Information Age Health Care: August 2013

Five quick tips for successful EHR implementation

ZDNet Health: Here's a short, to-the-point introduction to some key factors that can help you succeed in your EHR implementation.
Over the past few years, there has been quite a bit about the growing need for health care practitioners to use electronic health records (or EHR). Here are five such articles:

No matter who you talk to, though, implementing a working, secure EHR system is quite the challenge. More

6 apps for the visually impaired

Most technology is geared toward people with good vision. For those of us with impaired vision - yes, I have vision problems too - it's a bit harder to use. Fortunately, there are apps that can help. These can even help you out in other non-tech areas.

System: Android, iOS

Click Here to Learn More >>

The Social Determinants of Health: A Toolkit for Collaboration

The Association of Academic Health Centers has created a toolkit is to bring together academic health center leadership with representatives from multiple sectors, including employers, nonprofit organizations, the federal government, the public health community, and foundations, to communicate, collaborate, and plan for the future. View the toolkit: More

Healthcare assistant on the go

Hospital visits can be scary, but it's important to have regular checkups. This new app makes the doctor's office, and healthcare in general, less complicated.

Its information comes directly from the Medicare Hospital Compare database. Find out what hospitals have the best survival rate for heart conditions and other health issues. See what nursing homes and clinics have the best inspection rates. More System: Android, iOS

School nurses use the SaaS-based HealthMaster medical-record platform to keep track of students' medications and immunizations.

SaaS Helps School Nurses Track Meds, Immunizations
School nurses use the SaaS-based HealthMaster medical-record platform to keep track of students' medications and immunizations, such as whether a vaccine is given or if insulin was administered.
READ MORE »

In schools, software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms aid school nurses in monitoring students' medications and health needs. HealthOffice medical-record software and Ericom's SaaS remote-access platform allows school medical personnel to keep track of students' conditions. - See more at: http://www.eweek.com/enterprise-apps/ericom-healthmaster-enable-health-record-access-in-schools.html?kc=EWKNLHCR08212013STR2&dni=74925514&rni=23373956#sthash.kRyRcwon.dpuf

With Some Medicare Payments Based on Patient Satisfaction, More Hospitals Are Relying on Parents as Virtual Advisers

When staffers at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., want to simplify appointment scheduling, make surgery smoother for kids or even work on doctors' bedside manner, they turn to a special group of experts, a "virtual advisory council" made up of parents on a private social network. Wall Street Journal

Fla. Bill Would Require Private Insurers To Cover Telehealth Services

A Florida lawmaker has introduced a bill that would require private insurers in the state to cover telehealth visits. The bill also would direct state officials to research methods for implementing and regulating a telehealth system. South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
More

Does home monitoring make a difference in cost and outcomes?

The Annals of Internal Medicine study is clear — home monitoring and data collection helps patients manage their chronic disease. But, the largest benefit is seen when home monitoring is combined with additional support from the patient’s healthcare team. More

The role of mobility strategies in healthcare: Survey results. Over 500 healthcare organizations were surveyed to better understand how hospitals are addressing the mobility trend and what the challenges are. This report examines these challenges and discusses solution ideas. Read the white paper.

Does innovation overshadow prevention?

...We are in the midst of a much-needed transformation of the U.S. health care system. At the root of this transformation is correction of our current system’s over-dependence on procedures, technology, and emergent care at the expense of prevention and public health. While innovation will remain an important component of the American medical establishment, it cannot continue to overshadow a solid foundation of primary care...RWJF

FDA Finalizes Guidance on Radio Frequency Wireless Technology

The FDA has finalized guidance on the use of radio frequency wireless technology in medical devices. An FDA official said the development of "innovative, safe and effective medical devices that incorporate wireless technology" could help cut costs and boost quality. Bloomberg BNA. iHealthBeat

Calculating Return on Investment for Remote Patient Monitoring Programs

Remote patient monitoring devices can lead to fewer office visits and better health outcomes. But gauging their value relative to cost has been difficult, until now.

