Positive Reviews for Redesigned Health Games Research Database

Upgraded Database Offers Powerful New Ways to Search for Health Games, Publications, Organizations, and Other Resources
Health Games Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pioneer Portfolio, released an update to the largest publicly available database in the field to make it easier to find related health games, research publications, organizations, and events with a simple search.
From parents and caregivers who find games to help their loved ones manage their illnesses, to researchers who find collaborators focused on their line of study, the database meets a variety of needs across the health games field—needs that will only increase as the field continues to grow.  RWJF

ONC Unveils Standards Framework for Clinical Decision Support Tools

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has announced the launch of a new standards and interoperability framework -- called Health eDecisions -- aimed at building consensus on standards for clinical decision support systems, CMIO reports (Byers, CMIO, 6/11).

AHRQ Spanish Language Advice Column

The AHRQ has Spanish language health advice column from Dr. Ponce-Gonzalez: ¿Tiene la presión alta?

Leadership Lessons for IT Pros in Today`s 'Hyper-Connected' World

eWeek: Are you a collaborative leader? A Harvard Business Review report asks this question, in hopes of helping IT professionals, CIOs and the like succeed in a world that's become "hyper-connected."  eWEEK looks at the 10 key takeaways from the report to help managers, IT professionals and their staffs make their way down a new road to opportunity, productivity and success.  READ MORE...

Developing Countries Quick To Adopt Mobile Health, Report Finds/Consumers Clamor for mHealth Adoption While Healthcare Industry Hesitates

A report finds that mobile health adoption is moving at a faster pace in developing nations than in developed nations. Researchers say regulatory barriers could be hindering mobile health adoption in developed countries. Healthcare Finance News, Becker's Hospital Review.More

Incorporating Patients Meaningfully

RWJF's Project HealthDesign Provides Input on Incorporation of Patient-Generated Data into Stage 3 Meaningful Use Criteria
Patient-generated data should be integrated into electronic health records to better inform clinical treatment and decision-making, according to Patricia Flatley Brennan, PhD, RN, national program director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Pioneer Portfolio’s Project HealthDesign.
—data from patients such as sleep habits, pain levels, diet, and exercise patterns—have been shown to provide meaningful clinical insights, based on the experiences of Project HealthDesign grantees who have worked with hundreds of patients and providers to collect and track patient-generated data. Drawing on these experiences, Brennan highlighted key forward-looking observations in the integration of patient-generated data:

• ‘Traditional’ provider-recommended activities that patients perform and monitor, such as blood sugar and blood pressure checks, should be considered for clinical integration.
• Existing technologies are adequate but not optimal for the clinical integration of patient data. Additionally, a safe storage solution for these data is needed.
• Technologies and tools that capture patient-generated data could be important components of new health care business models, such as accountable care organizations and patient-centered medical homes, as they place more emphasis on patient case and self-management.

• View the testimony.
• Learn more about Project HealthDesign.

OCR Issues Memo on Patients' Legal Rights To Access Health Data

A newly released a memo  and a related YouTube video released by HHS' Office for Civil Rights aims to help patients understand their legal right to access their health records. Patients are encouraged to print the memo and bring it to their health care providers when requesting their medical data. Government Health IT.  More

Toronto Hospital Giving Tablets to Patients

As reported by InsideHealthZone, the tablets will provide a number of interesting abilities.  The first being that patients will have more direct input on their medical record.  They will be able to contribute their own observations and concerns as well as asking questions.
The tablets will also provide the names and pictures of everyone in their healthcare team.  This will allow all members of the team to access pertinent information about the patient without the hazard of miscommunication.  According to the article,

 

IPv6 officially launches

The Internet has rolled out a new standard for IP addresses. IPv6 opens up 340 undecillion - or 340 trillion trillion trillion - new IP addresses. Will this change mean anything for you? Learn all about IPv6. >>

Independa uses mobile technology to provide the complete home care package for older Americans

www.imedicalapps.com:

