Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality

Funding Opportunities: Forthcoming AHRQ FOAsAHRQ intends to publish funding opportunity announcements (FOA's) to fund health information technology (IT) research by the end of August, 2008. Three types of awards will be announced: Research Demonstration Grants (R18), Exploratory Developmental Grants (R21), and Small Research Grants (R03).
» 30 Jun 2008, 12:02 pm

Reports: Ambulatory Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE): Findings from the AHRQ Health IT PortfolioThis report summarizes the challenges that AHRQ grantees faced during development, implementation, or evaluation of ACPOE systems between 2004-2007. The report is based on interviews with AHRQ grantees conducted the Agency's National Resource Center for Health IT.
» 25 Jun 2008, 9:34 am

Reports: CBO Report Estimates Costs, Benefits of Health ITA new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the costs and benefits associated with widespread adoption and use of health IT, and outlines policy options for the U.S. Government. The report summarizes current barriers facing greater adoption of IT in health care, and presents health IT as a possible public good that may require federal intervention. The report outlines options, such as federal mandates and incentives for adoption, for policymakers' consideration.
» 30 May 2008, 12:25 pm

Reports: E-Prescribing Standards Expert Panel Meeting MinutesA group of e-prescribing standards experts convened b y AHRQ is building on the first generation of e-prescribing pilots funded by AHRQ and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Recently, these experts met to discuss the technical work, research, and testing needed for the standards to be recommended by the federal government for widespread adoption. Minutes from the meeting include a detailed summary of the discussion and recommended next steps to move forward three e-prescribing standards: RxNorm, Structured and Codified Sig (Sig), and Electronic Prior Authorization (ePA).
» 30 May 2008, 12:24 pm

Health IT Implementation Stories: Health Information Exchange Links Records For Better HealthThe MidSouth eHealth Alliance aims to improve patient care and reduce costs through eliminating duplicate or unneeded tests, reducing hospital stays, and decreasing ED utilization through health information exchange. Read about project characteristics that have made the exchange a success, and find out what's in store next for this ever-evolving initiative.
» 9 May 2008, 9:52 am

Health IT Implementation Stories: AHRQ-Supported Electronic Record System Focuses on Best Practices for VisionWhen it comes to providing rehabilitation care for the visually impaired, data describing quality or outcomes of treatment are few and far between. But a unique computerized record system developed and implemented by New York-based Lighthouse International with funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) aims to change that.
» 4 Apr 2008, 11:14 am

Notice of Funding Opportunity that was issued by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health ITThe purpose of this cooperative agreement is for other networks, such as integrated delivery systems, personally controlled health record support organizations, state, regional and non-geographic health information exchange entities, and specialty networks to participate in the "network of networks" that is the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN). In doing so, participants will implement and test the NHIN specifications and demonstrate their connectivity to others. Awardees shall achieve, test and demonstrate technical and trust relationships with the other participants in the NHIN through the NHIN Cooperative and when participating in the production NHIN, will add value for additional networks to also participate in the NHIN witho
» 13 Mar 2008, 1:37 pm

Tools: Health IT BibliographyThe Health IT Bibliography puts expert-selected knowledge resources on health IT at the fingertips of those seeking to better understand how health IT can transform everyday care by improving its quality, safety, efficiency and effectiveness. The tool includes a host of practical resources for a variety of key topics in health IT, including electronic health record systems, health information exchange, and computerized provider order entry.
» 29 Feb 2008, 9:17 am

Study on Stakeholder Involvement in Local Health Information Exchanges ReleasedFindings from a study of stakeholder perspectives on participation in four HIEs, funded by AHRQ and conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) and the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation, suggest that barriers to achieving data exchange remain high. Concerns about loss of competitive advantage and data misuse impede provider and health plan willingness to contribute patient data. Additionally, uncertainty about who benefits from HIEs is affecting stakeholder willingness to fund the exchanges.
» 22 Feb 2008, 12:13 pm

Health IT Implementation Stories: A Clearer Picture: Sharing PACS Helps Improve Care in MaineA shared Picture Archiving and Communications System in Maine that allows hospitals to store and transmit a patient's imaging records in real-time may form the basis of electronic sharing of other medical information across the state.
» 14 Feb 2008, 12:29 pm

Privacy and Security Solutions Impact AnalysisThis report analyzes the impact of the Health Information Security and Privacy Collaborative (HISPC) on 33 States and one territory and their approaches to privacy and security for electronic health information exchange. Substantial progress was made in five major domains: legislation, executive orders, leadership and governance, stakeholder education and knowledge, and support for health information exchanges. Access the report to learn how these States are making progress toward reducing variation and implementing "good" practices that will permit interoperability while preserving privacy and security.
» 11 Feb 2008, 6:53 am

eDrugSearch Healthcare Top 100

11 Tips for Women Considering Silicone Breast ImplantsDr. Schwartz's Weblog, Last Checked: 30 Jun 2008
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Should progressive reformers talk about reining in the cost of care?The Health Care Blog, Last Checked: 30 Jun 2008
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quot;Is the money worth the human cost?quot;Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog, Last Checked: 30 Jun 2008
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quot;Key Opinion Leaders Were Sales People for Usquot;Health Care Renewal, Last Checked: 30 Jun 2008
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quot;Oppressivequot; Management at UTMBHealth Care Renewal, Last Checked: 30 Jun 2008
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quot;Price Keeps Doctors From EMR'squot; - and Price Keeps Me From My Shiny New F22A RaptorHealth Care Renewal, Last Checked: 30 Jun 2008
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quot;The Autism Myth Lives Onquot;Respectful Insolence, Last Checked: 30 Jun 2008
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quot;Victimlessquot; leather, and yet, there's still regretblog.bioethics.net - the editors' blog of The American Journal of Bioethics, Last Checked: 30 Jun 2008
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amp;quot;Age Disgracefullyamp;quot; with RestylaneDr. Schwartz's Weblog, Last Checked: 30 Jun 2008
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10 out of 10Running a hospital, Last Checked: 30 Jun 2008
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'Twas the night before layoffs.....Pharma Marketing Blog, Last Checked: 30 Jun 2008
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EMR and HIPAA

EMR and Healthcare IT Job SearchIf you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, then you know that I currently work in College Health at my local University. I started this job about 3 years ago and it has been a great learning experience for me in learning about EMR and healthcare IT. When I started the job [...]
» 11 Jun 2008, 12:42 am

Time to Thank Our EMR and HIPAA AdvertisersI never thought when I started this blog that it would do so well. I mostly just started it as a labor of love. It still is a labor of love, but I was really happy when a number of advertisers were interested in advertising on EMR and HIPAA. Thanks to Medical Software Associates [...]
» 30 May 2008, 12:13 pm

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt Blogs About EHR AdoptionToday I came across the HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt’s blog. To be honest, I saw Mike Leavitt’s picture on the blog and I felt like I was meeting an old friend. No, I don’t really know Mike Leavitt from the next person on the street. We have never met before and the [...]
» 27 May 2008, 12:20 am

EMR Vendor Site VisitThis entire week my EMR vendor had someone in our clinic going over our EMR implementation. Yes, that’s nearly 4 entire days of our health and counseling staff meeting with our EMR vendor. You can imagine after the first few meetings it’s pretty hard to keep things straight. However, this type of [...]
» 23 May 2008, 12:01 am

EMR and HIPAA Website StatisticsToday I was looking over some of the various statistics for this EMR and HIPAA blog. I can’t believe I started this blog about 2.5 years ago all in my quest to become an expert on EMR. I guess time will tell how much I really know about EMR. Either way, this [...]
» 21 May 2008, 1:32 am

Google Health Beta Live - What does this mean for EHR?I’ve been following the Google Health announcements for quite a while now and today Google Health finally went live. It’s been a long time coming and so it will be interesting to finally take a look under the hood. I haven’t personally had enough time to do a full analysis of Google Health myself, but [...]
» 19 May 2008, 11:59 pm

Electronically Signed Lab Results in Your EMRMy guess is that many of you are using an HL7 interface between your EMR and your lab. How does your EMR handle the signing of lab results? We worked for an entire year testing, making requests, testing, more requests and more testing before we were able to launch an interface between our lab and [...]
» 16 May 2008, 4:57 am

Rating Your Own EMRSome people have asked me how I rate the EMR I work with every day. I can’t bring myself to do it. It’s unfair to me and the people I work with. It’s not that I don’t have strong feelings about my EMR. I really do. I know the pros [...]
» 14 May 2008, 3:40 am

