Online Disease Management System Supports Improvement of Patients with Diabetes

Diabetes patients that were provided with a Web-based intervention that supported case management and dietary counseling were more likely to improve blood sugar levels over time, suggests a study supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. “Online disease management of diabetes: Engaging and Motivating Patients Online With Enhanced Resources-Diabetes (EMPOWER-D), a randomized controlled trial” appeared in the November edition of the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. 

A group of 415 patients participated in the study; when compared with the control group that received standard diabetes management from a primary care provider, patients that were provided with online support from a nurse-led multidisciplinary team achieved greater improvement in their A1C levels.

To access the abstract select: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23171659.

Docs must adopt health IT more quickly

In part one of this exclusive interview, Topol talked about the importance of using digital tools, and gave his take on the progress of genome sequencing. Here, he discusses the future of hospitals, social media and accountability in healthcare.

Eric Topol: Medical technology revolution needs validation to move forward

Thanks to advances in remote monitoring, hospital of the future will only provide intensive care, he says

This is the second in a two-part interview with cardiologist Eric Topol (pictured), a professor of genomics at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego and author of "The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care." Topol is slated to give the Tuesday, March 5 keynote address at HIMSS13 in New Orleans.  Read more: 

Low-Income Patients Interested in Digital Health Communication

A study by University of California-San Francisco researchers finds that many lower-income patients would like to communicate electronically with their health care providers. However, the safety-net clinics where many lower-income patients receive care often lack the patient portals and secure messaging tools necessary to support such communication. Medical News Today, KPCC's "OnCentral."

What informatics is and isn't

The term informatics is currently enveloped in chaos. One way to clarify the meaning of informatics is to identify the competencies associated with training in the field..... More

Computerized Provider Order Entry Reduces Medication Errors in Hospitals

Processing a prescription through an electronic ordering system can reduce the likelihood of a drug error by half and potentially avoid more than 17 million such incidents in U.S. hospitals in one year alone, according to a new study supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The authors evaluated published evidence on the impact of computerized provider order entry (CPOE) on hospital drug errors and combined this information with data on the adoption of CPOE and the volume of medication orders processed annually. The results estimated the reduction in drug errors for one year, finding that widespread adoption of CPOE could substantially reduce drug errors. 

“Reduction in medication errors in hospitals due to adoption of computerized provider order entry systems” appears online in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.

To access the abstract, select: http://jamia.bmj.com/content/early/2013/01/27/amiajnl-2012-001241.full.

Effectiveness of PhysioDirect telephone assessment and advice services for patients with musculoskeletal problems: pragmatic randomised controlled trial. BMJ

PhysioDirect services invited patients to telephone a physiotherapist for initial assessment and advice, followed by face-to-face physiotherapy if necessary. Usual care involved patients joining a waiting list for face-to-face treatment.

Physiotherapy as a field is making remarkable effort to develop evidence for practice, with well-designed studies, alone and in combination with other modes of therapy as often applies in real-world clinical practice. This is a particularly well-written original research report of a well-designed study. Click here for more

Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2013

Patient care research firm ECRI Institute recently published its sixth annual list of the Top 10 health care technology hazards, including several related to information technology. The comprehensive report explains the hazards and gives multiple recommendations for each, as well as links to additional resources. More

Walmart, Sam's Club To Deploy 2,500 Self-Service Health Kiosks

Next month, Walmart and Sam's Club are scheduled to debut 2,500 self-service kiosks that provide a variety of no-cost health care screenings and advise consumers on several health topics. However, some consumer advocates warn that the devices could pose significant privacy risks. Kaiser Health News. More

Health IT Could Help Reduce Disparities in Care

A report released at a White House summit today states that health IT could help reduce disparities in care among ethnic and racial minorities. According to the report, health IT systems could help facilitate the collection and analysis of demographic data, and electronic enrollment portals could help improve participation in public health programs. Healthcare IT News, Consumers Union release. More

Cybercitizen Health US survey

For its Cybercitizen Health US survey the research firm polled almost 9,000 US adults via landlines, mobiles, and the internet during the third quarter. “Growing ownership of connected devices and the access to digital health tools and information they provide is helping to drive the broader shift from intermittent to continuous care,” Monique Levy, Vice President of Research at Manhattan Research, stated. “This trend shows vast potential for changing key dynamics of healthcare delivery, including patient engagement, provider involvement, and how preventive care is incentivized.” More on the survey over at Manhattan’s website here.

iPad-equipped medical school class scores 23 percent higher on exams

104 medical students in the class of 2014 received an iPad from the school when they started in 2010. Now the evidence is starting to come in that tablets as an educational tool really make a difference in the medical setting. UC Irvine reported this week that the first class to receive the iPads scored an average of 23 percent higher on national exams than previous classes, even though their incoming GPA and MCAT scores were comparable. Read more

eHealth Initiative Offers Guide on How Health IT Can Aid in Cancer Care

The eHealth Initiative has published an overview of 76 health IT tools that are available to help cancer patients, their families and caregivers. The tools focus on decisionmaking, education, lifestyle management and other areas. Health Data Management, Healthcare IT News. 
The guide lists 76 different health IT tools -- such as mobile applications, websites and social networks -- and organizes them into five categories:

• Decisionmaking;
• Education;
• Lifestyle management;
• Social support; and
• Treatment management (Health Data Management, 2/12).

Health IT Can Facilitate Patient-Centered Care

A report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality finds that health IT can help promote patient-centered care in ambulatory settings. The report is based on findings from 16 projects that looked at how health IT could improve patient-doctor communication, shared decisionmaking and other elements of patient-centered care. Clinical Innovation & Technology, FierceHealthIT.

Spanish-language Consumer Summaries

To view all Spanish-language consumer summaries, please visit: http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/research-summaries-for-consumers-clinicians-and-policymakers/informacion-en-espanol/?ECem=130208. 

Resumen para el consumidor en español 

Las guías sumarias son resúmenes cortos, completos de las revisiones de investigación. Para consequir notificado cuando una nueva guía sumaria está disponible, subscriben a nuestra lista del correo electrónico.

Problems With Health IT Can Threaten Patient Safety

A report by the ECRI Institute Patient Safety Organization identified health IT-related problems that can jeopardize patient safety. Such issues include inadequate transfer of data and systems not functioning as intended. FierceHealthIT, Healthcare IT News.

New EHR Format for Pediatric Care

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and CMS have released a new electronic health record format to help health IT developers create EHR modules that are tailored to children's health needs. The new EHR format recommends several types of data elements and functionalities, such as growth data plotting and immunization decision support tools. Health Data Management et al.

Minimal barriers, patience necessary for successful telehealth adoption

A new brief states that the successful adoption of telehealth technology requires reducing barriers to patient participation. The brief includes case studies of three organizations that have implemented telehealth projects successfully. FierceHealthIT, Commonwealth Fund brief. 

Commonwealth Fund brief analyzes successful case studies from the VHA, Partners HealthCare, Centura Health at Home Read More