Electronic health record (EHR) management

Why the FHIR standard may not get us to interoperability

Too many versions of the FHIR API are floating around, and that could stall healthcare's move to interoperability. Can FHIR's supporters and detractors come together? Continue Reading

Questions about the FHIR standard? We have expert answers

Think you're in the know when it comes to the FHIR API? A hands-on FHIR training session at AMIA 2018 answered some questions you might not have thought to ask. Continue Reading

6 uses of AI in healthcare: Image analysis, analytics and more

AI in healthcare has the potential to improve patient care and staff efficiency by assisting with medical image analysis and diagnosis. Continue Reading

At RSNA 2018, Google Cloud exec talks customer and product strategy

In this Q&A from RSNA 2018, Google Cloud's Greg Moore touts product strengths and expresses his hope that Google products can help the healthcare industry achieve 'positive digital transformation.' Continue Reading

New ONC health IT draft report aims to improve EHR usability

A new draft report from the ONC acknowledges the challenges with EHRs and provides suggested solutions, including decreased regulation and more stakeholder cooperation. Continue Reading

How to make protecting electronic health records simpler, safer

Want a safer EHR system? Assess the risks, log every single error and then assemble a cross-functional team to investigate. It's a painstaking -- but necessary -- process. Continue Reading

Remote patient monitoring technology major focus of new AMA guide

The American Medical Association created the Digital Health Implementation Playbook, which provides a step-by-step guide to technology implementation, with a focus on remote patient monitoring. Continue Reading

RSNA 2018 shines light on AI, machine learning

RSNA 2018 doesn't stray far from last year's themes, so conference-goers should expect to be inundated with all the ways that artificial intelligence and machine learning will modernize the medical imaging field. Continue Reading

Integration of PGHD boosts remote patient management

End users of a patient-generated health data program talk about the advantages and challenges they encountered first hand, including connection problems from the patient device end. Continue Reading

RSNA 2018 conference coverage and analysis

This essential guide features news and highlights from the 2018 RSNA conference, which will cover innovations in radiology and medical imaging, and a refresher of last year's show. Continue Reading

Future of connected healthcare includes chatbots, Medicare changes

Remote patient monitoring and chatbots will be mainstream in healthcare -- eventually. Partners HealthCare's Joseph Kvedar, M.D., offers his view on why it takes so long. Continue Reading

Social engineering scams must be on hospitals' radars

Social engineering continues to be a threat to healthcare organizations. Hospital IT departments must be aware of the common techniques use to deceive unsuspecting users. Continue Reading

Will AthenaHealth sale alter customer service, consultant wonders

AthenaHealth announces it is set to be purchased for $5.7 billion by two private equity firms. One consultant plans to watch the new company's customer service levels. Continue Reading

Mobile device security in healthcare must become a priority

As mobile devices become more common in healthcare, cybercriminals are taking advantage of the increased attack surface. Health IT must be diligent in protecting these endpoints. Continue Reading

Digital voice assistants seek their place in healthcare

At their respective conferences this spring, Microsoft and Google unveiled new features for their digital assistants that may help them gain adoption in healthcare. Continue Reading

Where blockchain in healthcare might actually make a difference

It’s almost too easy to dismiss the idea of blockchain in healthcare. The first major application of blockchain -- Bitcoin – does feel kind of sketchy (all the currency that went “missing”) and the ... Continue Reading

Machine learning in healthcare: Software detects drug theft

Using machine learning, Invistics software provides a real-time look at drug theft incidents, according to one health system's drug diversion specialist. Continue Reading

A new breed of interoperable EHR apps is coming, but slowly

Pioneering work with the FHIR API is beginning to pay off in interoperable applications for EHRs. And that could mean sweeping changes in healthcare. Continue Reading

Anthem data breach settlement points to larger data access

An expert says the biggest lesson to take away from Anthem healthcare's $16 million HIPAA settlement is the need to control who has access to internal systems and patient data. Continue Reading