Win $10k For Your Best Healthcare IdeaI came across an interesting idea today from the Change Now 4 Health community where they are giving away $10k for the best healthcare idea. They are calling it Innovation xChange. Here’s a summary of what they’re trying to do: Do you want to improve the U.S. health care system? Or at least be [...]
» 13 May 2008, 7:08 pm

Using an EMR for Business Intelligence (BI)I just completed my very last class of my educational career (I’ll graduate with my Masters in IS on Saturday. Yeah Me!). My last class was a Business Intelligence class. While I wasn’t necessarily fond of this class or the teacher, I am definitely interested in business intelligence. Business Intelligence to me is [...]
» 13 May 2008, 12:14 am

Fierce Health IT

Key players agree on PHR frameworkA group of the leading lights in the PHR world have come together to endorse a PHR standard, potentially putting to bed the initial arguments over what a PHR actually is and shifting participants' energy to improving features. Connecting for Heath's "Common Framework for Networked Personal Health Information," which was developed over a number of years, has gotten the thumbs-up from Google, Microsoft, WebMD, Dossia, Aetna, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and America's Health Insurance plans. A number of provider organizations were involved in the development of the framework and have endorsed the the final result, including Geisinger Health System, the VA and Partners HealthCare.  While the framework should help a great deal i
» 29 Jun 2008, 9:37 am

JAMA study rocks hospital RFID usersA new study published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association is rocking the hospital world--which has begun to adopt RFID for a wide range of device and patient-tracking functions--by suggesting that such tagging can wreak havoc with critical-care equipment. Researchers in Amsterdam concluded that electromagnetic interference from RFID systems could cause unintended changes in equipment functioning. Researchers detected such changes in 34 out of 123 tests of 41 different medical devices. Of those 34 incidents, 22 were "hazardous," including total switch-offs and restarts of mechanical ventilators, complete stopping of syringe pumps and renal replacement devices and interruption of external pacemakers. In conduct
» 28 Jun 2008, 11:30 pm

AT&T, Covisint and Microsoft plan to expand health network nationwideAT&T, Microsoft and Compuware subsidiary Covisint have announced plans to create a nationwide health information exchange which expands on a smaller network already in place state-wide in Tennessee. In Tennessee, the MidSouth eHealth Alliance and the Governor's eHealth Council had already been running an electronic health network for doctors across the state, running on Covisint's On-Demand Healthcare Platform. The broader eHealth network will use Covisint's platform and run over AT&T's MPLS network. The new network will give consumers access to records based on Microsoft's HealthVault PHR technology, while giving them the ability to share that information with all providers who connect to AT&T's Healthcare Community Online. The Healthc
» 28 Jun 2008, 11:02 pm

DEA releases e-prescribing regs for controlled drugsAfter months of waffling, the Drug Enforcement Administration has finally come out with regulations that would allow doctors to prescribe controlled drugs such as opiates electronically. These regs could prove to be a turning point in the emergence of e-prescribing generally, as many physicians have complained that switching from paper for controlled drugs to e-prescribing for the others was too awkward to sustain.The new regs are designed to fight forgery by imposing a "closed system of controls" on dispensing of controlled substances. Ideally, the new system will actually cut prescription forgery levels by helping pharmacists and DEA officials to more easily trace controlled-substance scripts to legitimate prescribers. They could also mak
» 28 Jun 2008, 6:05 pm

Microsoft brings on Verisign for PHR securityLast week, Microsoft struck a blow for consumer confidence in its PHR technology suite, Health Vault, by bringing on VeriSign as a security provider. HealthVault users are now able to log in to their PHR with VeriSign's OpenID. Built around VeriSign's Identity Protection (VIP) Network, consumers who sign up for its OpenID will be able to use it for various services, including Bay, PayPal and AOL. When users log into HealthVault records using the OpenID secured with VIP, they'll need to enter not only their OpenID user name and password, but also a one-time-password generated by their VIP credential. While your editor isn't qualified to judge just how secure this approach is relative to other methods of accessing PHRs, I'd argue that br
» 28 Jun 2008, 5:36 pm

Kaiser rolling out self-service kiosks; House approves bill offering e-prescribing incentives;> Kaiser Permanente has begun rolling out self-service kiosks designed to speed the physician office visit checking process at 60 medical clinics in southern California. Article> Last week, the House approved a bill that would not only delay planned Medicare fee cuts, but also authorize incentive payments for physicians who use e-prescribing technology. Article> A new study has found that patients with the best improvements in managing their high blood pressure were those who had pharmacists review their EMRs to monitor the patients' progress. Article> The Army has invested in an RFID system to track its medical records. ArticleAnd Finally... It's a cheesy tribute to the Declaration of Independence. Article
» 28 Jun 2008, 5:35 pm

SPOTLIGHT: PwC recommends incentives for IT adoptionGetting providers to adopt health information technology isn't just an issue in the U.S., it's a problem across the world--and current reimbursement systems aren't helping the matter much. In fact, according to research from PricewaterhouseCoopers, two-thirds of health leaders in 20 different countries see problems with their current payment system. To address this issue, PwC's Health Research Institute is recommending that countries should build incentives for IT investment into whatever payment formulas they use. Article
» 28 Jun 2008, 9:41 am

WellPoint says e-prescribing could be a Trojan horse for HIEE-prescribing very well could be the tool that knocks down significant barriers to health information exchange, particularly on the payer side of the equation, according to a WellPoint executive. Speaking at the AHIP Institute in San Francisco, WellPoint VP of Health Information Technology Charles Kennedy, M.D., said that e-prescribing can pay immediate dividends in terms of cost and outcomes, helping to overcome the lack of coordination of care with current EHRs and the perception that clinically focused RHIOs are failing. But it is up to insurers to provide physicians with data showing the value of the technology, he said.  For details:- check out the Health Data Management story ALSO: - DEA prepares proposal to allow e-prescribing of co
» 23 Jun 2008, 10:02 am

Top P4P hospitals to score $7m in bonuses from CMSCMS has announced that it will award a collective $7 million this year to the 112 top-performing hospitals in its ongoing pay-for-performance project with Premier. The best performer, Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, WA, will receive the highest quality-incentive payment of $385,342 after getting top ratings in four out of five clinical areas being measured. All hospitals are reporting data on heart attacks and heart failure, coronary artery bypass grafts, pneumonia, and hip and knee replacements.Officials with the P4P program, which is in its third year, say that there has been substantial and continual improvement among all 250 participating hospitals in 36 states. Hospitals in the CMS/Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstra
» 23 Jun 2008, 9:53 am

PHRs make inroads with health plansJust as FierceHealthIT editor Anne Zieger predicted in her Editor's Corner last week, health plans are fast becoming where the action is in personal health records. (She's on assignment this week, so we can play this up.) At last week's annual meeting of America's Health Insurance Plans in San Francisco, MEDecision, viewed by many as the originator of the payer-based PHR, agreed to be acquired by one of its largest clients, Health Care Service Corp.  Chicago-based HCSC, operator of Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, will pay $121 million in cash for MEDecision, headquartered in Wayne, PA. The deal thrusts HCSC into competition with Aetna, which owns a payer-side PHR company of its own, ActiveHeal
» 23 Jun 2008, 9:42 am

HHS awards contracts for secondary-use trialThe North Carolina Healthcare Information and Communications Alliance and health information organization MedVirginia have won HHS contracts to demonstrate how IT might streamline the process of authorizing and completing the transfer of EHRs to a disability agency, namely the Social Security Administration. Story
» 23 Jun 2008, 9:31 am

Forbes Healthcare News

The Great Drug DebateAn FDA meeting on diabetes provides a window into controversies that are shaking the drug industry.
» 3 Jul 2008, 3:13 am

The Statin ShowdownA complex scientific debate underpins the controversy over cholesterol drugs.
» 30 Jun 2008, 3:54 am

Analyst Says Bristol-Myers A Buyout TargetCould a take-out be in the pharma company's future? If so Pfizer is the ideal purchaser.
» 27 Jun 2008, 8:48 am

Glaxo Pays For Chantix WoesThe Pharma company fights to separate itself from the competition's bad rep.
» 26 Jun 2008, 2:05 pm

