Blumenthal and HITECH in the NEJM

If you get the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), you may have seen David Blumenthal's article about Health IT (or HITECH) in the April 9, 2009 edition. It's a Perspective titled, "Simulating the Adoption of Health Information Technology." If you have any interest in health IT, then you should read this article. It's a short article - just a few pages long.

Research on free EHR and EMR

I've decided to embark on a new project this year. I plan to do some more extensive research on the topic of free EMR and EHR solutions. I realize that many people use EMR and EHR synonymously while others make clear distinctions between the two. I'd like to keep things simple so I'll probably just use the broader term EHR and cover practice management solutions and other products that are out there.

So what would the polls show regarding the "best" free EHR?

To start, it would have to be CCHIT certified. Next, I would want to know if there are any free solutions that are recommended by HIMSS (I am not aware of any at this time, but that could just be a reflection of my ignorance).

I've heard many opinions on this topic and so I welcome your comments. As I do my research, I hope to post some short snippets of information as I come across pearls and nuggets of relevant information.

Microsoft Tag

Microsoft Tag is quite impressive. Since most devices now come with built-in cameras, why not use them as a quick scanner?

I can see Microsoft Tag getting incorporated in the healthcare sector very quickly. Think about how quick and easy it would be to scan charts, wrist tags, drugs, etc. All this would be done with a single device (or with devices that are all integrated into the same system).

Have you tried Microsoft Tag? Oh, you'll need a Windows Mobile device. You can create your own tag and post it online.

Intel Webinar on Mobile Health Technology

If you're interested in learning more about mobile health technology, then take a look at this free Intel Webinar.

Managing Change: How to Overcome Obstacles and Encourage Mobile Technology Adoption

Can you make the case for healthcare IT to your staff and clinicians?

This complimentary, one-hour webinar shows you how to create a change-management process, one that succinctly outlines the benefits of adopting mobile point-of-care solutions including:

• More safeguards to prevent life-threatening errors
• Faster decisions in caring for patients based on the latest changes in their condition
• More time for nurses to spend at a patient’s bedside and less pushing paper
• More efficient care, which means less waste and less cost

Mobile point-of-care technologies contribute to efficiency and patient safety, but moving staff and clinicians into this new world can be a battle. At this event you'll hear Ohio Health, SunStone Consulting, and St. John’s Hospital tell their own adoption stories. You'll also get a chance to submit questions and join the conversation.

A recent national survey reveals that adoption of new technologies by clinicians is the biggest challenge when launching mobile point-of-care solutions (63 percent).

Improved Clinical Outcomes through Informatics

The current issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine has some really interesting articles for those of you interested in health informatics. The main study is a multi-hospital study that evaluates the use of health IT resources and actual patient outcomes. Here's the bottom line: "Hospitals with automated notes and records, order entry, and clinical decision support had fewer complications, lower mortality rates, and lower costs."

David Bates, MD, MSc, also writes a nice editorial on the effects of health information technology on inpatient care.

Does your hospital use an electronic health record (EHR) system? HIT is expensive, but it's worth the investment when you see the type of impact it makes on patient care and clinical outcomes.

Happy New Year! Welcome 2009

As we start 2009, I'd like to wish all our readers a Happy New Year! I personally think 2009 will bring some significant advances in healthcare technology. This will be seen in hardware - ranging from personal computers, handheld devices/PDA/smart phones, medical instruments and devices, and many others. We will also see a stronger shift into healthcare/public health IT as more hospitals and physicians embrace EHR/EMR systems and rely more on computers to improve patient health.

The future of free EHR solutions

Will the future of EMR and EHR be open source and/or free advertisement-supported platforms? Marketing and advertising are so important to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, so there shouldn't be any problem funding EHR solutions that are ad-based. Will that be the future model for success?

So many physicians are unable to afford paying for standard EHR solutions. They can't afford the software + hardware + support that is needed to effectively run EHR in their practice. However, if the software cost = $0, then uptake could rise tremendously. Furtheremore, if support could also be FREE, then we'd have a winning solution.

