EMR/EHR

Electronic medical records (EMR) are a digital version of a patient’s chart that store their personal information, medical history and links to prior exams, texts and reports. The goal of these systems is to enable immediate access to the patient's data electronically, rather than needing to request paper file folders that might be stored in fragment files at numerous locations where a patient is seen or treated. EMRs (also called electronic health records, or EHR) improve clinician and health system efficiency by making all this data immediately available. This helps reduce repeat tests, repeat prescriptions and repeat imaging exams because reports, imaging or other patient data is not not immediately available. 

Thumbnail

A wish list for improving clinical documentation

“We want to do more than just adjust to a suboptimum system,” said Gordon D. Schiff, MD, associate director of the Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

AMA, CHIME support new bill to extend MU timeframe

A new bill from the House of Representatives would prevent the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from writing the Meaningful Use Stage 3 rules until at least 2017. 

Thumbnail

Big win for Cerner

The big news in health IT this week was the announcement that Cerner won the Defense Healthcare Management Systems Modernization (DHMSM) contract along with partners Leidos and Accenture.

Thumbnail

Cerner wins the DoD EHR modernization contract

At long last, the winning vendors for the Defense Healthcare Management Systems Modernization (DHMSM) procurement effort have been named and they are Cerner, Leidos and Accenture. The group surprisingly beat out bids headed up by Allscripts and Epic.  

Thumbnail

Senate HELP Committee ready to pause MU

To the great relief of many who have called for a pause on the federal Meaningful Use program, the Senate Health Education Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee announced today it will ask the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to delay Stage 3.  

Pulse Complete EHR is Ready for ICD-10

Pulse Systems, Inc., an industry-leading provider of Electronic Health Record (EHR), Practice Management, e-prescribing, Billing and Collections, and other Revenue Cycle Management solutions, recently updated its Complete EHR as part of its comprehensive plan to prepare for the transition to ICD-10 on Oct. 1, 2015.

Thumbnail

AMA urges physicians to 'Break the Red Tape'

The American Medical Association held a town hall meeting that aimed to gather physician feedback on why the Meaningful Use program should be postponed. 

ONC offers plan for HIT safety center

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has put forth a plan for developing a national Health IT Safety Center--a plan that defines the center’s focus, functions, governance and value. 

Around the web

Compensation for heart specialists continues to climb. What does this say about cardiology as a whole? Could private equity's rising influence bring about change? We spoke to MedAxiom CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, a veteran cardiologist himself, to learn more.

The American College of Cardiology has shared its perspective on new CMS payment policies, highlighting revenue concerns while providing key details for cardiologists and other cardiology professionals. 

As debate simmers over how best to regulate AI, experts continue to offer guidance on where to start, how to proceed and what to emphasize. A new resource models its recommendations on what its authors call the “SETO Loop.”