Sponsor's Content: Power to Your People, Money in Your PocketCompanies that enable employees to make decisions are three times more successful than competitors. Find out why.
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Broken Biovail May Be IrreparableIf ex-head Melnyk loses court challenge to board, he'll start a new company.
» 25 Jun 2008, 3:30 pm

Google News - Health

Brain imbalance 'cot death key' - BBC NewsdBTechnoBrain imbalance 'cot death key'BBC News - 2 hours agoMore evidence has emerged that a chemical imbalance in the brain may play a key role in cot deaths. Researchers found low levels of serotonin triggered changes in heart rate and body temperature that led to sudden death in tests on mice.SIDS Linked to Brain Chemical Dysfunction Washington PostChemical In The Brain Reveals New Clues About Triggers Of SIDS dBTechnoLos Angeles Times - Reuters - WebMD - The Associated Pressall 200 news articles
» 4 Jul 2008, 2:36 am

Resveratrol in Red Wine May Be the Secret to Ward Off Damage of Aging - eFluxMediaTelegraph.co.ukResveratrol in Red Wine May Be the Secret to Ward Off Damage of AgingeFluxMedia - 1 hour agoBy Anna Boyd Researchers may be closer than ever to discover the secret to longevity, as new research by the National Institute on Aging and Harvard Medical School reveals that a compound in red wine, called resveratrol, appears to protect against many ...Compound in Red Wine Fights Ravages of Age Washington PostFountain of youth? Red wine gives up secrets ReutersAHN - TopNews - Telegraph.co.uk - Enews 2.0all 90 news articles
» 4 Jul 2008, 3:40 am

Group identified top sunscreen brands - Moultrie ObserverABC NewsGroup identified top sunscreen brandsMoultrie Observer - 8 hours agoMOULTRIE - This top-10 list isn’t funny, but it could help save lives, or at the least prevent some painful cases of sunburn. The Environmental Working Group analyzed nearly 1000 brand-name sun screen products and selected 10 top products and a second ...And Bring the Sunscreen New York TimesComment by Sonya Lunder Senior Analyst, Environmental Working GroupCNN - Informify - ABC News - Examiner.comall 91 news articles
» 3 Jul 2008, 8:46 pm

Scientists: Watermelon may work like Viagra - Chicago Sun-TimesBoston GlobeScientists: Watermelon may work like ViagraChicago Sun-Times - 2 hours agoBY STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporter sesposito@suntimes.com Ladies, if your husband or boyfriend suggests a watermelon might be just the thing to spice up your sex life, don't be alarmed.Scientists: Watermelon yields Viagra-like effects The Associated PressResearcher Retreats on Sexual Enhancement Claim for Watermelon MedPage TodayKGNS - Las Cruces Sun-News - WLBT-TV - Telegraph.co.ukall 549 news articles
» 4 Jul 2008, 2:07 am

Mosquito disease risk isn’t higher - Milwaukee Journal SentinelChattahBoxMosquito disease risk isn’t higherMilwaukee Journal Sentinel - 8 hours agoBy JEANNINE AQUINO The swarms of mosquitoes spawned by warm weather and lingering floodwaters in Wisconsin are more blood-sucking nuisance than medical peril, health officials said Thursday.West Nile found in Newtown Township phillyBurbs.comRecord number of birds found with West Nile virus San Diego Union TribuneThe Missoulian - Atlanta Journal Constitution - Modesto Bee - Citizen of Morris Countyall 412 news articles
» 3 Jul 2008, 8:43 pm

More Texas doctors opting out of Medicare - Houston ChronicleMore Texas doctors opting out of MedicareHouston Chronicle - 6 hours agoBy TODD ACKERMAN In an ominous trend for baby boomers, Texas doctors are opting out of Medicare, weary of the perennial fights over cuts in reimbursement.Battle Over Medicare Doctors Pay Rates To Continue Soon dBTechnoAn Honest Effort on Medicare Washington PostCQPolitics.com - Grand Junction Sentinel - Carlsbad Current Argus - Rapid City Journalall 624 news articles
» 3 Jul 2008, 10:38 pm

'Sister Green,' who died on hospital floor, was mother of six - CNNBoston Globe'Sister Green,' who died on hospital floor, was mother of sixCNN - 12 hours agoBy Mary Snow NEW YORK (CNN) -- To the rest of the world who has seen the video, Esmin Green is a symbol of a hospital administration that failed horribly.Health Buzz: Waiting Room Death and Other Health News U.S. News & World ReportSome psych patients wait days in hospital ERs The Associated PressChicago Tribune - Washington Post - San Francisco Chronicle - New York Daily Newsall 960 news articles
» 3 Jul 2008, 4:09 pm

Salmonella strikes again - Nashua TelegraphCTV.caSalmonella strikes againNashua Telegraph - 55 minutes agoBy ASHLEY SMITH, Telegraph Staff As the case of tainted tomatoes remains unsolved, a fourth person in New Hampshire has fallen ill with a rare strain of salmonella poisoning, the state health department announced Thursday.FDA, produce industry talk safety measures for future USA TodaySalmonella probe adds foods served with tomatoes Quad City TimesThe Star-Ledger - NJ.com - KBTX - North Country Gazette - The Packerall 90 news articles
» 4 Jul 2008, 4:06 am

Bush presides at groundbreaking for military hospital - Baltimore SunVoice of AmericaBush presides at groundbreaking for military hospitalBaltimore Sun - 4 hours agoBy David Nitkin | Sun reporter BETHESDA - President Bush turned a spade of dirt to ceremonially launch a major expansion of one of the nation's premier military hospitals yesterday, saying he hoped a new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center ...Video: Bush Breaks Ground at New Walter Reed AssociatedPressBush breaks ground on Bethesda military hospital Examiner.comMilitary.com - Philadelphia Inquirer - CNN - Voice of Americaall 410 news articles
» 4 Jul 2008, 12:47 am

Tumor-starving pill helps thyroid cancer - study - ReutersTumor-starving pill helps thyroid cancer - studyReuters - 13 hours agoWASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - Amgen's (AMGN.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) once-a-day pill to starve tumors can help many patients with hard-to-treat thyroid cancer, either by shrinking tumors or slowing their growth, researchers reported on ...New Drug Slows Thyroid Cancer Washington PostResearch Says VEGF Inhibitor Can Help Slow Progress Of Thyroid Cancer AHNScience Daily (press release) - Medical News Today - Cancer Consultants - MedPage Todayall 37 news articles
» 3 Jul 2008, 3:46 pm

US panel urges more safety tests of diabetes drugs - ReutersdBTechnoUS panel urges more safety tests of diabetes drugsReuters - 13 hours agoSILVER SPRING, Md., July 2 (Reuters) - US regulators should require more testing of the potential heart risks of new diabetes medicines, an advisory panel said on Wednesday.FDA Urged to Toughen Diabetes Drug Tests WebMDThe Great Drug Debate ForbesWall Street Journal - The Associated Press - AHNall 256 news articles
» 3 Jul 2008, 3:48 pm

Healthcare Informatics - Events

RSNA 2008Click here for details.   Important Dates for Attendees Tuesday, April 15 : Deadline for submission of abstracts - 12:00 noon Chicago time Monday, April 21 : Member registration and housing opens Monday, May 19 : Non-Member registration and housing opens Monday, June 30 : Course enrollment opens Friday, October 24 : Deadline for international mailing Friday, November 7 : Final advance registration, housing and course enrollment deadline November 30 - December 5 : 94th Scientific Assembly & Annual Meeting Important Dates for Exhibitors Interested in Exhibiting March 4 : Exhibitor Planning Meeting (Rosement, Ill.) March 26 : Prospectus mails April 7 : Space assignment date point system initiated May 12 : First-round space assignment begins J
» 29 Nov 2008, 9:00 pm

AMIA 2007AMIA 2007 features a program of scientific papers, posters, tutorials and other educational events that provide information about work in healthcare informatics. AMIA 2007 addresses the interests of attendees who have conceptual and theoretical perspectives, and those with needs for practical knowledge of real-world systems.   Features include: Overviews by experts Panels exploring critical issues Demonstrations of some of advanced information resources Scientific and applied papers and posters Dozens of in-depth educational sessions, ranging from fundamental to advanced, from conceptual to applied, taught by informatics experts Download the complete AMIA 2007 Symposium On-site Program (11 MB - pdf)
» 9 Nov 2008, 9:00 pm

