The National Quality Forum has endorsed 14 infectious disease quality measures and an additional pulmonary quality measure.

Boston Children’s Hospital has partnered with Life Technologies to launch Claritas Genomics, a new company formed to develop genetic and genomics-based diagnostic testing technologies.

HIMSS Analytics has recognized Florida Hospital North Pinellas, an Adventist Health System facility in Tarpon Spring, Fla., with its Stage 7 Award. The award represents attainment of the highest level on the EMR Adoption Model (EMRAM), which is used to track EMR progress at hospitals and health systems.

For physicians to practice evidence-based medicine, decision-making must be based on the best available data that are frequently, consistently and systematically identified and displayed. Traditionally, providing that type of information to physicians at the point of care has been challenging; however, new tools, which allow for interoperability and flexibility, provide a practical solution.

The National Quality Forum has endorsed 12 patient safety measures focused on complications, including falls, pressure ulcers, infections and other quality concerns.

Predictive analytics will, for the first time, help the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services meet its goal to prevent fraud via its Fraud Prevention System (FPS), but the program suffers from inconsistent data and flawed methodology that make it impossible to track inaccuracies, according to the Office of the Inspector General, under the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

The advantages of EHRs also can become their biggest liability. According to a review by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, mistakes and near misses involving EHRs were similar to those made with paper-based records except that EHRs tend to cause those mistakes to grow and affect more people.

Ohio, Kentucky and Maine were recognized during the Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT's (ONC) annual meeting on Dec. 12 as the states using health IT in ways that will make a meaningful difference in healthcare for patients.