According to the US Census Bureau, in 2010 there were approximately 40 million Americans over the age of 65. Around 62% of these Americans also have two or more chronic medical conditions. Managing health becomes an increasingly difficult task as we age, complicated often by varying degrees of dementia, decreased mobiility...See More

Nurses Know: EHRs Improve Patient Safety

The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) publicized the results of a study that AHRQ had funded. This new study adds yet one more element of documentation to something we already knew: electronic health records (EHRs) improve nursing care quality, patient safety, and effectiveness.
As the article on the AHRQ website noted, “University of Pennsylvania researchers surveyed 16, 362 nurses working in 316 hospitals in four states (California, Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania). Nurses were asked about their workload and patient outcomes, as well as their hospital’s patient safety culture using items from the AHRQ Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. Of the 316 hospitals, only seven percent had a basic EHR system functioning on all patient care units,” 

The result? Nurses from hospitals with fully implemented EHRs were “significantly less likely to report unfavorable outcomes” than were those in hospitals without fully implemented EHRs. Indeed, AHRQ noted, “Fewer nurses in the fully implemented hospitals reported frequent medication errors, poor quality of care, and poor confidence in a patient being ready for discharge.” They were also 14 percent less likely to report that “things fell between the cracks” when patients were transferred between units.

Nurses Reducing Alarm Fatigue

Beep, bleep, bong, beep, bleep--monitors and medical devices create a cacophony of sounds aimed at alerting nurses to changes in their patients’ conditions, but with the so many bells going off, nurses can become overwhelmed and tune out or turn off the devices.  Advance for Nurses -Click here

Advance for Nurses

Geriatric Telemedicine

Nurses capitalize on technology to help older patients obtain a new level of independence.

Hospital at Home

Fear of HAIs keeps many older adults from making needed trips to the hospital, experts say.  Imagine an innovative model of care that allows sicker patients to remain home longer while lowering costs, reducing healthcare-associated infections and other complications, and receiving high praise from doctors, nurses and patients. Advance for Nurses  More

Health Organizations Aim To Adopt Health Data Exchange Tools

A report by Black Book Rankings finds that 84% of surveyed health care organizations say they are taking active steps to adopt health information exchange technology. The report also offers rankings of various health data exchange vendors. Healthcare IT News, Healthcare Informatics. 


Black Book's 2012 State of the Health Information Exchange Industry report.  More

Diabetes in Social Media

Webicine: More than 200 million people suffer from diabetes worldwide and it is one of those medical conditions that are covered in details online. The medical blogosphere and the community sites are very rich in diabetes-related content.

There are more and more resource collections and networks including Web MD, Medical News Today or DiabetesSupport focusing on diabetes. Here are the best repositories of diabetes-related information.  More

CIO Survey: Docs Most Resistant to Change

Not surprisingly, the vast majority (74 percent) of CIOs polled believe that health systems are being pushed to the brink by having too much change forced on them at one time. Some respondents are concerned that patients will be lost in the shuffle, while others worry about the ability to align incentives to qualify for Meaningful Use and participate in ACOs. On the other hand, others feel that change can be conquered if leaders are willing to step up.  Survey results.  More

EHR Tool Helps Improve Blood Sugar Control for Patients With Diabetes

At an American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists meeting last week, researchers presented a study finding that electronic health record-based insulin order sets helped improve glycemic control among hospitalized patients with diabetes. MedPage Today, FierceEMR.

VA found security workaround for iPhones, iPads

MobileHealthNews: The VA’s assistant inspector general for audits and evaluations, states. Halliday says that the 256-bit hardware encryption resident in Apple mobile devices “further minimized the risk of unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data” while federal officials test the Apple technology for FIPS 140-2 compliance.  More

AHRQ Toolsets Available to Help Pharmacists and Clinicians Implement E-Prescribing

Two toolsets, one for small practices and one for independent pharmacies, for supporting e-prescribing implementation are now available from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The toolsets are designed to offer a step-by-step guide for preparing for and launching an e-prescribing system. They include advice on topics ranging from planning the implementation process, launching the system, troubleshooting common problems, and navigating into more advanced practice and pharmacy services. Find both toolsets and supporting tools at http://healthit.ahrq.gov/eprescribingtoolsets.

