Healthcare IT News For VARs — July 18, 2014
By Megan Williams, contributing writer
In this week’s news, Florida leads in data breach notification law, and EHRs are found to be more effective than clinical trials.
Florida May Lead In Data Breach Notification Law
While Congress has been reluctant to pass a HIPAA-like law to hold all businesses dealing in sensitive consumer information responsible for data breaches, some states have taken matters into their own hands. More than 40 states in the U.S. have enacted their own versions of the law — some of them going beyond federal requirements. Florida’s law, FIPA, The Florida Information Protection Act, went into effect July 1, and hold business associates responsible to meet breach standards with two different timelines. For more information, visit InformationWeek.
Internal IT Burden Lessened With EHR Implementation
Sherman, Texas’ Carrus Hospital, a 40-bed facility that opened in 2010, implemented MEDHOST’s integrated clinical and financial solutions for its enterprise needs. According to CIOL, the EMR component of the system has seen high rates of physician adoption (largely credited to physicians being heavily involved in development and alignment with existing clinical workflows), and has streamlined implementation of software updates and maintenance, leaving IT staff to focus on patient service and clinician support.
EHRs Used To Identify Patients With Newly Diagnosed HIV Status
According to News Medical, a new, validated software-based method for identifying newly diagnosed HIV patients using EMRs is outlined in the peer-reviewed journal, AIDS Research And Human Retroviruses. Thomas Hope, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of the journal, and Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, states that the paper “describes new and valuable methodologies that will enhance the ability of public health officials to monitor increases in newly infected HIV populations.”
Practice Management Software Buyers Replacing Existing Medical Software
According a survey by IT research firm Software Advice, providers are in the process of replacing practice management and revenue cycle management software in efforts to modernize infrastructure, prepare for ICD-10 and accountable care, and comply with other regulatory initiatives like meaningful use. The survey revealed that 63 percent of providers looking to purchase practice management or revenue cycle management products are replacing their current holdings. New buyers were found to be focused on efficiency and EHR integration.
Study Revealed that EHR Analysis Is More Effective Than Clinical Trials
Medical News Today reports that a study published in the journal, Health Technology Assessment, revealed that using EHRs to understand treatment options for patients is more efficient and less costly for taxpayers than existing clinical trial processes. The two-part study focused on 331 participants with a high risk of cardiovascular disease or obstructive pulmonary disease. These findings mean that researchers are able to understand health patterms specific to medications with larger and more diverse members of the public, with minimal impact on patient lives.
Healthcare IT Talking Points
Mike Lovett, the executive vice president of NextGen Healthcare, discusses the implications of changes in the behavioral health setting and how they affect EHR implementation, as well as opportunities in the developing sector. Read more at Healthcare IT News.
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Healthcare IT Resource Center.