Latest Health IT News

Former ONC deputy coordinator is new AMA president-elect

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:03 GMT

Robert M. Wah, M.D., who served as the first deputy coordinator for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT from 2005 to 2006, this week was named president-elect of the American Medical Association.

Poor USB security puts info for 6 million Medicare beneficiaries at risk

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:53 GMT

A Medicare contractor's failure to adequately implement security controls over USB devices put sensitive information for more than six million Medicare beneficiaries at risk, according to a report published this month by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General.

VA claims system now in all regional offices

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:40 GMT

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs this week introduced a new application that enables disability compensation claims to be processed more quickly, in a more end-to-end electronic environment. It integrates with its internal Veteran Benefits Management System (VBMS), which officials say has been installed in all 56 regional offices.

Project ECHO expansion to help rural docs provide mental health services

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:21 GMT

Community health providers in New Mexico will consult weekly on complex cases with mental health experts through videoconferencing under an expansion of the successful rural telemedicine program Project ECHO.

FDA sends device identifier rule to OMB for final review

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:33 GMT

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration submitted a proposed final rule on unique medical device identifiers this week.

Bill backs Office of Wireless Health

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:00 GMT

A California congressman has reintroduced legislation that would create an Office of Wireless Health in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., reintroduced H.R. 2363, known as the Healthcare Innovation and Marketplace Technologies Act, last week. The bill had been introduced last year, but didn't advance beyond the committee stage.

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Americans want more mHealth options

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:49 GMT

More and more Americans are keen on the idea of using mobile devices to better monitor their health, according to new survey findings released Tuesday.

The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive and HealthDay, revealed that one-third of Internet-using adults expressed interest in using smartphones or tablets to make doctors appointments, receive medical test results of communicate with their doctors.

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Healtheway names founding members

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:35 GMT

Healtheway, the nonprofit, public-private partnership that operationally supports the eHealth Exchange (formerly known as the Nationwide Health Information Network Exchange) today announced its nine founding organizations. The organizations will supplement the involvement of the federal government around the eHealth Exchange, Healtheway officials said in a news release.

The nine founding members are:

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4 ways technology can improve pediatric care coordination

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:11 GMT

Wider implementation of available technology, such as mobile applications and web portals, could improve care coordination for children with complex chronic conditions, according to a report published this week by the Verizon Foundation and Boston Children's Hospital.

3 benefits of virtual health assistants

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:55 GMT

With all the changes buffeting the healthcare sector, these days, it's easy to overlook what's happening to the nation's supply of doctors. According to a 2012 report by the Association of American Medical Colleges, "the United States is projected to confront a shortage of 91,500 doctors by 2020."

While, naturally, the most obvious solution to this looming problem is to figure out how to get more young people to become doctors, another partial solution is being built even as we speak.

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