Establishing interoperable electronic health systems

During COVID-19, CIOs struggle with predictive analytics programs

Predictive analytics in healthcare has been a useful tool during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has helped healthcare organizations foresee changes in bed capacity or disruptions in the supply chain for ... Continue Reading

ONC focuses on HIEs for data sharing

Health information exchanges could provide the interoperability backbone between providers and state and public health agencies, making real-time data readily available in times of crisis. Continue Reading

Pandemic crystallizes the need for remote healthcare

COVID-19 will change the way healthcare operates, according to a report from consultancy Frost & Sullivan. But permanent change will require a CIO's deft hands. Continue Reading

Interoperability rules won't succeed without the CIO

COVID-19 is the crisis at hand, but healthcare CIOs also have to work on complying with new interoperability rules finalized last month. Continue Reading

Stakeholders sound off on ONC, CMS interoperability rules

New healthcare regulations from ONC and CMS strive to make it easier to share health data. Industry players have something to say about that. Continue Reading

Health Gorilla updates API to enable orders for coronavirus testing

Current users of Health Gorilla's lab network API can electronically order COVID-19 tests immediately. New users can order tests after signing up for the vendor's web application. Continue Reading

Stakeholders focus on information blocking in ONC final rule

Healthcare stakeholders say the information blocking provision in the long-awaited ONC final rule is a good step toward greater data sharing. Continue Reading

HIMSS 2020 canceled due to coronavirus

On Monday, President Trump was slated to speak at HIMSS 2020. On Thursday, the health IT event was canceled for the first time in 58 years due to the coronavirus outbreak. Continue Reading

At HIMSS conference, coronavirus threatens to eclipse Trump's talk

President Trump will likely talk about patient empowerment and interoperability at HIMSS 2020 -- all set against a backdrop of growing concern over the coronavirus. Continue Reading

Health data sharing rules ignite debate between Epic, HHS

Contentions over proposed health data sharing rules, which would require health systems to implement standardized APIs, continue to heighten. EHR vendor Epic recently sent a letter signed by about ... Continue Reading

3 healthcare CIOs on what they think 2020 will bring

Healthcare CIOs at Boston Medical Center, SCL Health and Northwell Health share what's on their agenda for 2020, as well as what they're taking away from 2019. Continue Reading

New Salesforce Health Cloud tools help life sciences close customer gap

Salesforce rolled out new features for Health Cloud focused primarily on the life sciences. The goal is to help those kinds of companies get closer to their customers. Continue Reading

Sharing health data gets easier, but also presents new challenges

Sharing health data has never been easier thanks, in part, to EHR vendors and nonprofit organizations like CommonWell Health Alliance. But now there's a new problem: too much data. Continue Reading

VA's CIO says DevOps is a game changer in digital transformation

James Gfrerer inherited an enormous digital transformation project when he became CIO of Veterans Affairs. He believes the DevOps methodology has been critical to his efforts. Continue Reading

ONC deputy national coordinator for health IT departs

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT will have a new deputy leader starting next month. ONC announced Monday that Jon White, M.D., deputy national coordinator for health IT, will ... Continue Reading

After sudden departure, CMS says it's 'committed' to CHIO role

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it is committed to the role of federal chief health informatics officer, despite the sudden departure of its first appointment. Mark Roche, M.D., ... Continue Reading

Data sharing in healthcare is a double-edged sword for patients

Former healthcare CIO John Halamka gets candid about the proposed rules on interoperability and information blocking and explains why innovation may come at a cost. Continue Reading

Health experts on proposed information blocking, interoperability rules

ONC and CMS will begin considering feedback on the interoperability and information blocking rules the federal agencies proposed in February. Continue Reading

Heterogeneous data sharing in healthcare vital to personalized care

In this Q&A, Life Image CTO Janak Joshi talks about heterogeneous data sets and their importance to healthcare AI companies, and makes a pitch for imaging data to ONC. Continue Reading

DirectTrust gets accreditation to develop health data exchange standards

DirectTrust, a nonprofit association of health IT and healthcare organizations, has taken a step forward in developing health data exchange standards. The nonprofit announced Tuesday that it has ... Continue Reading

CMS focuses on post-acute care settings in interoperability quest

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services turns to healthcare players for input on promoting EHR adoption in post-acute care settings. But greater adoption may not mean greater interoperability, according to one expert. Continue Reading

How healthcare AI technology can improve patient outcomes

There are seemingly endless possibilities for AI in healthcare, whether it's as a set of second eyes for radiologists or as a tool to improve patient engagement. Continue Reading

CMS taps Mark Roche as agency's first chief healthcare informatics officer

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services appointed a new leader to drive change and interoperability in healthcare from the federal level. Mark Roche, a physician informaticist, will take on ... Continue Reading

AWS healthcare technical lead says interoperability in healthcare at scale a challenge

Interoperability in healthcare isn't just a buzzword for the healthcare community, it's also something technology companies are talking about. Patrick Combes, technology leader for healthcare and ... Continue Reading