5th Annual Connected Health SymposiumThe Center for Connected Health and Partners HealthCare are hosting a two-day symposium entitled, “Who Provides, Who Decides, Who Pays: Consumers, Clinicians and Business Models in the Connected Care Era.” The event will be held at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School in Boston on October 27-28, and will feature speakers from all aspects of healthcare and technology. Key topics will include chronic care coordination, disruptive technologies and healthcare, global connected health, technology tools for caregivers, business models in home health, and the roles of health plans and employers as potential trendsetters. Scheduled speakers include Senator John Kerry , (D-Mass.), who is the chief sponsor of legislati
» 26 Oct 2008, 10:00 pm

MGMA 2008Details to be announced.
» 18 Oct 2008, 10:00 pm

AHIMA Annual Convention and ExhibitMore information to be announced.
» 12 Oct 2008, 10:00 pm

World Congress 3rd Annual Leadership Summit on Revenue Cycle InnovationsThe 3rd Annual Summit, developed in partnership with Zimmerman LLC, focuses on issues surrounding the inefficiencies and areas for improvement within the healthcare revenue cycle. For more information, or to learn how to submit an abstract, visit www.worldcongress.com/revenue .
» 13 Sep 2008, 10:00 pm

NCHICA 14th Annual Conference & ExhibitionHealthcare leaders are offered an opportunity to learn and exchange views on transforming health and care at the annual North Carolina Healthcare Information and Communications Alliance (NCHICA) conference, being held September 7-10, 2008 at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C.   Industry leaders from physician practices, health systems, government organizations, professional associations and IT companies will present on a variety of technology, regulatory and clinical topics, including EHRs, data management, federal health information exchange efforts, clinical health IT applications, consumer perceptions and personal health records, and public health initiatives.   To register or for more information, visit the event’s Web site at htt
» 6 Sep 2008, 10:00 pm

3rd Annual Leadership Summit on The Road to Interoperability3rd Annual Leadership Summit on The Road to Interoperability on July 22 – 23, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. Specific solution areas to be covered include: • Electronic Medical Records (EMR) • Personal Health Records (PHR) • Patient-Centric Portals/Internet-based Communication Exchanges • Regional Health Information Networks (RHIO) Call 800-817-8601 or visit www.worldcongress.com/rti for more information.  
» 21 Jul 2008, 10:00 pm

AMDIS: 17th Annual Physician-Computer Connection SymposiumA 2 1/2 day Symposium at the Ojai Valley Inn A program defining the latest issues and advances in the direct physician use of healthcare information systems and technology. National experts in clinical computing and healthcare information technology will present their views in an interactive forum. This program is based on the books, “The Physician - Computer Connection”, and “The Physician-Computer Conundrum written by William F. Bria, MD and Richard L. Rydell, who are among the faculty of the symposium. Target Audience: Physicians, CMOs, CMIOs, CIOs Healthcare Executives, Nurses, Clinicians, Vendors and Consultants. Program Topics: TBD
» 14 Jul 2008, 10:00 pm

Healthcare Informatics - News

Recombinant, Partners Unite to Develop Data Warehousing ToolWaltham, Mass.-based Recombinant Data Corp. is launching a suite of products developed in collaboration with Partners HealthCare (Boston) to help healthcare providers make secondary use of clinical data from EHRs to achieve quality outcomes. The data warehouse and reporting suite will offer providers an incremental approach to realizing immediate value from data while working toward a long-range enterprise vision, says the company. The solution was originally developed to address the enterprise reporting challenges at Partners, says Recombinant. The suite includes the Recombinant Data Trust, which integrates data from multiple sources to generate an analytical health repository, and Recombinant Report Central, a clinical application that pr
» 3 Jul 2008, 10:20 am

Catholic Healthcare West Upgrades Financial SoftwareCatholic Healthcare West (San Francisco) is installing Orlando, Fla.-based Craneware ’s Chargemaster Toolkit suite of software to improve its financial performance. According to the company, Catholic Healthcare West will roll out Craneware’s revenue cycle management software, including Pharmacy ChargeLink, across its 42-hospital system through fiscal year 2009. A not-for-profit provider, Catholic Healthcare West is the eighth largest hospital system in the nation, with hospitals and medical centers in California, Arizona and Nevada.
» 3 Jul 2008, 10:18 am

San Diego HC District Installing HIE SoftwareSan Diego-based Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH), the largest public healthcare district in Calif., is deploying agent-based software from Novo Innovations (Alpharetta, Ga.) to improve health information exchange with physician-practice EMRs throughout the community. During the first phase of implementation, PPH will utilize the Novo system to offer practices out-bound electronic results reporting, including face sheet data, transcriptions, radiology results, pathology results, and lab results. In addition, Novo’s Internet-based “drop box” functionality will be used to enable PPH to improve its data sharing with practices that do not have EMRs, says the company. PPH’s network includes Palomar Medical Center, Pomerado Hospital, Villa Po
» 3 Jul 2008, 10:15 am

Riverside Medical Taps EHR, PM SystemsRiverside Medical Center , a 336-bed hospital in Kankakee, Ill., is deploying San Francisco-based McKesson ’s Practice Partner EHR and practice management solution. According to Riverside, it will implement the patient record, appointment scheduling, and medical billing software from Practice Partner as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen its physician relationships in the community, and enhance the delivery of care by transferring patient information between the hospital and physician practices. Riverside says it is rolling out the Practice Partner solution this summer, starting with a five-physician pilot program. The facility plans to target about another 100 physicians in the community, says the hospital.
» 3 Jul 2008, 10:14 am

Banner Health Obtains EMR, EPM LicensesBanner Health (Phoenix, Ariz.) has purchased licenses for EMR and enterprise practice management software from Horsham, Pa.-based NextGen Healthcare Information Systems. Through the agreement, the health system aims to strengthen physician infrastructure and recruit more physicians within the health system while continued with its long-term ambulatory physician strategy, it says. Banner Health has 20 hospitals in seven western states, and provides hospital care, home care, hospice care, long-term care, nursing registries, surgery centers, laboratories and rehabilitation services.
» 2 Jul 2008, 11:50 am

Children’s Deploys Epic EMR ToolsChildren’s Healthcare of Atlanta , a 474-bed health system based in Georgia, has implemented CPOE and electronic documentation as part of its roll-out of the EMR from Epic System (Verona, Wis.). The CPOE tools will allow physicians, nurses and other clinicians to directly enter medication, respiratory and nursing orders themselves. Pharmacists in the system will be able to see the child’s weight, medical condition, drug allergies and other prescriptions the child is taking, according to the company. Each software application is designed to share a single storage area combining patient charts, physician orders, clinical notes, pharmacy information and other data, it says.
» 2 Jul 2008, 11:46 am

UPMC Implementing Online Rx Ordering SystemPittsburgh, Pa.-based University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is adopting a system for distributing drug samples to its physician offices, hospital-based clinics and outpatient pharmacies. The UPMC eSample Center, which is being developed by Bothell, Wash.-based MedManage Systems Inc. , will enable physicians to order available samples, vouchers and coupons via a Web-based system accessible through UPMC’s intranet. This “virtual sample closet” will serve as a personalized, one-stop, online ordering utility through which UPMC physicians can request brands from multiple manufacturers, says the company.
» 2 Jul 2008, 11:35 am

KLAS: MTSO Use of Offshore Transcription Services DroppingData published in the Medical Transcription Services Organizations (MTSO) report from Orem, Utah-based KLAS indicate that the percentage of MTSOs using offshore transcription services has declined in the past year. Thirty-five percent of study participants reported using the services, compared to 38 percent in 2007, according to the report, which was developed using input from 400 respondents. According to KLAS, quality, turnaround time and cost continue to be the main drivers for engagements in this market segment. While each provider organization ultimately determines the value of each of these variables, the market itself is changing, says the org, adding that healthcare providers are faced with growing dictation volumes, a shrinking tra
» 2 Jul 2008, 11:35 am

KLAS: Orgs Replacing Existing CIS SolutionsThe CIS market has reached replacement status, according to data from Orem, Utah-based KLAS ’ 2008 Clinical Market Share Report, which states that  more sales are coming from organizations that are replacing existing solutions than from those buying solutions for the first time. The KLAS report also found that only 26 percent of clinical use is through an older, legacy product which is down from 33 percent, which was reported in 2007. The findings, say the company, suggest that vendors developing solutions may be challenged to find a market unless they introduce a unique value proposition, and that vendors are going to be required to clearly demonstrate to organizations the benefits of purchasing a new CIS.
» 1 Jul 2008, 12:27 pm