Allscripts plans to make PDMP data accessible in EHRs

Allscripts partners with Appriss Health to make access to PDMP data easier and available to clinicians within their workflows. Continue Reading

Payer-provider partnerships may fuel future affordable care

Taking an untraditional route to value-based care, payer-and-provider partnerships highlight the collaborations between benefit planners and healthcare systems. Continue Reading

AI technology in healthcare advances surgical, clinical support

The healthcare industry is beginning to warm up to AI, as the technology helps providers make clinical decisions and assists with certain types of surgery. Continue Reading

AI technology in healthcare advances surgical, clinical support

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March to value-based healthcare results in 'payviders'

Our columnist's research indicates that value-based care is prompting the creation of 'payviders,' but the pace is slow. Technological considerations also come into play. Continue Reading

March to value-based healthcare results in 'payviders'

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Learn about the leading EHR software products and their features

Read in-depth about leading EHR tools on the market and how their capabilities, pricing and implementation offerings and mobile features can match up with organization needs. Continue Reading

Hospitals battle duplicate medical records with technology

See how IT executives at two healthcare organizations weed out patient identification errors related to duplicate medical records -- a significant problem, according to research. Continue Reading

Hospitals battle duplicate medical records with technology

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Payer-provider partnerships spurred by data, value-based care

Once they were two groups with conflicting interests, but now the convergence of healthcare payers and providers is more common as the industry struggles to control costs. Continue Reading

Payer-provider partnerships spurred by data, value-based care

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Improved patient outcomes underscore convergence efforts

Clinicians, health IT professionals, insurance carriers and others have started a slow roll toward improved patient outcomes using methods based on healthcare reform. Continue Reading

Improved patient outcomes underscore convergence efforts

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Value-based care induces payer-provider convergence

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CHIME Most Wired survey: Interoperability slowly moves forward

CHIME released its first Most Wired survey at its Fall CIO Forum, and found that the road to interoperability remains bumpy -- but there are signs of improvement. Continue Reading

New effort seeks to standardize business associates agreements

To get new technology into hospitals faster, the Digital Health Collaborative wants to standardize security risk assessments and business associates agreements. Continue Reading

Are attitudes toward smartwatches for healthcare changing?

Some healthcare providers remain skeptical of the use of smartwatches and other wearables for clinical use, but consumers are increasingly adopting the devices for health reasons. Continue Reading

FDA strengthens medical device cybersecurity program

The FDA recently took additional steps to encourage better medical device cybersecurity, including releasing a cybersecurity playbook for healthcare organizations. Continue Reading

What's behind the increased use of cloud services in healthcare?

The healthcare industry is getting over its fear of the cloud and beginning to adopt services like cloud-based EHRs for easy access to patient data on the go. Continue Reading

HIEs provide access to patient records in wake of Hurricane Michael

By October 18, Hurricane Michael, the strongest U.S. storm in terms of maximum sustained wind speed since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, left 35 people dead and displaced over 300,000 people in Florida, ... Continue Reading

Broadband will boost telemedicine applications, FCC chairman says

Telemedicine proponents have an ally: the chairman of the FCC. Here's what Ajit Pai has planned to get broadband into poor and rural communities in the U.S. Continue Reading

Patient vs. healthcare consumer? Musings on the CVS/Aetna merger

During an interview on the PBS News Hour, CVS CEO Larry Merlo drew an interesting distinction when speaking about the future of healthcare. Fresh from the merger with Aetna, Merlo said people ... Continue Reading

News roundup: 3 new blockchain in healthcare use cases

Three companies see the promise of blockchain in healthcare in this week's news roundup. Here's the latest from Change Healthcare, MTBC and Ambrosus. Continue Reading

The current state of PACS software and where it goes from here

Although medical imaging technology has changed over the years thanks to AI and the cloud, PACS remain a mainstay for many healthcare organizations. Continue Reading

