Healthcare Informatics

According to a recent survey of U.S. physicians, 61 percent intend to own an iPhone by the end of 2011. This is up from 39 percent at the beginning of the year and compares with the iPhone’s 24.7 percent adoption among general U.S. smartphone users. Aptilon Corporation, a leader in online access to and interaction with HCPs on behalf of pharmaceutical sales and marketing programs, used its ReachNet Physician Access Channel to recruit HCP participation in a survey on mobile technology and convenience options for HCPs. ReachNet provides access to over 450,000 HCPs through multiple channels, including the Internet, email and through mobile and tablet devices. Between February 7 and February 16, 2011, 341 HCPs from throughout the U.S. participated in the survey. The research found that by the end of 2011, 84 percent of U.S. physicians will be using a smartphone; corresponding with Manhattan Research’s forecast of 82 percent smartphone adoption during this same time period. Segmenting s...

With all the efforts underway with EHR, it’s only natural that some efforts will have problems, and those leading the efforts may be replaced. If you’re the new EHR lead, how do you know what to do tomorrow? You walk in to your new office; a withered Ficus tree is leaning awkwardly against the far wall, vestiges of a spider’s web dangle from a dead leaf. You place your yellowed coffee mug on the worn desk, change out of your sneakers, and after rubbing your feet, slip on a pair of black Bruno Magli pumps. The feel of the supple leather relaxes you. You spot the three envelopes that are stacked neatly on the credenza. A hand-written note on Crane stationary reads, “If there is an emergency, open the first envelope”. You place the three envelops in your YSL attaché case, and go about trying to salvage the EHR implementation. Three weeks pass. Things are not going well. You are summoned to meet with the hospital’s COO. After checking your makeup, you retrieve the first enve...

We’ve seen Apple show off medical applications for the iPad in keynotes and commercials, and now we have some news about implementation into large public health facilities. CBC News is reporting that the Ottawa Hospital in Canada recently ordered 1,800 iPads in addition to the 500 that are already being used by health-care providers. The iPads will replace traditional paper medical charts. Staff at the hospital are saying that the shift to iPad usage instead of paper charts is putting the Ottawa Hospital at the forefront of all hospitals in North America. Doctors will be able to examine and show X-rays, make notes and prescribe treatments all with the iPad. Dr. Glen Geiger told CBC News that he could be at a patient’s bedside with an iPad and be able to talk about results directly, thus eliminating lots of extra time and paperwork. All patient information can be carried on iPads as well. Information such as medical histories, injury reports and allergies. Geiger also expressed some...

link to an event i was involved in late last year http://www.ccam.com.my/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/23/ccam-national-industry-conference-exhibition-2010/CCAM-Brochure.pdf

**This is an interesting article that I found** While many doctors shy away from use of the Internet because of concern over HIPAA penalties, one company is advising the physician community to not become victim to HIPAA hand-wringing and fall out of sync with their colleagues who have learned how to responsibly utilize today's most valuable online visibility tools. Avvo, the world's largest online directory for doctors and lawyers that provides free rankings for 90 percent of the working physicians in the U.S., offers five tips for physicians who are hesitant, because of perceived HIPAA restrictions, to embrace online and social media marketing. The company, which was founded to service the legal sector, is no stranger to the impact of regulatory issues on the healthcare industry. Avvo is now striving to help doctors, who may be missing valuable networking opportunities because of unnecessary HIPAA fears, to adopt widely accepted, HIPAA-compliant practices for tapping the...

The U.S. e-prescription market is set to reach $204.6 million, according to a new report by market research firm Global Industry Analysts (GIA). The research report titled "E-Prescription Systems: A US & European Market Report" announced by Global Industry Analysts Inc., provides a comprehensive review of the e-prescription systems markets, current market trends, key growth drivers, recent product launches, recent industry activity, and profiles of major/niche market participants. It provides annual sales estimates and projections for e-prescription systems market for the years 2009 through 2017 for the following geographic markets - US and Europe. Key segments analyzed include integrated e-prescription systems, and stand-alone e-prescription systems. The report also analyzes the adoption of e-prescription systems by hospital practice and general practice. Also, a six-year (2003-2008) historic analysis is provided for additional perspective. Major players profiled in the ...

The introduction of a medical check list for the iPhone could be a benefit to providers as mobile technology is quickly being integrated into the care process. Peter Waegemann, vice president of development for the mHealth Initiative, Inc. says so many health professionals have started using smartphones to help administer better care that some say they "don’t know how colleagues manage without them." Official statistics aren't published, "but anecdotal reports confirm that many doctors are using the iPhone at the point of care,” says Waegemann. "There are several hospitals where all doctors are using the iPhone." The iPhone currently has more than 1,000 medical apps aimed at both patients and physicians to better manage health and care. Applications like Safe OR, designed by QxMD, is a mobile checklist designed to increase survival rates during surgery. The application provides a series of checklists to be completed before beginning a surgical procedure. Th...

The vast majority of CIOs responding to the survey conducted in mid-March by the College of Health Information Management Executives (CHIME) expect their organizations will achieve meaningful use of electronic health records within Stage 1 and get funding under the HITECH portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). A total of 32.5 percent of the 200 CIOs who responded to the survey say they expect to qualify for stimulus funding by September 30, 2011, which marks the first full year of the federal program. An additional 58 percent of CIOs reported that they expect their organizations will qualify during Stage 1, but possibly not until late in federal fiscal years 2012 or 2013. The total of 90 percent who say their organizations will qualify for stimulus funding in federal fiscal years 2011 to 2013, the first years of the stimulus-funding program, has remained fairly consistent with CHIME’s previous two surveys, conducted in August and November of 2010. Adjusting expec...

At a time when patient-centered healthcare seems all the rage, a survey of top healthcare leaders around the world indicates they’re most concerned with implementing technology that allows doctors to communicate with each other. Cisco’s Internet Business Solutions Group received responses from 96 leaders in 16 countries for its Global Health Leaders Survey. The results were released Wednesday in Washington, D.C., as part of the World Health Congress keynote presentation and a panel discussion titled Ministerial Forum on Global Health Innovation: A Perspective on National Health Opportunities. According to Frances Dare and Kaveh Safavi, director and vice president, respectively, of Cisco’s IBSG Global Healthcare Practice, the survey’s results indicate healthcare leaders view collaboration – rather than cost or access – as the driving force in healthcare delivery. Both said the use of telehealth to develop care teams – doctors collaborating with each other in real time on a patient’s car...

AUSTRALIA'S first and only global health IT player was bought by services giant CSC overnight, in a move that will protect iSoft's intellectual resources and contract revenue. US-based CSC will acquire all outstanding equity of iSoft Group for 17 cents a share in cash, under a court approved scheme of arrangement. The value of the offer has not been confirmed, but may be well below the expected $300 million. The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approvals in several countries, should be completed in 2012. CSC said the acquisition would "complement and strengthen" its healthcare integration and services portfolio. ISoft, listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, has been under a trading halt and voluntary suspension for more than one week now. The British health IT media had been speculating on its buyout by its long-standing National Health Services contract partner to expand CSC's market share and safeguard the assets in iSoft's web-based platform, L...