Stevens Offering HIT Management ProgramHoboken, N.J.-based Stevens Institute of Technology will launch a graduate certificate program to prepare professionals for careers in the healthcare IT industry. The four courses in the new graduate certificate, “Healthcare Information Technology Management,” will provide the knowledge needed to develop, acquire, and implement effective information technology solutions for in-patient and ambulatory settings, as well as home-health solutions, according to the Institute. The certificate is part of a new graduate concentration in Stevens’ Howe School of Technology Management Master’s in Information Systems and MBA programs that the school says will focus on administrative, clinical, and patient-centered e-health systems.
» 1 Jul 2008, 12:08 pm

Healthcare IT Blog

Microsoft Amalga Family Announced TodayToday we are announcing Microsoft Amalga, the new family of Health Enterprise Systems. You can read the full press release on the microsoft.com web site. The products included in the Amalga family are: Microsoft Amalga. The new version of the product formerly known as Azyxxi, Amalga is part of a new software category called Unified Intelligence Systems that allows hospital enterprises to unlock the power of all their data sitting in isolated clinical, financial and administrative systems. Without replacing current systems, it offers an innovative way to capture, consolidate, store, access and quickly present data in meaningful ways for use by clinicians and executives of leading-edge institutions. Amalga is designed for hospitals and h
» 13 Feb 2008, 10:52 am

IHE XDS.b Reference Implementation Gold Now LiveAs promised the GOLD version of the IHE XDS.b Reference Implementation is now posted on CodePlex [direct link]
» 7 Feb 2008, 8:44 am

Microsoft IHE XDS.b Reference Implementation Passes the Connectathon!It is official, after a week of testing in Chicago at the IHE Connectathon, the Microsoft IHE XDS.b Reference Implementation has passed and received the GREEN LIGHT from the Connectathon staff: You can expect the final drop of the code to be posted to the Codeplex web site in about a week. Kudos to the entire Microsoft team, SIMPL and the partners that helped us testing!
» 1 Feb 2008, 4:14 pm

Designing HealthVault’s Data ModelIt’s been about a month now since we released HealthVault and we heard a lot of great feedback from the industry. Pretty much everyone in Health has an opinion on HealthVault :-) I also saw some interesting debate regarding how HealthVault addresses the big elephant in the room: compliance with existing standards. I have been involved in the standards community in healthcare for a long time and contributed first hand to several of the standards that are adopted today, including the ASTM CCR, HL7 and the IHE Interoperability Profiles. We have demonstrated in the past strong support for standards in healthcare and we are committed to the idea of interoperability based on standard protocols and data formats. I talked to Sean Nolan, our Ch
» 4 Nov 2007, 10:51 am

Windows Server 2003 SP2 and The BizTalk Accelerator for HL7 v2.0I have seen some posts about the BizTalk Accelerator for HL7 v2.0 not supporting Windows Server 2003 SP2. That seemed very odd to me so I asked the product teams and in fact there was a typo in the Known Issues where something from a previous release of the documentation was left. Friday we posted an updated version of the documentation where the typo has been corrected. The BizTalk Accelerator for HL7 v2.0 *is* supported on Windows Server 2003 SP2, the *minimum* requirement is SP1. 
» 4 Nov 2007, 9:36 am

How Could I Miss This? HLS Industry CouncilIf you're in Farmington, CT on November 5th, I strongly suggest you attend the (first?): Microsoft Health and Life Sciences Industry Council Healthcare 2.0 Perspectives & Industry Impact - Blogs, Wikis, podcasts, social networking, mashups, and RSS have become mainstream. Yet, the overall business value and viability of the viral movement is largely unrealized within the Healthcare Industry.  This interactive session will showcase current and future state themes, trends, and what Microsoft is doing to help turn vision and potential into reality. Sorry for the short notice, but I did not see this until today. All the people presenting have a very deep background in Health and development: Allan, Ben, Hong, David... Now, how come I did not
» 31 Oct 2007, 2:14 pm

Getting Started with HL7 Version 3 and BizTalk Server 2006 (R2)After a long gestation period we have finally published the HL7 v3 and BizTalk whitepaper: Getting Started with HL7 v3 and BizTalk Server 2006 This paper provides developers with an overview of HL7 version 3 Messaging (HL7 v3) concepts, how to build HL7 v3 solutions with Microsoft® BizTalk® Server 2006, and how to convert message format from HL7 v3 to HL7 Version 2 Messaging (HL7 v2). Given all the different nuances of HL7 v3, it is somewhat difficult for Microsoft to build a "product", but we're definitely committed to supporting the development of solutions based on HL7 v3 messaging standard on the Microsoft platform. Over the past years we worked very closely with HL7 to make sure that XML best practices and Web Services were included
» 31 Oct 2007, 12:47 pm

Microsoft and Global Care SolutionsLast night we made another announcement that further demonstrates Microsoft's commitment to the Health industry worldwide. Microsoft to Acquire Innovative Healthcare Technology and Assets From Global Care Solutions Collaborative alliance with Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok will help bring enterprise-class health information system solutions to market around the world. Have a look at the web site and the video we have there to get a better understanding of what GCS provides: http://www.hospital2000.com/ Download the GCS video (11MB, right-click and save) At the same time we're also launching a minor update to the Azyxxi web site, so this is a good time to go check it out again :-)
» 29 Oct 2007, 7:57 am

Using Office Open XML in HealthWe have just published a whitepaper on the use of Office Open XML in Health at the address below: Using Office Open XML Formats to Support Electronic Health Records Portability and Health Industry Standards Abstract: Empowering patients and consumers to exchange Electronic Health Records securely is a big debate in the health industry across the globe. Learn how to use Office Open XML Formats and custom XML formats to exchange data securely. This particular scenario shows the use of Health Level Seven (HL7) Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) to represent the Electronic Health Record in an industry standard format. It also shows how to include the data in a secured document, based on Office Open XML Formats, for portability across multiple
» 23 Oct 2007, 3:28 pm

New JobStarting today I am joining Microsoft's Health Solution Group as a Senior Product Manager for Azyxxi. After seven years working as a Technical Strategist for our healthcare team (U.S. Healthcare and Life Sciences first, then Worldwide Public Sector) I have enjoyed spending time with a lot of folks in the Microsoft field, in standard development organizations like HL7, IHE and ASTM, and with Microsoft customers and partners. It is time to take it to the next level, as a Product Manager in HSG I will be responsible for product strategy for one of the most innovative solutions in Healthcare WW. That includes bringing the product to market and making sure that our roadmap is aligned to our customer's objectives (plus a few other things :-) This
» 15 Oct 2007, 2:19 pm

HealthVault BlogsThe HealthVault Team has added a couple of great resources for partners and developers: HealthVault Blog (rss) HealthVault FAQ (rss) Go ahead, check them out and say hi!
» 5 Oct 2007, 10:46 am

Healthcare IT News

Vendor Notebook - Eclipsys rolls out LIS at Minn. hospitalThe Eclipsys Corporation has announced that North Memorial Health Care has selected the Eclipsys Laboratory Information System (LIS) to streamline enterprise efficiencies and communication across inpatient and outpatient settings. Read about this and other business news, contracts and new products in this week's Vendor Notebook.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

University of Utah recovers stolen billing recordsThe University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics has recovered the stolen patient billing backup tapes that went missing about a month ago.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Survey shows doctors don't trust the government's use of EHRsDoctors 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.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

GE Healthcare heads to the OlympicsGE Healthcare will supply an array of imaging technology to assess the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health of Olympic athletes before, during and after the Beijing Games in China.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Joint Commission posts 2009 hospital standards onlineThe Joint Commission has reorganized its hospital standards for 2009 and has for the first time made them available online.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Europe sets goal of EHR interoperability by 2015Europe is setting its sights on the interoperability of electronic health records by 2015. The European Commission on Wednesday issued a recommendation on cross-border interoperability.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Vermont hospital association inks online provider credentialing agreementThe Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems has signed an agreement with CAQH that will allow its member hospitals to participate in the Universal Credentialing Datasource online service at a reduced price.
» 1 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Hospital HIT survey shows slow adoptionResults of an annual survey conducted by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) of 5,084 hospitals shows slow progress in healthcare IT adoption.
» 1 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Twin City area hospital implements lab information systemNorth Memorial Health Care, an independent hospital covering Minnesota's Twin Cities area, will implement a laboratory information solution from Eclipsys in an effort to streamline enterprise efficiencies and communication across inpatient and outpatient settings.
» 1 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Alaska health consortium plans for IT upgradesThe Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium will implement a pharmacy software system to manage medication therapies for the organization's eight facilities.
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

