Study warns of patient privacy problems with blogs

The recent explosion of blogs written by medical professionals is creating problems for patient privacy, according to a recent Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study, which recommends that professional organizations and medical schools get involved in creating ethical guidelines and standards.

Study warns of patient privacy problems with blogs

Perot Systems lands VistA contract in Middle East

Perot Systems, Plano, Texas, has been awarded a contract to install a version of the Veterans Health Administration healthcare information-technology system, VistA, at 46 hospitals and about 500 healthcare clinics in the Middle East nation of Jordan, according to several sources.

Modern Healthcare Online

Interwoven Acquires E-discovery Firm

Enterprise content management provider Interwoven is extending its reach into the e-discovery software-as-a-service business, which really is little more than a deeper dive into content management.

Interwoven Acquires E-discovery Firm

Behavioral Healthcare

Behavioral Healthcare

EAHIL-European Association for Health Information and Libraries

EAHIL-European Association for Health Information and Libraries

Patient privacy in a digital world | Articles & Archives | Archives | Behavioral Healthcare

Speaking specifically about the secondary use of health information, Harry Rhodes, director of practice leadership at the American Health Information Management Association, says, “It does help you to identify trends. It helps you to monitor treatment and the success of that treatment.”  (Behavioral Healthcare, June 2008)

Patient privacy in a digital world | Articles & Archives | Archives | Behavioral Healthcare

Milbank Quarterly

Findings: IT and EHRs are the basis of needed efforts to reinforce medical competence, improve relationships with patients, implement disease management programs, and, by increasing transparency and accountability, help reduce some conflicts of interest.

Milbank Quarterly

Senate Republicans talk Medicare anti-fraud fixes

The analysis identified 10.8 million incidents of apparent fraud, including claims in which the provider or beneficiary had died before commencement of services; unlicensed or sanctioned providers; providers convicted of crimes warranting revocation or suspension of their medical licenses; registered sex offenders whose licenses should have been revoked; and providers and beneficiaries using false Social Security numbers or billing from suspicious addresses. The claims accounted for more than $3.2 billion in Medicare payments.

Senate Republicans talk Medicare anti-fraud fixes

HIPAA privacy and security violations cost Seattle company $100,000

The Health and Human Services Department has settled complaints over breaches of health information privacy and security rules by a Seattle home health care company.

HIPAA privacy and security violations cost Seattle company $100,000

GAO report on Electronic Health Records

DOD and VA Have Increased Their Sharing of Health Information, but More Work Remains

Private medical data exposed, raising ID theft risk

Georgia's largest health insurer sent an estimated 202,000 benefits letters containing personal and health information to the wrong addresses last week, in a privacy breach that also raised concerns about potential identity theft. (Atlanta Journal Constitution, July 29, 2008)

Private medical data exposed, raising ID theft risk | ajc.com

Microsoft Research Unveils Free Software Tools to Help Scholars and Researchers Share Knowledge: Microsoft Research Faculty Summit fosters industry and academic partnerships to create next-generation computing technologies.

“Collecting and analyzing data, authoring, publishing, and preserving information are all essential components of the everyday work of researchers — with collaboration and search and discovery at the heart of the entire process. We’re supporting that scholarly communication life cycle with free software tools to improve interoperability with existing tools used commonly by academics and scholars to better meet their research needs.”

Microsoft Research Unveils Free Software Tools to Help Scholars and Researchers Share Knowledge: Microsoft Research Faculty Summit fosters industry and academic partnerships to create next-generation computing technologies.

Medicare Vulnerabilities: Payments for Claims Tied to Deceased Doctors

U.S. Senate staff report (released in conjunction with July 9, 2008 hearing)

http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/_files/PSIReport070908.pdf

BioMed Central | Full text | Instant availability of patient records, but diminished availability of information: a multi-method study of GPs use of electronic patient records

Instant availability of patient records, but diminished availability of information: a multi-method study of GPs use of electronic patient records

Breaking Down What's Happening on the Social Web - O'Reilly Radar

Breaking Down What's Happening on the Social Web - O'Reilly Radar

Using A Standard EHR Approach

Because Oregon Health and Science University has 59 clinics, two hospitals and 800 salaried faculty physicians, implementing an enterprisewide electronic health records system was a daunting task. To greatly simplify implementation at the clinics, the academic medical center developed a standardized, 10-week approach, using a team of clinical experts to guide each implementation.

Using A Standard EHR Approach

Collexis Knowledge Management and Discovery Software

Collexis, a leading developer of knowledge management (KM) and discovery software, develops applications that range from search tools for your website to highly sophisticated discovery applications which are utilized by many organizations worldwide.