How hospitals are using the cloud for medical image storage

Advancements in medical imaging means larger files and an increased demand for greater storage capacity. The cloud offers a reprieve for healthcare organizations. Continue Reading

Experts nix wearable device health data for clinical use, for now

A number of factors stand in the way of acceptance of wearable device health data in the healthcare community, including a lack of data showing the impact on clinical outcomes. Continue Reading

Compare EHR systems with these key features in mind

Compare EHR software options and look at the features they offer healthcare organizations for mobile access, certifications, reporting, workflow automation and document management. Continue Reading

Medicare's new member of its healthcare data center: The cloud

The U.S. Digital Service is slowly moving a Medicare mainframe to the cloud as a way to prepare for value-based care. Here's a look inside the office's deliberate strategy. Continue Reading

Healthcare virtual assistant from Epic and Nuance points to trend

A variety of vendors have teamed up with the healthcare industry to create new products, such as Epic and Nuance's healthcare virtual assistant, which may prove beneficial to the field. Continue Reading

New Wisconsin PDMP receives up to 35,000 daily queries

The Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, implemented in the state since last year, features data analysis capabilities, as well as a customizable platform. Continue Reading

AHIMA Convention 2018 highlights EHR innovations

Health information professionals shared visions of more effective EHR systems at the 2018 AHIMA Convention, including how to better identify LGBTQ patients in EHRs. Continue Reading

Considering a cloud-based EHR system? Here's what to know

Implementing an EHR platform in the cloud can offer healthcare organizations lower costs and more accessibility, but they must be aware of connectivity and infrastructure drawbacks. Continue Reading

Why every hospital needs a natural disaster recovery plan

No healthcare organization is immune to natural disasters, which is why it is important to be prepared before calamity strikes, rather than trying to pick up the pieces afterward. Continue Reading

Meet the opportunity and challenge of AI in medical imaging

AI in radiology pushes the move to quantitative imaging, and brings new opportunities, as well as challenges to technology developers from different vendors. Continue Reading

Ask the right questions before diving in to healthcare CRM

The healthcare CRM market is crowded and it can be difficult to know how to choose the right solution. Our experts outline the right questions to ask before you begin your journey. Continue Reading

CoxHealth gains from outsourcing to Cerner ITWorks

Cerner partners with more than 30 organizations to deliver outsourced IT operation management. One of those systems, CoxHealth, got faster, more stable IT management model. Continue Reading

CRM in healthcare: A look inside its muddled world

By some estimates it could be nearly 20 years before healthcare manages true patient engagement. Here's why healthcare CRM is such a challenge for providers today. Continue Reading

The importance of EHR tools in today's healthcare industry

A strong EHR system can effectively acquire and centralize vital patient information like lab orders, medications, medical history and referrals, if buyers know what they need. Continue Reading

A first person view of today's medical records system. It's not pretty

The cardiologist walked in to the hospital room and handed me an envelope. “My notes and his test results are in there,” he said. “Don’t lose that – it’s gold.” Gold? Sure. But that envelope was ... Continue Reading

Healthcare command center aims to simplify healthcare access

By creating a centralized hub to coordinate patient care, Ascension hopes to simplify healthcare access for patients and expedite provider access to patients. Continue Reading

Cloud in healthcare rises above privacy, compliance pressures

The cloud hovers over just about everything these days, including hospitals and health systems. Healthcare CIOs fully understand that migration is inevitable, but security of sensitive patient records and maintaining compliance with federal health and privacy regulations can create huge stumbling blocks. That also partly explains why the flight path to the cloud in healthcare has lagged behind many other industries.

In September's Pulse, our editor's letter explores the pain of healthcare organizations and their IT decision-makers who have to balance the need to modernize with the concerns for patient privacy. Along those lines, our cover story examines the brave new world of the cloud in healthcare and focuses on one CIO who maneuvered through the legal gauntlet of HIPAA-mandated vendor-provider business associate agreements. In another feature, learn how establishing healthy working relationships with vendors can help hospitals get past the anxiety of securely storing documents in a cloud architecture.