For EHR vendors, there's no one approach to interoperability

Cerner, Epic and Meditech are tackling interoperability in their own ways, but all their efforts will come up short until healthcare organizations ask for it, according to a Chilmark Research analyst. Continue Reading

ONC, CMS strive for a competitive healthcare market with open APIs

Newly proposed rules from CMS and ONC aren't just about fostering interoperability and patient data access, they're also about creating a competitive healthcare market. Continue Reading

Technology companies in healthcare are driving positive change

Why are Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Google so focused on the healthcare industry? Financial opportunity and patient expectation. Continue Reading

ONC, CMS drop information blocking, interoperability rules ahead of HIMSS

On the eve of HIMSS, ONC and CMS take center stage by announcing proposals for interoperability and information blocking rules. Continue Reading

Intermountain Healthcare executive talks FHIR standard

Stan Huff has spent years helping create what he believes is now one of the best standards for moving healthcare closer to interoperability. The Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) ... Continue Reading

Value-based care models, social determinants of health on HIMSS19 docket

The growing shift from traditional healthcare delivery models to value-based care models that focus on more holistic views of a patient will take center stage at HIMSS 2019. Continue Reading

HL7 releases new FHIR standard, but don't expect true interoperability

Achieving interoperability is a major undertaking, something the FHIR standard alone won't be able to accomplish, according to one HL7 organizational member. Continue Reading

Collective Medical software enables ERs to share patient info

Software from Collective Medical is helping ERs in Oregon share patient data almost immediately. Here's a look at how that kind of connectivity is benefiting one hospital. Continue Reading

ONC updates, adds to Interoperability Standards Advisory

Rules and regulations proposed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology hang in limbo, thanks to the government shutdown. But that isn't stopping the federal ... Continue Reading

CMS interoperability and patient access rule delayed by shutdown

The healthcare sector is anxiously awaiting the release of federal health agencies' rules on interoperability, but the government shutdown will further delay their release. Continue Reading

Microsoft's FHIR Server for Azure aids interoperability efforts

Microsoft is just one of several tech giants targeting healthcare organizations with the recent release of its new open source FHIR Server for its Azure cloud. Continue Reading

A guide to navigating the modern health IT infrastructure

Today's health IT infrastructure combines new technology like the cloud and AI with staples like EHRs, but cybersecurity is also critical to defend against increasing attacks. Continue Reading

Healthcare in 2019: Forrester tags virtual care as trend to watch

Virtual care, AI and widespread adoption of the FHIR standard will be major trends in healthcare next year, according to Forrester. Continue Reading

Clinical processes, not AI, key to solving healthcare's problems

Partners' Sandy Aronson has a message for healthcare IT pros: If you want to have an impact, focus on making clinical processes more effective and more efficient. Continue Reading

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

Healthcare APIs get a new trial run for Medicare claims

Blue Button 2.0 is a new healthcare API aimed at making sense of Medicare claims. Developed by the U.S. Digital Service at HHS, the API is in 500 developer hands so far. Continue Reading

Blockchain-powered telemedicine application debuts in U.K.

A pilot program in the U.K. is testing MyClinic.com, a telemedicine application that allows patients to schedule video consultations with doctors and pay for services with cryptocurrency. Continue Reading

AI lowers hurdles to digital transformation of healthcare

Depending on the organization, the digital transformation of healthcare comes in many stages and flavors. Consensus dictates that artificial intelligence is one of the major reasons for undertaking the painstaking process of transformation from paper-based to digitized forms of healthcare. AI's potential benefits are seen as enormous in helping meet the never-ending quest by hospitals and health systems to provide more efficient and cost-effective patient care.

The July issue of Pulse opens with our editor's letter and great expectations for improved patient engagement that can come with the digital transformation of healthcare. Along those lines, our cover story examines the roadblocks to digital transformation and AI implementation, including slowdowns in government funding, landing the right tech skills and ensuring accurate data -- as seen through the eyes of hospital IT professionals who share their experiences in overcoming these challenges. In another feature, we look at the rewards of going digital and implementing AI -- greater integration of electronic health records, better access to patient data, more accurate diagnostics and stronger population health management.

Also in this issue, infograph statistics show the critical role AI can play in preventing heart attacks and diagnosing early stages of cancer; healthcare APIs take center stage among government health regulators; and AI's great strengths don't necessarily immunize it from clinical fraud, hacks and medical errors.

