2010 Healthcare Mobile Technology Symposium

There's another event coming up later this month: 2010 Healthcare Mobile Technology Symposium in San Antonio, Texas. This event is for healthcare providers interested in discovering new solutions for mobile technology in their industry. It looks like they're going to have some great speakers at this event.

The Healthcare Symposium is an invitation-only event.

HIMSS Launches Quality 101 Website

HIMSS Launches Quality 101 Website

Quality healthcare relies on health information technology as a tool that can be leveraged to improve healthcare delivery and lead to operational, clinical and financial efficiencies

CHICAGO (September 1, 2010) – With quality and quality reporting as an integral component of electronic health record incentives for Meaningful Use, HIMSS introduces an online resource – Quality 101 – designed as a primer on the basics and metrics of quality measurement and improvement.

The HIMSS Patient Safety & Quality Outcomes Committee developed this tool as a portal into the world of quality, quality measurement and improvement.  Introduced in phases each quarter, Phase 1 is a ‘primer’ to quality measures with Phase 2 focused on the Plan-D-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle approach to quality improvement and related quality components.

“Quality measurement and improvement activities have, until recently, been running on separate tracks and parallel tracks with the adoption of healthcare information technology.   With the passage of ARRA and the meaningful use requirements for incentive payment from CMS, we have the de facto merging of these two activities,” said Lou Diamond, M.B.Ch.B., F.A.C.P., F.C.P. (S.A.) Chair, HIMSS Patient Safety and Quality Outcomes Committee.  Dr. Diamond is also Vice President and Medical Director, Healthcare and Scientific, Thomson Reuters.  “The Quality 101 website will be attempting to bridge these two parallel worlds, by providing basic information and updates focused on quality measurement and improvement.”

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A collection of health IT stories

I love reading stories. There's a growing collection of health IT stories on the HHS website called, "Health IT Journey." These are real stories from real clinicians who have implemented EHR solutions in their offices/hospitals/practices. I'm sure that we'll be seeing a huge number of new stories as physicians adopt technology and implement EHRs so that they may qualify for the meaningful use incentives. Are you ready to start your Health IT journey?

Click here to read some of those Health IT Journey stories.

CCHIT will certify EHRs for the ONC

If you work in the world of health information technology, your world is full of acronyms. You're probably already familiar with all of these, but in case you aren't:

• The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT)
• Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
• Office of the National Coordinator (ONC)
• Office of the National Coordinator of these Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ONC-ATCBs)

It's no surprise that the government has chosen to work with the CCHIT to certify EHRs. CCHIT won't be the only organization. So far, the Drummond Group has also received approval from the ONC, but we're sure to see several other organizations approving EHRs for meaningful use (as outlined in the HITECH Act).

So, if you're waiting to select an EHR that's certified by the ONC, your wait is coming to an end! CCHIT has been in the business of certifying EHRs for many years and they'll be kicking things off with a Town Call on Sept 20.  Here's more information:

CCHIT Approved as ONC Authorized Testing and Certification Body

The Certification Commission has been recognized by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as an Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) under the initial certification program created to certify that electronic health records (EHRs) are capable of meeting the criteria to support meaningful use and qualify eligible providers and hospitals for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Town Call, September 20, on the Authorized HHS Certification program

CCHIT plans to launch its authorized HHS certification program on September 20 at 1:00 PM Eastern time with a Town Call Web-cast describing its application and testing process. CCHIT will take new health IT developer applications immediately after at http://cchit.org and the first group of HHS certified complete EHRs and EHR modules will be announced within weeks of that launch.

Medical students are open to learning using new media

American Medical News writes, "Med students open to learning via new media. However, their differing opinions about the games they would like to use and their effectiveness present obstacles."

The study defined new media as computer and video games, virtual-reality environments, social networks, websites, mobile devices, blogs and podcasts.

Do medical students even have time to play computer games? Perhaps if they all have an Apple iPad, they can squeeze 5 or 10 minutes to play a short little computer game. These games could be designed to be very educational. Wouldn't you love a little study break before your gross anatomy exam? Take your study break on the iPad and play a little anatomy game that will teach you the brachial plexus. Or, maybe you need to practice for the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) by going through a virtual simulation.

