conted/cent05.htm - E-mail:
johnson@vet.ksu.edu -
Jun. 11-12, 2005 - Basic Exotic
Animal Endoscopy - Location: College of Veterinary Medicine, The
University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA - Contact: Sandi Kilgo -
Address: Room H-2218-B, UGA College of Veterinary Medicine,
Athens, GA 30602-7371 - Tel: 706/542-1451 - Fax: 706/583-0350 -
Web site: www.gactr.uga.edu/conferences/ - E-mail:
skilgo@vet.uga.edu - Comments: This course will review the uses
and applications of diagnostic and surgical endoscopy in birds,
reptiles, and small mammals. At the end of the course,
participants will feel comfortable performing diagnostic
visualization and various biopsy procedures.
Jun. 24-26,
2005 - The CVMA Annual Conference in Anaheim - Location: Anaheim
Marriott Hotel 700 West Convention Way Anaheim, California
92802-3483 - Contact: Shirley Ingleston - Address: 1400 River Park
Drive, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95815 - Tel: 800.655.2862 Ext.11 -
Fax: 916.646.9156 - Web site: www.cvma.net - E-mail:
singleston@cvma.net - Comments: This conference will be the best
ever....you can earn 20 CE units, relax around the pool and best
of all go to Disneyland. More details to follow:
July 2005
North America
Jul. 8-9, 2005 - Introduction to Canine
Rehabiliation - Location: University of Tennessee-College of
Veterinary Medicine, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA -
Contact: Liz Gilpin - Address: Northeast Seminars, PO Box 522, E.
Hampstead, NH 03826 - Tel: 800-272-2044 or 603-329-6117 - Fax:
603-329-7045 - Web site:
www.neseminars.com/Nes3/products.nsf/Subjects/UTK - E-mail:
elizabethgilpin@neseminars.com - Comments: This course is
sponsored by the University of Tennessee and is approved for their
Certificate Program in Canine Rehabilitation and is AAVSB approved
for continuing education for both veterinarians and veterinary
technicians. Canine I reviews the regulatory issues involved in
this field of practice from the perspective of physical therapists
and veterinarians. The response of tissues to disuse and
remobilization will be covered and clinically applied to the
science of veterinary rehabilitation. An overview of basic
comparative anatomy will be reviewed, as well as commonly seen
orthopedic and neurological conditions and commonly used
therapeutic interventions. Collaboration between the veterinary
and physical therapy professions will be emphasized to enhance the
learning experience. How to get started in the field and protocol
development will be reviewed.
Jul. 10-12, 2005 - Canine
Rehabilitation: Physical and Electrotherapeutic Modalities -
Location: University of Tennessee-College of Veterinary Medicine,
2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA - Contact: Liz Gilpin -
Address: Northeast Seminars, PO Box 522, E. Hampstead, NH 03826 -
Tel: 800-272-2044 or 603-329-6117 - Fax: 603-329-7045 - Web site:
www.neseminars.com/Nes3/products.nsf/Subjects/UTK - E-mail:
elizabethgilpin@neseminars.com - Comments: This course is
sponsored by the University of Tennessee and is approved for their
Certificate Program in Canine Rehabilitation and is AAVSB approved
for continuing education for both veterinarians and veterinary
technicians. This course will provide the participant with the
didactic and clinical applications of selected physical agent
modalities used in canine physical rehabilitation. The following
physical agents will be covered: superficial heating and cooling
agents including hydrotherapy, deep heating modalities, cold
lasers and electrical stimulation.