The ROI calculator for heart failure monitoring is user-friendly and publicly available as a web-based tool. Interested organizations with active RPM programs for congestive heart failure and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), regardless of type of technology, may contact Valerie Steinmetz for more information. The ROI calculator is available through the External Link below.

External Links

ROI Calculator for Heart Failure Monitoring

EHRs and Patient Education

Using Electronic Health Records to Improve Patient Education

Read about the results of AHRQ-funded research in the book chapter, “Improving Patient Education With Electronic Health Records.” This research investigated the best approaches for using EHRs to provide patients with materials that are understandable and actionable, especially those with limited health literacy and English proficiency.

The chapter includes:

A review of existing EHR systems to understand how they are designed and used to deliver patient information.
Two case studies of health systems using EHRs to address patient education for populations with limited literacy or English proficiency.
Implications for Meaningful Use criteria.

The chapter is included in the report Health Information Technology in the United States: Better Information Systems for Better Care, 2013 published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The entire report can be accessed at: http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2013/rwjf406758.

Improving Healthcare Quality Through Clinician Use of Health IT

A new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that providing patient-specific decision support, supporting clinical workflow, and coordinating care are ways health information technology (IT) can help clinicians and patients make decisions that may lead to better outcomes. “Findings and Lessons from the Improving Quality Through Clinician Use of Health IT Grant Initiative” documents the findings of more than 20 research projects that investigated how health IT applications can assist providers in providing evidence based care. Multiple studies showed positive impacts on process and intermediate outcomes.

To access the report, select: http://healthit.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/docs/page/findings-and-lessons-from-the-improving-quality-through-clinician-use-of-health-it.pdf (PDF, 1.17 MB).

Report: Half of clinicians use tablets for EHR, documentation

Mobile devices continue to transform the work lives of physicians, with more than four in five using smartphones every day and more than half of doctors using tablets daily and two in five nurse practitioners and physician assistants doing the same, according to the second annual Epocrates Mobile Trends Report.

To learn more:
- read the report
Click Here to see slideshow

More Consumers Using Or Considering EMRs

Respondents were between the ages of 25 – 55, have some type of health insurance, have seen a physician within the past three years, and have a regular doctor. Nearly 75 percent of surveyed consumers indicated that they are already using (23 percent) or interested in using (52 percent) electronic medical records. Those patients who have used EMRs are significantly more satisfied with their doctors overall (78 percent versus 68 percent). They also express higher satisfaction across multiple specific dimensions of care, such as ease of access to information and clarity and thoroughness of communication. They also believe they receive better quality of care (82 percent).

Access the report, click here.

For the full story, click here.

'Most Wired’ Hospitals Transforming Nursing and Patient Care

Nurses are now an integral part of the technology revolution in healthcare, and many have had a part in helping their employers earn a spot on Hospitals & Health Networks' annual “Most Wired” list.
Most Wired facilities are streamlining operations and improving outcomes by carefully implementing technology. Sotomayor cautions that every time something new is added, things can change, so Carolinas Medical watches for unintended consequences. She added that the investment is worth it.
“It’s an exciting time to be giving care,” Sotomayor concluded. “We are consciously looking to make sure it’s working the way it should.” Nurse Zone

Simple Steps to Reduce EHR Clicks

Mastering electronic health record technology is a difficult process and it demands an ongoing commitment from ambulatory practices and their EHR users. No matter how few ‘clicks’ it takes providers to prescribe a medication, review lab results, or document a visit in their EHR system, most think it is too many. More

Study Finds Barriers to Doctors Embracing Electronic Communication

While physician practices can use electronic communication to boost efficiency and patient satisfaction, barriers remain to widespread adoption of such technology, according to a Weill Cornell Medical College study published in the journal Health Affairs, FierceHealthIT reports.

Survey: 82 percent of clinicians to use both smartphones and tablets next year

According to a survey conducted by athenahealth subsidiary Epocrates, almost 50 percent of all clinicians in the US are using smartphones, tablets, and desktops

Many more statistics and findings from Epocrates latest survey can be found in the full text here (PDF). More

Cradle turns smartphone into handheld biosensor

VIDEO: University of Illinois researchers demonstrate using an iPhone as a sensitive biosensor to detect toxins, pollutants, pathogens or other molecules for medical diagnostics or environmental field work.