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) is using the term EHR over EMR, so I think that will become standard terminology. Free or open source EHR solutions should be CCHIT certified if they want to be competitive.

MIT-developed software helps protect patient privacy

An MIT team has developed a free and open-source software package to allow researchers to accurately de-identify text in medical records in a HIPAA-compliant manner. Gari D. Clifford, a principal research scientist in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST) led the work with Principal Investigator Roger G. Mark, a professor in HST and MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Practice Fusion: Free EMR

There are more and more free EMR/EHR (Electronic Medical or Health Record) systems that are appearing all the time. This one is called Practice Fusion and was recently featured in MDNG, ZDNet, and CNET. Impressive!

It is a web-based EMR system that is free as long as you don't mind seeing some advertisements. If you want the ad-free version, then it costs $100 per month.

Is the free EMR/EHR movement going to dominate this industry? Open source? Freeware? Ad-ware?

Maybe I missed it, but is Practice Fusion a CCHIT certified ambulatory EHR?
Update: I was told by Ryan Howard, the CEO of Practice Fusion, that they will be CCHIT certified at the end of the year. Great news!

Healthcare IT

So much is happening in the world of healthcare IT. Companies are developing algorithms that employ predictive modeling concepts. The health risk assessment (HRA) is incorporating information from labs, health claims, and other objective data. Personal health records (PHRs) are becoming more elaborate and available through popular portals like Google. And electronic medical record (EMR or EHR) systems are adopting standards so they can communicate with payors and consumers electronically. Wow! What an exciting time to jump into the industry of healthcare IT and public health IT. From a population health perspective, the future of healthcare is fully dependent on advances in healthcare IT.

AMDIS - Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems

Since its founding in 1997, the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems is the premier professional organization for physicians interested in and responsible for healthcare information technology. If you have any interest in this industry, I encourage you to join this association and get connected. Attend the AMDIS/HIMSS Physician Program. Network with CMIOs, CMOs, CTOs, and CIOs.

Looking for a career change? Take a look at some of the current positions that are available that are listed here:

http://www.amdis.org/opportunity.htm

HealthBlog - by Bill Crounse, MD

Bill Crounse, MD Senior Director, Worldwide Health Microsoft Corporation, has a personal blog. I find it very exciting to see a major company like Microsoft getting involved in the healthcare industry.When I speak with most clinicians, they think that Microsoft only offers Windows operating systems and Office applications. They are unfamiliar with Microsoft "Heathcare and Life Sciences." They often ask me, "does Microsoft have an EMR or EHR solution?" They have no idea that Microsoft is involved in worldwide health initiatives. When I tell people that Microsoft has a Worldwide Health Senior Director, they look at me puzzled.

Unless you have an interest in healthcare technology and world health, you may not realize what is going on in the healthcare industry.

Microsoft can have a tremendous impact on the global healthcare industry if they plan properly and leverage proper resources. Everyone uses a Windows-based PC, most people use the Office suite. A Microsoft-based EMR/EHR solution would easily dominate the industry.

Read about Bill Crounse, MD

Here is his healthcare blog:

http://blogs.msdn.com/healthblog

Advancing technology

A few years ago, few people would have imagined fitting over 10 gigabytes (GB) of space on a tiny piece of plastic the size of a micro SD card. Microchip technology is advancing very quickly. How will this impact medical technology in 5 or even 10 years? What will our computers be capable of? How will clinicians utilize and leverage such equipment to improve patient care?

Healthcare IT is a huge focus these days for many stakeholders. Faster processors, more memory, and improved battery life are some of the factors revolutionizing computer hardware development. Mobile devices are getting faster, smaller, and smarter.

Can clinicians keep up with these advances? Are we fully leveraging technology? Or are we so behind that we're still using slow computers, obsolete software, and reducing our productivity?