Jul. 13-15, 2005 -
Canine Rehabilitation: Therapeutic Exercise Prescription/Aquatic
Therapy - Location: University of Tennessee-College of Veterinary
Medicine, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA - Contact: Liz
Gilpin - Address: Northeast Seminars, PO Box 522, E. Hampstead, NH
03826 - Tel: 800-272-2044 or 603-329-6117 - Fax: 603-329-7045 -
Web site: www.neseminars.com/Nes3/products.nsf/Subjects/UTK -
E-mail: elizabethgilpin@neseminars.com - Comments: This course is
sponsored by the University of Tennessee and is approved for their
Certificate Program in Canine Rehabilitation and is AAVSB approved
for continuing education for both veterinarians and veterinary
technicians. This course will provide the participant with the
basic skills necessary to prescribe and provide therapeutic
exercise programs for dogs. Benefits and risks associated with
therapeutic exercise programs will be covered along with outcome
assessment of exercise programs. Some of the topics covered will
be range of motion, strengthening exercises, aquatic exercises,
and exercises for wellness/prevention
Jul. 14-16, 2005 -
5th International Veterinary Behavior Meeting - Location: Marriott
City Center, Minneapolis - Contact: Gary Landsberg - Address:
gmlandvm@aol.com - Tel: 905-881-2922 - Fax: 905-881-6726 - Web
site: www.dacvb.org - E-mail: doncasterac@rogers.com - Comments:
Call for papers - deadline December 1, 2004. See website for
details. Registration information will be posted on the website
when available.
Jul. 16-20, 2005 - American Veterinary
Medical Association 142nd Annual Conference - Location:
Minneapolis, United States - Contact: AVMA Convention Office -
Address: - E-mail: convention@avma.org -
Jul. 17-18, 2005
- Canine Rehabilitaion: Putting It All Together: Designing and
Implementing a Rehabilitation Program - Location: University of
Tennessee-College of Veterinary Medicine, 2407 River Drive,
Knoxville, TN 37996 USA - Contact: Liz Gilpin - Address: Northeast
Seminars, PO Box 522, E. Hampstead, NH 03841 - Tel: 800-272-2044
or 603-329-6117 - Fax: 603-329-7045 - Web site:
www.neseminars.com/Nes3/products.nsf/Subjects/UTK - E-mail:
elizabethgilpin@neseminars.com - Comments: This course is
sponsored by the University of Tennessee and is approved for their
Certificate Program in Canine Rehabilitation and is AAVSB approved
for continuing education for both veterinarians and veterinary
technicians. This course will provide the participant with the
skills necessary to design and implement a comprehensive
rehabilitation program for commonly seen orthopedic and neurologic
conditions in the dog. A case study approach will be utilized
teaming students from different professions together during this
course to design and implement the rehabilitation programs. If
possible, participants should bring a case or two for discussion
in these group learning activities. Call Northeast Seminars for
pre-requisites.
News,
continued
Australian
E-Health Progress Stalled by Debate
May
9, 2005
Intellectualized
debate is stalling progress towards a national electronic health
records system, according to InterSystems Corp. Australia managing
director Denis Tebutt. Instead of debating privacy concerns, he
said, stakeholders need to roll up their sleeves and get moving on
the HealthConnect project. "The technology needed is mature
enough to be fully deployed, but like all major projects, [some of
the] stakeholders are spending more time writing research papers
into why it will not happen as opposed to making it work,"
Tebutt said. Complete Computer World Today article available
through the Health IT World web site at:
http://www.health-itworld.com/enews/05-09-2005_582.html
Cerner
Develops Tennesee E-H-R Portal
May
10, 2005
Health
IT giant Cerner Corp. and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee are
developing an online portal for physicians to access electronic
health records (EHRs) culled from information submitted to
TennCare, the state's Medicaid extension program. Complete
Health-IT World News article available at:
http://www.health-itworld.com/enews/05-10-2005_585.html
Few
Doctors Are Utilizing Top Systems
May
10, 2005
Few
doctors use new technologies to help improve their work quality -
and few want the public to know how well or poorly they do their
jobs, a new study claims. Only one of four doctors surveyed use
electronic medical records, and just one-third report revising
their systems to improve care, according to a nationwide poll by
the Commonwealth Fund. Complete Boston Globe article available at:
http://business.bostonherald.com/
technologyNews/view.bg?articleid=82428
WHO
List Approved Web Sites for Vaccine Safety
May
10, 2005
GENEVA
(Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO), warning of
one-sided and alarming reporting of vaccine safety on Web Sites,
on Tuesday issued a list of 23 sites it deemed reliable. The
approved sites meet the WHO's criteria including credibility,
content and disclosure of the group's funding, according to a
statement. Complete Washington Post article available at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/10/AR2005051000721.html
Provider
Turns PDAs Into Scanners
May
6, 2005
Nurses
at Pittsburgh-based St. Clair Hospital are using PDAs equipped
with peripheral scanning technology when administering medications
to patients. The 331-bed hospital turned the nurses' PDAs into
scanning tools with technology from Socket Communications Inc.,
Newark, Calif., that fits into the flash drive on most PDAs.