Mass. Officials Say Nurses' Lack of EHR Access Put Patients at Risk

An investigation by the Massachusetts health department has concluded that Boston Medical Center dialysis patients were exposed to hepatitis B because nurses lacked access to electronic health records. The hospital said that is has conducted a comprehensive review of care at the dialysis unit and is working to implement new policies. Boston Globe's "White Coat Notes." More

EHR-Based Software Cut Readmission Rates by 26%

A new study published in BMJ Quality & Safety finds that ranking heart failure patients by risk level using electronic health record systems cut readmission rates by 26%. The hospital used in the study has adopted the software in routine practice. Modern Healthcare's "Vital Signs," FierceHealthIT. More

Connecting to Underserved Populations

mHealth is being used to engage, serve, educate, and improve the health of socioeconomically disadvantaged patients. Whether it's simply by texting people tidbits of information or monitoring how much medication a patient is taking, providers are finding meaningful ways to connect to the underserved. More

The Doctor Is In (and Wants to Get Online)

The revolution is accelerating—both on the clinician end-user side, and in the arena of clinician-patient communications and care management. How are IT leaders engaging clinicians and helping clinicians engage patients, in the emerging healthcare? CIOs and CMIOs are figuring out how to help their organizations survive--and thrive--in the emerging world of mobility. More

EMRs and Interactive Patient Engagement Systems: A Valuable Partnership

Integrating a hospital's EHR system with their interactive patient engagement system may aid in setting patient expectations and fostering higher levels of satisfaction. Many hospitals are using their interactive systems to deliver welcome and orientation videos, patient scheduling and care plan information as well as visitor friendly hospital information like cafeteria or gift shop hours. With a partnership between a hospital's interactive patient engagement system and their EHR, hospitals can make meaningful progress towards experiencing greater efficiencies and increased value from both their EMR and interactive systems.More

VA Showcases Telehealth Program Used by 80K Veterans in 2012

The Department of Veterans Affairs this week held a Connected Health Showcase where it touted an initiative offering telehealth services to veterans. Officials said that about 80,000 veterans participated in more than 200,000 telehealth consultations with doctors and therapists in 2012. FierceHealthIT et al.

Ethics and HIT

Challenges...
http://jamia.bmj.com/site/icons/amiajnl8946.pdf

patient safety should trump all other values; corporate concerns about liability and intellectual property ownership may be valid but should not over-ride all other considerations;
transparency and a commitment to patient safety should govern vendor contracts;
institutions are duty-bound to provide ethics education to purchasers and users, and should commit publicly to standards of corporate conduct; and
vendors, system purchasers, and users should encourage and assist in each others’ efforts to adopt best practices.

Meaningful Use (MU) & Nursing

Nurses are central to ensuring Meaningful Use ...

http://www.himss.org/ASP/topics_FocusDynamic.asp?faid=395

Bowles, K. (October, 2010). Achieving Meaningful Use with Information Technology: Telehealth Research. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics (OJNI),14 (3). Available at http://ojni.org/14_3/Bowles.pdf

Bowles, K.,(February, 2011) ONJNI....Achieving Meaningful Use With Decision Support Research http://tinyurl.com/4ol9r6p

CMS & MU:

Meeting the Requirements for Meaningful Use: Attestation Calculator

HIMMS:

Meaningful Use OneSource assists eligible healthcare providers and professionals in understanding Meaningful Use Stage 1 and Stage 2 requirements, timelines, and the proposed rule. Our dynamic and living body of documents and tools fully prepares you to:

Meet Meaningful Use proposed Stage 2 certification criteria and standards
Receive Medicare and Medicaid incentive funding and avoid penalties
Implement Meaningful Use specifications practically and successfully
Get updates on federal and state regulations with content vetted by industry experts!

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