Collexis Knowledge Management and Discovery Software

Patient consent for information sharing not always possible or appropriate -- Cross 337 (111): a777 -- BMJ

The test of informed consent for sharing personal medical data has come under attack in a long awaited review of data sharing commissioned by the UK prime minister.

Patient consent for information sharing not always possible or appropriate -- Cross 337 (111): a777 -- BMJ

European Practices of Genetic Information and Insurance: Lessons for the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, July 16, 2008, Van Hoyweghen and Horstman 300 (3): 326

In the rush to confront concerns about potential misuses of genetic information, most European countries have since 1990 enacted genetic nondiscrimination legislation for life or health insurance.
JAMA -- European Practices of Genetic Information and Insurance: Lessons for the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, July 16, 2008, Van Hoyweghen and Horstman 300 (3): 326

Europe's Information Society - ICT for Health

Information & Communication Technologies for Health

Information Society - ICT for Health - home page

2009 Joint Commission Standards: Now Available Online

e-Edition available November 2008

Health Care Law Blog: 2009 Joint Commission Standards: Now Available Onlin

Markle promotes a privacy standard

The Health Care Blog: Markle promotes a privacy standard

Look Before You Leap

Small and mid-size physician practices can eradicate EMR challenges with homework and planning.

http://archive.healthmgttech.com/cgi-bin/arttop.asp?Page=0505/0505look_before.htm

The Feds' strange love-hate relationship with health IT policy

The Health Care Blog: The Feds' strange love-hate relationship with health IT policy

Consumer Genetic Movement: Cease and Desist? How About Understand and Resist!

blog post by Scott Shreeve to The Health Care Blog

The Health Care Blog: Consumer genetic movement: Cease and desist? How about understand and resist!

Getting What We Pay For: Innovations Lacking in Provider Payment Reform for Chronic Disease Care

Research Brief No. 6 from the Center for Studying Health System Change

You get what you pay for: PricewaterhouseCoopers US

Healthcare payment systems need to change to meet future demands and stakeholders need to come together to leverage incentives to positively change behavior and improve outcomes. This in-depth report by the Health Research Institute examines the current landscape and the key levers in driving such change.

PwC studied Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

You get what you pay for: PricewaterhouseCoopers US

Notice of Intent to Publish Program Announcements for Health Information Technology to Improve Health Care Quality

The FOAs are expected to be published by the end of August, 2008.

NOT-HS-08-011: Notice of Intent to Publish Program Announcements for Health Information Technology to Improve Health Care Quality

Main Page - Concept Hub

Concept Hub is designed to facilitate collaboration among users and developers of health care terminologies. Its purpose is to establish a permanent public source of well-defined concepts that can be encoded for data exchange between health care systems worldwide.

Main Page - Concept Hub

NEJM -- The (Slowly) Vanishing Prescription Pad

Perspective article from the July 10 issue of NEJM on the growth in e-prescribing

NEJM -- The (Slowly) Vanishing Prescription Pad

Harris Interactive | The Harris Poll - Health Care Systems in Ten Developed Countries: The U.S. System Is Most Unpopular and Dutch System the Most Popular

"In all ten countries substantial, mostly overwhelming, majorities want fundamental reforms or more"

Harris Interactive | The Harris Poll - Health Care Systems in Ten Developed Countries: The U.S. System Is Most Unpopular and Dutch System the Most Popular

Nurse in Arkansas Pleads Guilty to HIPAA Violation

"Andrea Smith pleaded guilty to ... wrongful disclosure of individually
identifiable health information for personal gain and malicious harm."

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/are/news_releases/2008/April/SmithLPNplea%20HIPAA%20041508.pdf

European Commission Launches Interoperable EHR Initiative - iHealthBeat

European Commission Launches Interoperable EHR Initiative - iHealthBeat: "The commission released guidelines intended to create a minimum level of steps to ensure than an EHR can be accessed effectively across borders of E.U. countries."

Survey shows doctors don't trust the government's use of EHRs

Doctors resist the use of electronic health records because they fear the data will be used to control "what they do and how they do it," according to a recently released survey by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

Survey shows doctors don't trust the government's use of EHRs

Preying on Patients

Medical identity theft can imperil health care, insurance, job prospects

Preying on Patients - WSJ.com

HIT and Public Policy: The Challenges Ahead - iHealthBeat

Commentary by Bruce Merlin Fried, Esq.

HIT and Public Policy: The Challenges Ahead - iHealthBeat

Gene Testing Questioned by Regulators - NYTimes.com

Regulators are cracking down on companies that sell genetic tests directly to consumers, threatening to crimp the growth of one of the hottest sectors of the biotechnology industry.

Gene Testing Questioned by Regulators - NYTimes.com