Complete Mobile Health Data article available at:
http://www.mobilehealthdata.com/article.cfm?articleid=1418
A New
Beemer: The Ultimate Charting Machine?
May
9, 2005
Suddenly,
it's sexy to be doing EHRs. Electronic medical charting is no
longer the moped with a flat tire, buried somewhere in your
garage. It's the latest in high performance automobiles, arriving
at your local dealer today. Complete iHealthBeat article available
at:
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/index.cfm?
Action=dspItem&itemid=111005
Most
Doctors Can't Track Information on Patient Care
May
10, 2005
The
information age is penetrating doctors' offices at a slow pace --
fewer than half of physicians in a survey said they could easily
track data on how old their patients are, what they're treating
them for or what they're doing for them. And nearly three-quarters
said they sometimes don't have a complete record of a patient's
medical history, test results or other important information when
the patient comes in for an exam. The nationwide survey of more
than 1,800 physicians, published today in the journal Health
Affairs, found that only a quarter were routinely or even
occasionally using electronic medical records in their practices.
Complete Seattlepi article available at:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/223597_docs10.html
HL7
Receives ANSI Approval of Three Version 3 Specifications Including
CDA, Release 2
May
5, 2005
Health
Level Seven (HL7) announced that it has received approval from the
American National Standards Institute for three of its Version 3
specifications including Clinical Document Architecture, Release
2, Individual Case Safety Report, Release 1, and Accounting and
Billing, Release 1. HL7 Version 3 enables the exchange of complex
healthcare information across multiple organizations. It
encompasses dozens of specifications all based on the HL7
Reference Information Model, which defines and relates all data
that exist for HL7. Complete HL7 press release available at:
http://www.hl7.org/
Next
Step Toward Digitized Health Records
May
9, 2005
Now,
a for-profit company affiliated with the American Medical
Association is offering up a near-term step toward wiring up at
least some of the nation's archaic paper medical system. Medem
Inc., today unveiled an Internet-based "personal health
record" that patients can use to organize their family's
medical histories, much as they might electronically manage
financial records or bank accounts. Complete Wall Street Journal
article available only with paid subscription at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111
559580025227759,00.html
Texas
Physicians Leading the Way to Offer iHealthRecord to Patients
May
10, 2005
Medem
announced yesterday that the secure, interactive iHealthRecord is
available free to all Americans from affiliated physicians and
directly from the company's Web site. The iHealthRecord securely
stores personal health data for immediate access by physicians or
emergency departments. Complete Medem press release available at:
http://www.medem.com/press/press_medeminthenews
_detail.cfm?ExtranetPressNewsKey=187
More
Doctors in Line for Prescription-Writing Devices
May
5, 2005
To
fight fraud and drug abuse, state legislators are poised to give
at least 1,000 more doctors access to hand-held
prescription-writing machines. The devices, already in the hands
of 2,000 physicians who care for Medicaid patients, would reach
more physicians and medical assistants statewide under budget
requests legislators are set to approve Friday. Complete Orlando
Sentinel article available at: http://www.orlandosentinel.com…
Hospital
e-mail Filter Can Weed Out Drug Spam
April
29, 2005
Hammersomith
Hospitals NHS trust has installed a spam e-mail filter which the
manufacturers say is sophisticated enough to tell genuine medical
e-mails from pharmaceutical spam. The Messaging Security Gateway
MLX system, supplied by Proofpoint, examines the structure of the
content of all e-mails that arrive on the hospital trust's
servers, and flags them as spam if necessary. Around 100 spams are
caught every hour, according to the company. Complete e-Health
Insider article available at:
http://www.e-health-insider.com/news/item.cfm?ID=1176
Coalition
Reaches Consensus on "Starter Set" of Ambulatory
Performance Measures
May
5, 2005
In
a major step toward improving the quality of the US health care
system, the Ambulatory care Quality Alliance (AQA), led in part by
ACP, has selected a "starter set" of 26 clinical
performance measures for the ambulatory care setting. More
information, including a summary of efforts, and the final set of
starter measures can be found on the MSIC site (with passwords
only) at: http://www.acponline.org/msic/
Surgery
Tracking System at Christ Mirrors Airport
April
29, 2005
A
new computer system allows Christ Hospital to track surgical
patients from the moment they enter the lobby. Complete Business
Courier of Cincinnati available at:
http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/
stories/2005/05/02/story7.html
Telemedicine
Helps Day Care Diagnoses
May
4, 2005
A
federally backed project offering ''virtual doctor'' visits at
seven child-care centers in this city of (Rochester, NY) 220,000
has proven so successful since 2001 that it is being expanded this
spring and summer to five more centers and 10 public schools
throughout the city and suburbs. Complete AP/NY Times article
available at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Day-care-Telemedicine.html?