I believe that novel new media technologies will significantly impact the world of medical education, graduate medical education, and even continuing medical education.

Here are some of the links mentioned in the American Medical News article:

"Medical student attitudes toward video games and related new media technologies in medical education," BioMed Central, June 24 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20576125)

"Learning in a Virtual World: Experience With Using Second Life for Medical Education," Journal of Medical Internet Research, January (www.jmir.org/2010/1/e1)

National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration

I look forward to seeing you in Baltimore for the National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration.

21st Annual Conference 

Plan now to attend the 21st Annual Conference of the National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration, "Moving forward in an age of uncertainty; Creating innovative, practical educational solutions," to be held Oct. 13-15, 2010 in Baltimore! This conference will provide the opportunity to network and participate in dynamic sessions with leading industry experts.

Click here for more information.

2nd International mHealth Networking Conference

I'll be speaking at the 2nd International mHealth Networking Conference in San Diego on Sept 8-9. Right now, I'm tentatively scheduled for Thurs, Sept 9 at 10 am.  I hope you'll join me in San Diego for the meeting.

2nd International mHealth Networking Conference
September 8-9, 2010
Town & Country Resort Hotel
San Diego CA

Click here to view the preliminary program (subject to change)

Mayo Clinic launches Center for Social Media

The Mayo Clinic has launched the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media. Mayo Clinic was on TIME's 50 best websites of 2010.  The Mayo Clinic is all over Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Now, they're going to fully embrace the social media revolution through their Social Media Center.

So what's this Social Media Center all about?

The Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media exists to improve health globally by accelerating effective application of social media tools throughout Mayo Clinic and spurring broader and deeper engagement in social media by hospitals, medical professionals and patients.

Mayo Clinic’s Social Media Philosophy:

Mayo Clinic believes individuals have the right and responsibility to advocate for their own health, and that it is our responsibility to help them use social media tools to get the best information, connect with providers and with each other, and inspire healthy choices. We intend to lead the health care community in applying these revolutionary tools to spread knowledge and encourage collaboration among providers, improving health care quality everywhere.

Mission of the Center:

Lead the social media revolution in health care, contributing to health and well being for people everywhere.

Vision for the Center:

Mayo Clinic will be the authentic voice for patients and health care professionals, building relationships through the revolutionary power of social media.

You can learn more here: http://socialmedia.mayoclinic.org

Nursing as a second career?

This guest post is contributed by Maryanne Osberg.

It’s official – our country needs more people to join the nursing community. We already have a shortage of nursing staff, and with the rise in the aging population, there is an increasing need for more people in the primary care sector. So if you’re considering becoming a nurse, now is the best possible time. You’re assured of a job on graduation, you have options to climb up the career ladder and become a nurse practitioner (some nurse practitioners are the only doctors that people in rural and underserved areas know and trust – they’re allowed to treat patients and prescribe medication like primary care doctors would), and your pay packet is not too shabby.

However, before you go down the nursing route, you must be sure that you are suited to a career in this field. Most people know that it is demanding and that the hours are long, but they choose to become nurses because they love the nature of the work or because it is a stepping stone to something bigger. Nursing is a great career choice if you want to work in the field of medicine but do not want the responsibility that goes hand in hand with being a doctor, cannot afford the exorbitant fees that med schools charge, and don’t have the time (the many years) to go through med school before you’re a full-fledged doctor or specialist.

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Online health insurance finder tool

HeathCare.gov now offers an insurance finder tool that can help you get coverage. You can explore your coverage options and search your state for the best health plan that will suit your needs.

Find out which private insurance plans, public programs and community services are available to you. To access this insurance finder tool, visit: http://finder.healthcare.gov/

This tool will help you find the health insurance best suited to your needs, whether it's private insurance for individuals, families, and small businesses, or public programs that may work for you. It was created to help consumers under the health insurance reform law, the Affordable Care Act.

Under the new law, people who have been denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition and who have been uninsured for at least six months may qualify to buy insurance. Learn more about the plan.