On March 2, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced a plan to approve organizations to certify electronic health record software programs. ModernHealthcare.com reported the announcement of this new plan by ONC head, Dr. David Blumenthal, at the big meeting of the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) occurring in Atlanta [...]
I am on my way back from two and a half days in Phoenix where approximately 40 SATVA (Software and Technology Vendor Association) member representatives, EMR users, and industry IT experts met to find a way for behavioral healthcare providers to exchange patient information using the electronic Continuity of Care Document (CCD). The CCD is [...]
Last week, Seth and I attended the semi-annual member meeting of the Software and Technology Vendor Association (SATVA), the behavioral health software and technology trade association to which SOS belongs. At one time, SOS, like many other companies moved along based more on the spoken needs of our customers rather than on long-term projections about [...]
I try to keep informed about Electronic Medical records (EMRs), certification of those products, and funding for them provided through the economic stimulus bill (ARRA). After all, as a developer and vendor of a behavioral health EMR, I really should know some of this stuff. This week, I was struck by the number of acronyms that have come into common [...]
I have been avoiding writing about the second draft of the Meaningful Use of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) definition released by the federal Health IT Policy Committee on July 16. I had been hoping I would hear something that would make me believe the definition would in some significant way benefit our customers. I am [...]
I checked my email on Sunday night to find two new requests for “friend” status on my Facebook page…one was from a customer, the other was from my mother-in-law. The juxtaposition of requests brought directly home the conflict and confusion that some folks are having about use of the social media sites. Is your use [...]
A question on one of the psychology listservs I follow got me thinking, yet again, about data security…and backup. The writer asked about the proper procedures to follow when patient psychotherapy treatment records are permanently lost. The question pertained to how the counselor in question should respond to the loss of all of their patient [...]
I’m getting ready for a week of vacation in my hometown–New Orleans. As some of you who know me well may remember, my 89-year-old mother has been with us in Florida since Katrina-breached levees filled her New Orleans home with 8 feet of water. Our last visit was almost 22 months ago; it is definitely [...]
For the past week the health IT news world (NYTimes; Chicago Sun Times; MSN; ) and blogosphere (FierceHealthIT; Healthcare Informatics) have been abuzz with Wal-Mart’s announcement that they will begin selling electronic health record (EHR) software to doctor’s offices starting this Spring. They will do so in partnership with eClinicalWorks and Dell through their Sam’s Club [...]
I was all set to write an article Monday morning on the expanded privacy and security requirements in the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) when I remembered that I was registered for a webinar presented by FairWarning (a privacy surveillance company) Monday afternoon on just that subject. I am really glad I waited to write, because [...]