Blogging
from Your Sickbed
May
4, 2005
AMIA
Chairman, Charles Safran offers personal experiences with a recent
new Blog he started in Wall Street Journal article available at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111516490949023959-email,00.html
Report
Sets Course for Transcription Services
May
4, 2005
iHealthBeat
reports on a recent report on the future of the medical
transcription industry by the American Health Information
Management Association and the American Association for Medical
Transcription. Complete article available at:
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/index.cfm?Action=
dspItem&itemid=110875
BlueCross
Wants Patient Files Online for TennCare Docs
May
4, 2005
BlueCross
BlueShield of Tennessee wants to put TennCare enrollees' medical
records online as part of a plan to reduce costs and fraud, and
improve care under the state's troubled health plan for people
without insurance. The program would put the files on a secure Web
site so doctors in different offices — or even in different
cities — could see a patient's medical chart and avoid
duplication or prescribing drugs and tests that may be harmful.
Complete The Tennessean article available at:
http://www.tennessean.com…
Americans
Want Personal Health Records
May
3, 2005
The
UK publication e-Health Insider looks at a recent survey conducted
by Connecting for Health on personal health record demand in the
US. Complete article available at:
http://www.ehiprimarycare.com/news/item.cfm?ID=1180
Win-win
Program for Docs, Patients
April
25, 2005
Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Michigan plans to expand a program designed
to improve the way doctors care for patients -- and lower costs at
the same time. The state's largest private health insurer paid $1
million in bonuses this month to doctors who encouraged patients
to use less-expensive prescription drugs and improved care for
diabetes, heart and asthma patients. So far, 10 physician groups
representing about 2,400 doctors are enrolled in the program. Blue
Cross expects 12 to 14 physician groups representing about 2,900
doctors to participate in the program by the end of the year.
Complete Detroit Free Press article available at:
http://www.freep.com/money/business/blues25e_
20050425.htm
Bringing
the Internet to the Whole World
April
29, 2005
AMD,
known mostly as a computer chip maker perennially in the shadow of
giant Intel Corp., recently unveiled a pared-down personal
computer that costs roughly $200 in an ambitious drive to get
computers with Internet access into the hands of 50 percent of the
world's population by 2015. Complete Washington Post article
available at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/28/AR2005042801673.html
The
No-computer Virus / IT in the Health-care industry
April
28, 2005
The
inability, and reluctance, of doctors and hospitals to use
information technology more widely is killing thousands of people.
Complete Economist article only available with paid subscription
at: http://www.economist.com…
An Rx
for Reducing Medication Errors
May
1, 2005
Seeking
to improve patient safety, providers are automating the medication
administration process—despite some significant challenges.
Complete Health Data Management article available at:
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/html/
current/CurrentIssueStory.cfm?PostID=19486
Safety
Innovators Put IT on the Line
May
1, 2005
Some
provider organizations are facing medical errors head-on and are
using technology to try to bring them under control. Complete
Health Data Management article available at:
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/html/current/
CurrentIssueStory.cfm?PostID=19493
Systems
Integration: The Electronic Records Linchpin
May
1, 2005
Health
Data Management May Cover Story discusses clinical information
systems are the building blocks of an electronic medical record.
However, without systems integration, CIOs are hard-pressed to
offer caregivers a true electronic record. Complete article
available at:
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/html/current/
CurrentIssueStory.cfm?PostID=19485
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