Also in this issue, exhaustive research reveals acquisitions taking place in healthcare and finds that artificial intelligence applied to medical imaging is attracting a significant amount of investment dollars. In addition, CIOs can lower the pressure to implement cloud in healthcare programs in their hospitals by following five diagnostic and testing steps that can lead to innovative software applications and successful deployments. And in another feature, we look at the widespread opioid epidemic and the role health IT can play in battling the crisis using weapons like analytics and integrating electronic health records with prescription databases.

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5 steps for creating a healthcare technology innovation plan

Before investing in and implementing a new technology initiative, healthcare CIOs should first diagnose the condition they want to solve. Then they can research possible cures. Continue Reading

In the medical imaging market, AI drives investment dollars

Investors in medical imaging technology leaned toward software that improves AI-related radiology and associated workflows, as evidenced by detailed research. Continue Reading

Opioid crisis solutions include analytics, EHR integration

Health IT stands ready to help battle opioid deaths through greater use of data analytics and improved integration of EHRs and prescription drug databases. Continue Reading

Cloud for healthcare presses on but is slowed by HIPAA anxiety

Facing mounting pressure to take steps toward the healthcare cloud, hospital systems find themselves balancing modern infrastructure trends with HIPAA safeguards. Continue Reading

Why the healthcare BAA makes the cloud journey much tougher

Applying public cloud to healthcare can create a brave new world for hospitals. The CTO of Providence Health & Services strongly advises reading the healthcare BAA very carefully. Continue Reading

To get secure cloud storage in healthcare, gauge risks first

Conducting a risk assessment before moving to the cloud and establishing security controls when you get there are key steps toward achieving cloud security, experts say. Continue Reading

Mobile healthcare apps becoming increasingly popular

The trend of providing patients with clinical services through a mobile healthcare app is here to stay and will continue to grow in use, experts say. Continue Reading

An inside look at the potential of blockchain in healthcare

Blockchain could be the solution to fix the tricky problem of healthcare data ownership. Longtime blockchain researcher Adrian Gropper, M.D. explains how it could work. Continue Reading

Speech recognition technology in healthcare tested at Boston hospital

Voice technology will become commonplace at Boston Children's Hospital now that three pilot projects set in clinical settings have proved successful. Continue Reading

Report: Mandatory PDMP doesn't always work to curb opioid crisis

Given the statistics from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that 11.5 million people misused prescription opioids, contributing to 40% of all U.S. opioid overdose deaths in 2016, it seems ... Continue Reading

5 steps for creating a healthcare technology innovation plan

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To get secure cloud storage in healthcare, gauge risks first

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In the medical imaging market, AI drives investment dollars

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Opioid crisis solutions include analytics, EHR integration

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Why the healthcare BAA makes the cloud journey much tougher

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Cloud for healthcare presses on but is slowed by HIPAA anxiety

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Medical group sees the future in value-based healthcare

The fee-for-service healthcare payment model is broken, according to the CEO of a medical group. The better model, and the path to better patient care, he says, is value-based care. Continue Reading

Health system's medical services app cuts patient care costs

Spectrum Health's medical services app, called MedNow, has helped lower patient costs and decrease ER visits, MedNow senior director Joseph Brennan says. Continue Reading

For healthcare data storage of IoT and AI info, consider flash

With IoT and AI-driven data growing in healthcare organizations, a consultant suggests providers look into flash storage to take advantage of the technology's speed. Continue Reading

Flash storage trends in healthcare point to NVMe, QLC

In the alphabet soup of storage technologies, two that health IT professional should pay attention to are QLC and NVMe -- both of which boost flash options. Continue Reading

How can flash storage aid medical imaging archive needs?