AHRQ Research Activities about HIT

Health Information Technology

Clinicians find triggers and algorithms in e-prescribing software helpful in avoiding inappropriate medications in older adults
Paper previsit reminders for doctors do not add value to electronic reminders from an electronic health record system
Clinical decision support systems are effective but research is needed to promote widespread use

Words to avoid online

The Department of Homeland Security has released a list of social media keywords it tracks. These range from "hacker" and "terrorism" to "exercise" and "bridge." Many government agencies track what you do online. Find out whether you need to worry about the NSA's new data center. 

FCC gives green light to wireless medical devices

The Federal Communications Commission voted May 24, 2012 to set aside protected broadband spectrum for wireless medical devices known as medical body area networks (MBANs). These sensors can monitor and read a patient’s vital signs wirelessly. By eliminating the cables that restrict a patient to their hospital bed, experts say the devices could transform the way patients' health is monitored.  More

Appropriate Use of Social Media in Health Care

Social Media in Healthcare Infographic:  This is the best visual and statistical representation of the emerging demand / need for social media compliance I have seen.  These tools are evolving from "nice to have" to "must have" for companies who want to preserve their online reputations.  More

HealthInfoLaw.org

New Resource Offers Up-to-Date Information on Health Information Law
Those in the fields of law, health care, consumer protection, information technology, public health, and insurance now have a single destination for up-to-date information on health information law and changes in the legal and policy landscapes that affect its implementation.

Researchers at Legal Barriers, a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, have developed HealthInfoLaw.org—a website designed to serve as a practical, online resource regarding laws governing access, use, release, and publication of health information.

The site addresses the legal issues that arise as health information moves fully into an electronic phase, as well as how the revolution in how health information is created, collected, and exchanged affects classic legal issues such as privacy, confidentiality, and liability for the quality and safety of health care. 

HealthInfoLaw.org is an especially useful resource for those involved in regional quality improvement collaboratives, as it enables users to see and understand the ways in which state law intersects with federal requirements and programs.

• Visit HealthInfoLaw.org.
• Read the press release.

Dictation Linked With Worse Care Than Other EHR Input Methods

Dictating notes to be uploaded to electronic health record systems is associated with "significantly worse" care quality than two other documentation methods, according to a new according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, NextGov reports (Pulley, NextGov, 5/23).

Caregivers Turning to Online Communities for Guidance, Support

Caregivers are making greater use of online communities to seek out health information and social support. Certain websites allow family members to track medical information, while others connect users with a larger community of caregivers. New York Times' "The New Old Age." 

"The New Old Age." Data from the Pew Internet Project show that adults ages 50 to 64 -- prime candidates for caregiving -- increased their use of social networking websites by 454% between 2008 and 2012.  More

Mobile is improving care even if many hospitals aren’t

“If you have access to information, you can save a life. You can make better decisions,” Dr. Antonio Marttos Jr., director of teletrauma at the University of Miami’s William Lehman Injury Research Center, said during the event, which was webcast live. Mobile devices are sparking a “cultural change,” Marttos added, something physicians are slowly starting to understand.  More

Outbreak at Watersedge- A Public Health discovery game.

The site is an interactive game.The game shows a variety of people involved in halting an outbreak and only the intern can save them! The players receive case files, maps, visit locations, take samples and draw conclusions. Players not only try to solve the case, but learn about public health careers.A teachers guide and related links are included.

Key words: Public Health, Epidemiology,case study, health sciences careers.

To view a video of the award winning author, go to  http://www.mclph.umn.edu/watersedge/

Doctors warned to avoid social media

Medical students and new doctors are being told not to sign up for Facebook and other social sites. Industry experts find that it's too easy to accidentally break doctor-patient confidentiality.  More