New Ronald Reagan Medical Center opens with revamped ITThe new $829 million Ronald Reagan Medical Center has opened its doors after relocating 275 hospital patients and 60 psychiatric patients to its new facility.
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

Healthcare Law Blog

2009 Joint Commission Standards: Now Available OnlineThe Joint Commission's revised standards are now available online. Additional details about the revisions are available on the Standards Improvement Initiative web page.The timetable for the release of the new standards, manuals and scoring information is as follows: July 2008: Standards will be posted to The Joint Commission website August 2008: Scoring information will be posted to the website September 2008: Hard copy manuals will be available for Phase 1 programs (ambulatory, hospital, critical access hospital, home care, office-based surgery) November 2008: Hard copy manuals will be available for Phase 2 programs (behavioral health care, laboratory services, long term care)* November 2008: Single-user access to E-dition (electr
» 2 Jul 2008, 3:54 am

Sermo Physicians Launch Doctors Unite CampaignCan online social networking by health care professionals be the catalysts for group action and change in the health care industry?Fellow friend and health blogger,Fard Johnmar,at Healthcare Vox explores this question and more in his post, "Sermo Docs Launch An Online Health Reform Movement: Will It Matter?". A current effort social networking campaign lead by the physicians who participate in the physician-only social network Sermo (think Facebook for doctors).The online effort - called "Doctors Unite" is an open letter to Americans to highlight the challenges physicians face in delivering appropriate patient care and targets three industry groups: insurance companies, government and malpractice attorneys. The counter currently shows over
» 2 Jul 2008, 3:54 am

Healthcare FuturesA welcome to Michael Ryan, FACHE, Chairman of Executive Impact Group, now blogging at Healthcare Futures. Mike is a recognized eHealth, healthcare and social networking pioneer having served as a founder, executive, advisor and board member of numerous companies. For my West Virginia readers, he also has a West Virginia connection that we uncovered when we first met - a connection through my wife who grew up in the Morgantown area .Healthcare Futures plans to explore health care industry news, trends, and future visions from Michael's view over his career as an observer, executive, advisor, author, innovator, patient and online pioneer.Check out his recent posts on the need for medical mentors as the baby boomers begin to overwhelm the heal
» 1 Jul 2008, 6:53 am

Connecting for Health: Another wave in the shift to consumer controlled health informationThe recent announcement of the Common Framework for Networked Personal Health Information by the Connecting for Health collaboration lead by the Markle Foundation is just the next wave in what may be a tidal shift. The tidal shift is one centered on the input, control, ownership, and administration of health information that results from the active and real use of PHRs by consumers.Those participating in and endorsing the Connecting for Health initiative are a diverse group of health care and technology companies, including Google, Microsoft, Intuit, WebMD, Dossia, BlueCross BlueShield, AARP, AAFP, SureScripts and others.Whether or not the wave is large enough or just one of many more to come is yet to be determined. The ocean of health in
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:33 am

Mountain Stage: The Gold at the End of the RainbowA memorable 2008 FestivALL ended last evening with a great Mountain Stage performance at the Clay Center. One of the best all around performances I can remember in recent past.A storm rolled through Charleston about 15 minutes before the performance and I captured the following photos. Coincidence or not? Well the pot of gold at the end of FestivALL was the "Gold" Mountain Rebels.Jakob Dylan and the Gold Mountain Rebels were excellent as expected as the headliner. The Gold Mountain Rebels had a smooth tight sound that mixed well with Dylan's voice and lyrics. I really enjoyed the performances by singer songwriters, Andy Davis from Nashville and Priscilla Ahn from LA. Great new performers who I was first introduced to at the show and plan
» 30 Jun 2008, 8:51 am

Still More FestivALL: Blues & Brews kicks off weekend eventsSorry for a lack of substantive health care posting the last couple of weeks. The result of being just too busy with client legal matters.This morning I was catching up on my RSS feeds and saw these great photos by Rick Lee (photo to right by Rick of Sonny Landreth) from last nights Blues, Brews & BBQ. Looks like everyone had a great time. We sat on the porch last night after the kids went to bed and caught some of the great music.Today Capitol Street comes alive with artists, performers, etc. Don't miss the fun. Looking forward to watching Jesse & James, Monkeys in the House, Expert Liar Bil Lepp, a variety of music and much more. Later in the day Michael Feldman's Whad'ya Know (Feldman visits Power Park) will be in town and tonight Unive
» 28 Jun 2008, 6:35 am

Please Repair Your Ball MarkAmazing photos from yesterday's hail storm that swept through the Charleston area.The photos were taken at Edgewood Golf Course in the Sissonville area of Kanawha County by one of my partners, Nate Tawney. Great shot of the driving range - looks like they haven't picked up balls all year long. The photo on the green gives you an idea of the size of the hail.I've heard that the damage to cars in the lot was incredible - broken windshields, etc. One person said, "It looks like someone jumped on my hood with a pogo stick."More photos in from Erik Engle:
» 23 Jun 2008, 8:18 am

FestivALL: West Virginia Wiener Dogs Run . . .The Charleston Gazette's front page shot and story of the FestivALL wiener dog races, "and the wiener is . . ."The photo features one of the winners, "Saugy Bottom Boy" who looks like a real thoroughbred. Our kids along with some of their friends are in the background.Week long FestivALL kicked into high gear yesterday with events throughout Charleston. Downtown was busy with Smoke on the Water and the West Side was packed at the wiener dog races. If you twitter - pick up the latest @festivall.My family and I spent a great day taking in the events. We started out the day dressing up and being photographic models for K.D. Lett's visual arts piece that he is working on as a part of FestivALL. He is taking photos of individuals, groups and f
» 22 Jun 2008, 1:55 pm

West Virginia Stereotype: Wild and WonderfulTo celebrate West Virginia Day (June 20), the Health Care Law Blog is excited to be a part of the statewide blogging effort lead by Jason Keeling at aBetterWestVirginia. The idea - collaborate and work together to change the typical stereotypes of West Virginia. Reflect a more accurate perspective of the state, its people, qualities and successes.The state motto, Wild and Wonderful, sits as the centerpiece of all things good about West Virginia. A motto that reflects the states independence, beauty, people and places. These two words bring so much to this West Virginian's imagination. (check the links for the new stereotypes).People that are wildly creative and wonderful to be around.Wonderful landscape that is wildly beautiful and wildly r
» 30 Jun 2008, 11:31 pm

Gazette Covers West Virginia Blogger Effort to Confront StereotypesToday's Gazette local section covers the Better West Virginia project by West Virginia bloggers to examine and challenge the traditional West Virginia stereotype on West Virginia Day (June 20). Bloggers from around the state will post their view and vision of West Virginia's new stereotype.Sarah Cooper over at the Putnam Scoop asked her regular readers to leave a comments with their impression of West Virginia and its stereotypes.I would be interested to hear similar thoughts from my regular readers. Please leave a comment with your positive or negative stereotype of West Virginia and its people.
» 19 Jun 2008, 6:34 am

WVHCA Board Approves Modified Cardiac Catheterization StandardsYesterday, the West Virginia Health Care Authority Board approved the changes to the Certificate of Need Standards for Cardiac Catheterization. The approved modification will now be delivered to Governor Manchin for review and approval.Eric Eyre of the Charleston Gazette covers the story today in his article, Smaller hospitals get OK to offer heart procedures.The new Standards will not go into effect until approved by the Governor. The current Cardiac Catheterization Standards were last updated and approved by the Governor on May 3, 2007.For more on the process of modifying the standards check out my previous posts.
» 19 Jun 2008, 6:27 am

HISTalk

Readers Write 7/2/08Circadian Rhythm of the Organization By Art Vandelay All organizations seem to have times when they are and aren’t receptive to certain communications and changes. In order to convey this concept to my staff, I found an effective metaphor, the human circadian rhythm. This rhythm is [...]
» 2 Jul 2008, 3:19 pm