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Healthcare APIs weave into common lingo of federal officials

It's hard to imagine that a federal health policy announcement would have ever included the term 'API', but it's on the minds of health regulators. Continue Reading

Healthcare digital transformation maps the new patient journey

The modern patient experience features flavors of consumerism combined with healthcare data. Giving patients greater access to that information is one area in which technology options thrive. Continue Reading

Use of AI in healthcare seen saving lives of patients

Prevention of heart attacks and diagnoses of cancer may one day improve, thanks to AI. Infograph statistics reveal promising findings for AI applications in healthcare. Continue Reading

Healthcare AI struggles with funding and data quality

Finding enough funds and validating data quality can be heavy challenges when it comes to adopting AI technology in healthcare organizations. Hospital IT professionals explain their approaches. Continue Reading

Digital transformation in healthcare boosts patient engagement

As healthcare becomes increasingly digital, patients expect a top-notch experience accessing their medical information as they bid farewell to paper records. Continue Reading

Healthcare APIs weave into common lingo of federal officials

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Healthcare digital transformation maps the new patient journey

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Digital transformation in healthcare boosts patient engagement

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Why healthcare APIs will save lives, money and time

APIs have a toe-hold in the healthcare space today but that has to change, and quickly. Stan Huff, M.D., explains why open source has to be healthcare's future. Continue Reading

Google, Fitbit, startups storm into healthcare AI

Google is moving quickly into healthcare, forging alliances with Fitbit and selling AI services to smaller health IT vendors. Meanwhile, Fitbit is expanding into healthcare. Continue Reading

Payer-provider convergence hinges on data integration

A hospital population health officer and vendor CEO detail their views about payer-provider partnerships. One key aspect is the ability to boost customer service efforts. Continue Reading

Apple Health app pilot combines engagement and interoperability

The Apple Health app pilot combines flavors of EHR interoperability and patient engagement, according to some hospitals involved in the early stages of the effort. Continue Reading

With health IT interoperability in mind, CMS announces changes

Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner and CMS administrator Seema Verma outlined big changes coming to promote interoperability and greater patient access to EHRs. Continue Reading

Michigan uses prescription monitoring to fight opioid crisis

Michigan public health officials use e-prescribing and monitoring and analytics software from Appriss Health to fight opioid addiction by tracking overprescribing and abuse. Continue Reading

New and established healthcare technology companies make big moves

I am floored by how many players made significant moves in recent weeks to become new healthcare technology companies or further anchor their existing position in the industry. Consider these ... Continue Reading

One Virtual System Worldwide: Intra-Epic interoperability

Epic Systems Corp. introduced new interoperability features, part of its Epic 2018 EHR update, that enable Epic-based healthcare systems to share more health data with each other. Continue Reading

Health information sharing framework unveiled

Federal health IT officials under the 21st Century Cures Act have proposed regulations for health data information sharing, the Trusted Exchange Framework 'network of networks.' Continue Reading

Top healthcare stories of a health IT reporter's career

I've been reporting and writing for SearchHealthIT for about three years and the day has come for me to say goodbye. Looking back on these past three years, I can't help but laugh at, as well as be ... Continue Reading

CIO explains tech behind integrated healthcare systems and apps

BayHealth Development wanted integrated healthcare systems to provide a coherent experience for patients and physicians. The organization turned to the new Progress Health Cloud. Continue Reading

Interoperability may be in sight as Epic and Cerner work together

As two of the largest EHRs in the healthcare space, Epic and Cerner have often appeared to be at odds with each other. But that seems to be changing via an ONC initiative. Continue Reading

Next for Direct: Apps to enable health data exchange

Getting patients involved in Direct(ing) exchange of health data is coming in 2015, when developers finish their applications. Continue Reading

Q&A: DirectTrust CEO David Kibbe, M.D., on future of Direct exchange

One of Direct exchange's leading advocates discusses its future prospects for the HIE protocol, and how it supports meaningful use compliance. Continue Reading

Improving revenue cycle management in health care

A revenue cycle management system can help hospitals streamline administrative and clinical tasks. This tutorial explains how RCM software is affected by EHR use and ICD-10. Continue Reading

HIMSS 2011 conference coverage from SearchHealthIT.com

Get the latest news and updates from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 2011 conference at SearchHealthIT.com's exclusive coverage page. Continue Reading

Medical devices, electronic records remain disconnected

Medical devices should integrate with EHR systems to ensure timely updates to patients' vital signs. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. Continue Reading

Working together for HIT: An ePrescribeFlorida Case Study

A case study on the advance of the ePrescribe Florida program, from organizational creation through the lasting impact on the industry. Continue Reading

Health information exchange progress hard to measure

Vendors struggle as much as government entities when it comes to health information exchange, KLAS says. See which vendors have put forth the most effort. Continue Reading

Two more Beacon community grants announced

Organizations in Cincinnati and Detroit are the final recipients of a Beacon community grant to boost health IT infrastructure and information exchange. Continue Reading

Health information exchanges key to connecting hospitals, providers

Using health information exchanges helps bring hospitals, providers, patients and even rival institutions together, three CIOs suggest in a panel discussion at HIMSS10. Continue Reading

Clinical data warehouse boosts research, patient care quality

At least for larger facilities, the answer to the problem of hospital patient data in discrete silos could be a clinical data warehouse, as the UNC Healthcare System discovered. Continue Reading