The use of acute dialysis after surgery increased three-fold between 1995 and 2009 and occurred primarily after cardiac and vascular surgery, according to a study published June 25 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Almost half of those who received acute dialysis died within 90 days after surgery.

While physicians can mend patients and help their conditions improve, they cannot guarantee that patients will take their pills after hospital discharge. However, a perspective published online June 20 in the New England Journal of Medicine outlined a strategy that may help remedy the notion of medication nonadherenceautomated hovering.

Once again, this weeks health IT-related news runs the gamut of pertinent topics. It never ceases to amaze me the sheer volume of activity in this arena. Studies proving reduced utilization and improved clinical outcomes and reports predicting significant growth in various health IT-related market come fast and furious. State and federal government agencies are impressively busy with pilot programs, new frameworks, new positions and much more.

Carestream Health showcased works-in-progress lesion management 3D tools on its Carestream Vue PACS workstation June 18 at the International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT (ISCT) in San Francisco.

Interoperability is the driving force behind many initiatives on the health IT landscape with the latest meaningful use objectives leading the way. Stage 2 will force interoperability via health information exchange (HIE) if the notice of proposed rulemaking passes as is.

A total of $662 million in incentives were paid in total for both the Physician Quality Reporting and e-Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Programs, according to a conference call hosted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) June 19. The amount represents a 72 percent increase over 2009.

While a large number of California physicians have an EHR system, results from a survey prepared for the California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF) found that of the 71 percent of physicians surveyed that have an EHR, only 30 percent have them configured to meet all 12 of the meaningful use objectives measured in the study.

According to survey results of 34 community hospitals, each with more than five years of experience with computerized physician order entry (CPOE), the national policies to promote clinical decision support (CDS) use may be successful