News 7/2/08From DelawareDoc : "Re: DHIN. The Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) had its state funding cut from $2.5 million to $1.5 million. Also, Delaware State Legislature has authorized House Resolution #76 to create a task force to review DHIN." From The PACS Designer: "Re: it’s getting cloudy. Some HIStalk readers [...]
» 1 Jul 2008, 5:43 pm

Monday Morning Update 6/30/08From Madison Reader: "Re: Epic. Big day for Epic news." First story: an interesting article on Verona’s "green sprawl," contrasting Epic’s eco-friendly campus to the urban sprawl it created by its commuting employees. The company’s track record of being a good community citizen is also mentioned. In a less-flattering news, Epic flexes its rarely used [...]
» 28 Jun 2008, 1:11 pm

News 6/27/08From Home Alone: "Re: Misys Homecare. What can anyone tell me about it? Will they run this into the ground much like the old Sunquest?" From Jerry Rivers: "Re: job helper. I saw your ad that says 75% of HIStalk readers say it helps their job. I don’t believe it." [...]
» 26 Jun 2008, 6:51 pm

Readers Write 6/25/08Submit your article of up to 500 words in length, subject to editing for clarity and brevity. Use your real or phony name (your choice). Submissions are subject to approval and become the property of HIStalk. Thanks for your thoughts! Providers Facing Identity Crisis as NPI Vexes Claims Processing [...]
» 25 Jun 2008, 4:22 pm

Medgadget

Cardiac Electrophysiology Goes Robotic and 3D with CoHesion™Hansen Medical of Mountain View, California just received FDA approval to market the company's new CoHesion visualization module for complex electrophysiology (EP) mapping procedures, a technology that bridges St Jude's 3D visualization guidance system EnSite™ with Hansen's 3D robotic navigation system Sensei™. We first reported about Sensei™ robotic system back in January 2007. This integrated EP solution offers a software interface between the Hansen Medical Sensei(TM) Robotic Catheter system and the EnSite(TM) System advanced mapping software from St. Jude Medical, Inc. Hansen Medical's platform solution offers physicians the ability to instinctively navigate a catheter during the diagnostic phase of a complex cardiac a
» 3 Jul 2008, 3:09 pm

Motion C5 Mobile Clinical Assistant Gets New FeaturesMotion Computing has just announced that its clinically oriented C5 tablet PC, a computer covered by us on a number of occasions before (see flashbacks below), has just been upgraded and fortified thanks to a new solid state drive (SSD). Here's more: The C5 now features integrated mobile broadband and solid state drive (SSD) options to extend its usability to the point of care, regardless of patient location. Additionally, the C5 and F5 now feature improved capacity with standard 80 GB hard disk drives (HDD) at no additional cost. “Motion understands mobile workforces and we are focused on improving productivity across a broad range of environments, from the patient bedside to the construction site,” said Mike Stinson, VP of Mar
» 3 Jul 2008, 1:16 pm

Laser Opto-Acoustic Imaging Technology from Seno MedicalHere's what we know about the opto-acoustic imaging technology from Seno Medical Instruments, Inc., a San Antonio, Texas firm. A recent report on the wires says that there is a new research agreement between Seno Medical and two Canadian universities to study the company's first-ever commercially available opto-acoustic small animal imaging device. It turns out the technology, that utilizes the conversion of laser pulses into acoustic energy once the light hits tissue, can have profound consequences on development of future diagnostic imaging modalities for cancer and beyond. The company explains its technology: Laser opto-acoustic imaging technology combines optics and acoustics with a goal of improving the accuracy of the cancer diagnosis
» 3 Jul 2008, 11:22 am

Metal Layering Technique Leads to Fine Tuned ImplantsGerman researchers have developed a manufacturing technique that should make individual bone implants cheaper and more effective. This involves coating a surface with wafer-thin layers of special metal powder. A laser beam heats – or sinters – the powdered metal in the exact places that need to be firm. “It’s like baking a cake,” says Andreas Burblies, spokesman for the Fraunhofer Numerical Simulation of Products, Processes Alliance. Any remaining loose powder is subsequently removed. “The end product is an open-pored element,” explains Burblies. “Each point possesses exactly the right density and thus also a certain stability.” The method allows the engineers to produce particularly lig
» 3 Jul 2008, 3:00 am

Sand Away Plaque, Keep The EnamelA new and apparently more precise method to assess the abrasion caused by dental products has been developed by Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials scientists. From the press release: A leading manufacturer of dental hygiene products asked the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg, one of whose specialties is the analysis and visualization of surface roughness, to help them develop new prophylactic pastes. The effectiveness of a prophylactic paste has so far been measured by how well the granules that it contains are able to smoothen a rough surface. The test is performed by first roughening tooth enamel or denture materials such as ceramics and titanium to a precisely defined value with an aggressive g
» 3 Jul 2008, 2:43 am

Minimize Brain Injury With Spackle-Like Substance for CellsA new paper published in the Journal of Biological Engineering describes an experiment in which poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) was used to minimize traumatic brain injury in rats. In the experiment weights were dropped on lab rats' heads (ouch) to cause the brain injury. Some of the rats were treated with PEG shortly after the injury (within 2-6 hours), or received a placebo treatment. The scientists found that the rats that were given intravenous PEG within 4 hours after brain injury had a better recovery than the less fortunate rats. The material works by helping neurons "seal up" leaky membranes. If further studies prove to be successful we could soon see PEG being carried in ambulances for immediate use in head trauma victims. Read more in
» 3 Jul 2008, 1:51 am

Radial Jaw 4 Biopsy Forceps From Boston SciBoston Scientific thinks that its endoscopic Radial Jaw 4 Biopsy Forceps, a device introduced back in July 2006, is better than all other similar products on the market. To its effect, the company touts the results of the study by Garth Swanson MD, et al from Rush University Medical Center that found that "jumbo RJ4 biopsy forceps improved tissue sampling in Barrett's Esophagus compared to standard large capacity forceps." The big idea behind the device is that it features a larger bucket and newly designed holes to allow mucus to flow from the tissue sample. More features from the product page: New jaw configuration is designed to provide: Large tissue specimens for sample handling, preparation and accurate histological diagnosis Jumbo: Mo
» 2 Jul 2008, 1:19 am

Novel Molecular Probes Detect Protein-Protein InteractionInvestigators from MIT are reporting in the online June 27 issue of J. Am. Chem. Soc. a new method to tag intracellular (or in vitro) proteins to allow the study of their interactions. Here's what the authors note in the study: One protein partner is fused to Escherichia coli biotin ligase (BirA), while the other protein partner is fused to BirA’s “acceptor peptide” (AP) substrate. If the two proteins interact, BirA will catalyze site-specific biotinylation of AP, which can be detected by streptavidin staining. To minimize nonspecific signals, we engineered the AP sequence to reduce its intrinsic affinity for BirA. The rapamycin-controlled interaction between FKBP and FRB proteins could be detected in vitro and in cells wi
» 2 Jul 2008, 1:01 am

Wearable Muscle Tension Sensors Know More Than What You FeelA collaboration of European engineers is working on minuscule muscle tension sensors that can be woven into fabric to provide real-time data taken from a person's state of electrical excitation of the muscles. From the statement issued by Fraunhofer-Institut für Zuverlässigkeit und Mikrointegration: [The vest] consists of sensors woven into the fabric that register the electrical excitation of the muscle fibers, and thin conducting metallic fibers that pass the signals to an electronic analysis system. People’s muscle tension changes with their stress level – the greater the stress, the more likely the muscles are to produce a synchronous twitching effect. Though this is barely perceptible, the electrodes register the
» 2 Jul 2008, 1:00 am

Killing Bugs With E&MAt Georgia Tech Research Institute a new device tuned to kill biological contaminants has been created. Using specific phosphors that emit UV light via cathodoluminescence effect, the device kills tiny critters on surfaces and within. From Georgia Tech: Using flat panel modules that produce X-rays and ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light simultaneously, the researchers can kill anthrax spores in two to three hours without any lingering effects. The system also has the ability to kill anthrax spores hidden in places like computer keyboards without causing damage. "This is certainly an improvement over previous techniques," said Brent Wagner, GTRI principal research scientist and director of its Phosphor Technology Center of Excellence (PTCOE
» 2 Jul 2008, 1:00 am

