Most Clicked CHIME's Healthcare CIO SmartBrief Stories
1. IT overhaul leads to drop in operating income at Partners HealthCare
CHIME's Healthcare CIO SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
Partners HealthCare System significantly reduced its operating income from $71.2 million during the second quarter of 2011 to $5.3 million in the same period this year. The decline stems from an almost $110 million write-off the health system had to take after deciding to replace its EHR technology with an integrated financial and clinical IT system that will link its network of nine hospitals. Boston Globe, The (tiered subscription model) (05/25)
2. VA offers lessons on IT security
CHIME's Healthcare CIO SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
A breach involving the theft of a laptop containing veterans' personal data six years ago has led the Veterans Affairs Department to enhance its IT security and privacy policies and make them a top priority within the agency. During a recent reporters' briefing, VA CIO Roger Baker shared six IT security best practices adopted by the agency, starting with setting up an independent team to analyze privacy breaches. Government Health IT online (05/24)
3. Doctors' EHR note-taking style may affect care quality
CHIME's Healthcare CIO SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
Primary care doctors who used structured EHR documentation or free text notes provided better quality care to patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease than those who dictated their notes, Boston researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. NextGov (05/23) BeckersHospitalReview.com (05/25)
4. TV show spotlights potential of EHRs to track public health
CHIME's Healthcare CIO SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
A recent episode of "The Dr. Oz Show" taped at Temple University highlighted the potential of EHRs in conjunction with data analytics to monitor public health in a short period of time. During the demonstration, clinicians recorded specific health measurements in EHRs for 1,000 patients and were able to give those patients a summary of their medical reports, all in 15 minutes. The clinicians also compiled an overall report on the patients' combined diabetes and obesity risks in that time period, and the results were presented to Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Forbes (05/19)
5. CEO: Use technology to serve the goal of better health care
CHIME's Healthcare CIO SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
It's important not to let technology innovation overtake the goal of providing top-notch medical care, Kaiser Permanente CEO George Halvorson says. "The goal is the care. The technology is a tool," Halvorson says. InformationWeek (05/23)
6. 5 ways to cut hospital readmissions
CHIME's Healthcare CIO SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Five key concepts from TeamHealth for reducing hospital readmission rates include recognizing problems that lead to return visits, avoiding communication breakdowns among caregivers and reconciling errors in EHRs. Dr. Jasen Gundersen said post-acute care management is important in reducing readmissions, along with educating patients, family and caregivers. BeckersHospitalReview.com (05/21)
7. Survey shows IT security best practices
CHIME's Healthcare CIO SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
C-suite executives are putting greater emphasis on security now than in the past two years and are likely to boost data security budgets over the next two years, according to an IBM Center for Applied Insights survey of 139 IT security leaders. The survey also noted that greater focus is being placed on risk reduction and data-driven progress measures, security is viewed more as a business project rather than simply a technology project, and security budget responsibility is being shared by CEOs and CIOs. Health Data Management (05/22)
8. Data breach at Mass. hospital affects 2,159 patients
CHIME's Healthcare CIO SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Children's Hospital Boston has sent notification letters to 2,159 patients and their families whose health data might have been breached after an unencrypted laptop was stolen. The breached information included patients' names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, diagnoses, procedures and surgery dates, but did not include financial data or Social Security numbers. Health Data Management (05/23)
9. Personal monitoring devices will lead wireless health market by 2016
CHIME's Healthcare CIO SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
An IMS Research report projects that the wireless medical technology market will be driven primarily by tools aimed at helping consumers track their own health, accounting for more than 80% of such devices by 2016. More than 50 million wireless devices are estimated to be shipped for consumer health monitoring in five years, with fewer geared for telehealth use. Healthcare Informatics online (05/23)
10. DOD, VA to create single electronic records system by 2017
CHIME's Healthcare CIO SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Officials from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have confirmed plans to merge their medical records into a central electronic system by 2017. The new system will give service members a single medical record that can follow them seamlessly through active duty into veteran status. Officials also said the new system will be tested in Virginia and Texas in 2014. Stars and Stripes (05/22)
Sign up for CHIME's Healthcare CIO SmartBrief