Expert Brien Posey breaks down why flash storage may not be the best choice for medical imaging archiving in terms of speed and cost, and how it may be useful for other purposes. Continue Reading

How AI in medical imaging improves speed, accuracy of diagnoses

Innovations in AI for medical imaging make it possible to diagnose conditions faster and more accurately than clinicians, who can use AI as an assistive or predictive tool. Continue Reading

Virtual nurse aims to reduce readmissions after discharge

Boston Medical Center is trialing a virtual discharge nurse to help reduce 30-day readmissions. The software is proving beneficial for both patients and nurses. Continue Reading

Use a patient approach with healthcare APIs

With this week’s news that healthcare interoperability is getting a boost from the support of six major tech companies, it’s tempting to think that is where the breakthroughs are going to happen. ... Continue Reading

Tech giants support FHIR standard. Will that make a difference?

Six tech giants have vowed to help healthcare interoperability efforts. It could be encouraging, or no help at all. Experts offer their predictions on the value. Continue Reading

Three major opportunities emerging for AI in medical imaging

New opportunities for AI in medical imaging are emerging in image analysis, smart medical image processes and smart medical imaging machines, industry analysts say. Continue Reading

Connected health devices feed patient-monitoring system

AlacrityCare is using two connected health devices developed by VivaLnk to build a system that monitors oncology patients opting to recover at home. Continue Reading

McAfee threat research team uncovers healthcare security risks

The McAfee advanced threat research team has shown that a weak communications protocol can lead to a 'man-in-the-middle' attack that could be hazardous to a patient's health. Continue Reading

What you need to know about blockchain and healthcare today

Health IT needs require a sweeping and complex solution that may only be found in blockchain. Healthcare CTO Roger Smith offers his take on the promise of blockchain. Continue Reading

Biometric verification improves patient safety, care quality

Biometric authentication is considered a more reliable means of patient identification because identifiers are unique to each individual. But the technology is not without risks. Continue Reading

Benefits and risks of biometric technologies in healthcare

Biometric authentication is an attractive alternative to passwords for many in healthcare, but there are some concerns around security risks and software requirements. Continue Reading

FDA challenge encourages development of pain management devices

An FDA innovation challenge pushes developers to create pain management devices as a way to address the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States. Continue Reading

Missouri hospital sued over medical records breach

A lawsuit has been filed against Children's Mercy Hospital after the medical records of more than 60,000 patients were potentially compromised as a result of a phishing scam. Continue Reading

Restrain employee error to fight healthcare cybersecurity threats

According to separate studies, healthcare employees are the biggest security threat to an organization. A security expert suggests three ways to bolster internal security. Continue Reading

3D printed organs help improve pre-surgical preparation

Imagine that a surgeon is holding a duplicated organ in hand when illustrating specific pathologies to the patient before a scheduled operation. Thanks to the 3D printing technology, a true-to-life ... Continue Reading

EHR-agnostic dashboard technology benefits Texas hospitals

An EHR-agnostic dashboard technology called Smart Ribbon has helped Texas hospitals lower patient discharge costs by displaying critical clinical information. Continue Reading

Florida community hospital uses AI tools to generate care paths

Flagler Hospital, a community healthcare organization in Florida, uses an AI platform to generate care paths for high-cost, high-mortality conditions such as pneumonia and sepsis. Continue Reading

Take commonsense approach to cybersecurity for healthcare plan

In this Q&A, a cybersecurity expert suggests that providers should take a reasoned, commonsense approach to developing a cybersecurity for healthcare program. Continue Reading

Why app developers are embracing the Apple Health records API

A new crop of APIs based on the FHIR standard promises to change the expectations of mobile health apps. Six-year-old app maker Medisafe illustrates the promise and problems. Continue Reading

Expert questions funds for interoperability challenges in healthcare

Up to $2 million will be provided by the ONC to two recipients to address interoperability challenges in healthcare, but one expert questions if it will be enough. Continue Reading