Tiny MRI MachinesA team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Technology Engineering (Fraunhofer-Institut für Biomedizinische Technik IBMT) in Sankt Ingbert, Germany along with Magritek, a Kiwi firm, has been developing tiny MRI machines using permanent magnets in a specific alignment. It is not clear yet what the medical implications for this imaging modality would be. We imagine one can view ingrown toe nails with one of these. The Magnetic Resonance working group at the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Technology Engineering IBMT in Sankt Ingbert has made magnetic resonance imaging mobile. They collaborated with the New Zealand company Magritek to develop small portable devices. Dr. Frank Volke, head of the Magnetic Resonanc
» 2 Jul 2008, 1:00 am

Microsoft HealthBlog

Independence Day for Telepresence Solutions in HealthcareLast week I met with two company CEO's here in Redmond who wanted to show me their latest solutions for telemedicine, bedside monitors, and home health remote monitoring.  It should come as no surprise that neither company is based in the United States.  If you've been a follower of this Blog you know that I tend to see much greater use of telepresence technologies in healthcare beyond US boarders and especially overseas.  It's not that we don't have the technology in the United States, it's just that the business model for using it isn't as compelling as it is in countries that have more centrally managed, publicly financed health systems. The first company I met with was TeleMedCare of Rosebery, Australia.  Professor Branko Celler,
» 1 Jul 2008, 3:46 pm

RFID vs. USID for real-time tracking of patients, staff and equipment in the hospital setting"In a controlled nonclinical trial setting, RFID technology is capable of inducing potentially hazardous incidents in medical devices. Implementation of RFID in the ICU and other similar health care environments should require on-site EMI tests in addition to updated international standards". So concludes a study published in the June 25th edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.  In the study, incidents of electromagnetic interference with medical equipment were far more common with passive 868-MHz chips than active 125 kHz RFID systems.  The median distance at which all RFID incidents occurred was 30 cm with a considerable range up to 600 cm.  41 medical devices (IV pumps, anesthesia machines, monitors, defibrillator
» 27 Jun 2008, 10:26 am

Industrial process modeling and analytics tools improve care quality and efficiency in a busy hospital emergenI'm back from my travels in Norway.  While I was gone, we published a compelling case study that illustrates how software can be used to improve patient care in busy clinical settings.  At Microsoft, we published dozens of health industry case studies every year.  But it's not every day that we get quotes like this one.  "In three days’ time, Microsoft and Orlando Software Group were able to provide us with more business intelligence and insight than we were able to achieve in two years of study."  Those are the words of Dr. Christopher DeFlitch, Director and Vice Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  Dr. DeFlitch is a strong advocate for process mode
» 20 Jun 2008, 1:39 pm

Norway leading the way to digital healthMy Norwegian healthcare tour comes to a close today.  On Wednesday we visited with physicians and executives at Asker and Baerum Hospital. We also participated in the grand opening of the European Health Center of Excellence.  On Thursday, we met with officials representing the 15 hospital trusts in the South East Norway Regional Health Authority and toured the new $1.6 Billion Akershus University Hospital. Asker and Baerum is a more typical Norwegian community hospital and certainly less glitzy and grand than the newer facilities we visited.  However, the physicians at Asker and Baerum were absolutely delightful and extraordinarily engaged in our discussions about clinical information systems and the opportunity to use IT to improve ca
» 13 Jun 2008, 3:01 am

IP all over, all over IP at St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim, NorwayThe past few days of travel in Norway have been truly eye opening.  After leaving Tromso on Monday, we headed to Trondheim where I had an opportunity to hold meetings with clinical and administrative leaders and take a tour of St. Olavs Hospital.  The hospital is nearing the tail end of a rebuilding project that started in 1999 and will finish in 2012.  They started with the notion that the patient would be at the very center of everything in the design of their new facilities.  Some 5500 employees now work at St. Olavs.  The campus includes, or will include, a heart-lung and emergency center, a women's and children's center, and centers for neurology, gastroenterology, mobility, and psychiatry.  There is also a knowledge center, pati
» 12 Jun 2008, 7:46 am

Improving care quality and collaboration with Microsoft Office GrooveHigh quality healthcare today can only be delivered by multidisciplinary teams consisting of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, social workers and others.  This often includes caregivers who work out in the community and in patients' homes.  But such "teamwork" can lead to fragmented information and work processes that put quality at risk with duplication of patient records, unnecessary tests, and prolonged hospital stays.  Effective caregiver collaboration requires an integrated information environment. Clinicians need access to patient information from a variety of locations. The information must always be up to date, and the exchange of information from one caregiver to another must be done securely. In addition, the tools that
» 10 Jun 2008, 9:40 pm

Soaring to New Heights in Telemedicine and eHealthI am writing this from Tromso, Norway, where later today I will deliver a keynote address at the Tromso Telemedicine and eHealth Conference.  Preceding me on stage is Dr. Clayton Christensen of Innovator's Dilemma fame.  I believe my message on healthcare delivery innovation and the power of commodity IT will reverberate well with what Dr. Christensen has to say. Tromso is a town of about 60,000 residents in Norway's north.  It is so far north, on the same latitude as Barrow, Alaska, that the sun never sets during the summer months and likewise never rises during the winter.  Tromso is also home to the University of North Norway, the northernmost university in the world.  The university was founded in the early 1970s with a medical sc
» 9 Jun 2008, 1:37 am

Healthcare IT Adoption by Clinicians: It's a two-way streetOn a recent post titled "Improving Preventive Care Compliance" I nudged my clinical colleagues to be more proactive in reminding patients about needed preventive services.  I made comparisons to service notifications that are typical in other industries and the relative paucity of this practice in clinical medicine.  I also provided an example of how technology is being applied to help doctors do a better job. One of the great things about blogging is its worldwide reach, and the great feedback that I receive on what I write.  A young physician named Jessica read my post and provided what I think is an important perspective on the topic of IT and barriers to wider adoption by physicians.  If you are an IT professional or a developer of
» 30 May 2008, 10:57 am

Improving preventive care complianceLast week I received a postcard from my auto dealer. It was time to bring my car in for service.  They also send me email reminders and call me should I fail to make an appointment.  I get similar reminders from my dentist.  I even get reminders each year from the city letting me know it is time once again to test my lawn sprinkling system for "back flow".  On the other hand, I cannot remember the last time I got a notice from my doctor that it was time to come in for a checkup.  I guess he's got so many patients that he doesn't need the business, or maybe he doesn't really care that much about keeping me healthy.  One could wonder! That's why I was particularly pleased to see a new case study from one of our customers.  It concerns
» 21 May 2008, 2:47 pm

The imperative for leadership in American healthcareLast week I was invited to provide the luncheon keynote to a group of hospital and health system executives in San Francisco.  They had gathered under the auspices of The Leadership Institute to share best practices and hear from a select group of outside speakers.  Institute meetings are closed to non-members.  This provides an opportunity for individuals attending the meetings to share information with each other in complete candor.  Even as an invited speaker, I wasn't able to attend other sessions on the agenda although I did receive an invitation to join the group for dinner the evening after my presentation.  This not only made way for some great business discussions, but also gave me a chance to get to know some of the members I
» 19 May 2008, 1:44 pm

Microsoft Common User Interface for Health Applications--Take 1.3On several occasions, I've told you about some excellent work that is being done to help define a common user interface for clinical applications.  This work addresses the important patient safety and user dissatisfaction issues that arise when clinicians are forced to use software applications in clinical practice that all look and behave differently.  Imagine moving from hospital to hospital or clinic to clinic and encountering an entirely different user interface and clinical system each place you work.  It would be like asking accountants to be equally proficient on a wide variety of spreadsheet applications or writers to know how to expediently edit on every kind of document software on the market.   That just wouldn't work.  Cli
» 12 May 2008, 2:02 pm

NHIN Watch - Headlines

Perspective: Rural California hospital implementing community-wide EHR systemIn mid-June, the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation was awarded $334,268 from a $50 million charitable investment fund California state regulators mandated from PacifiCare Health Systems when it merged in 2005 with UnitedHealth Group. The funds will enable the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital and the Foundation to continue their ongoing implementation of a community-wide electronic health record system (EHR).
» 2 Jul 2008, 12:00 pm

HHS Secretary Leavitt, AMA President Nielsen push for EHR adoptionHHS Secretary Mike Leavitt and American Medical Association President Nancy Nielsen respond to reports of low physician adoption of electronic health record systems in letters to the editor of the New York Times.
» 2 Jul 2008, 12:00 pm

Hospital HIT survey shows slow adoptionResults of an annual survey conducted by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) of 5,084 hospitals shows slow progress in healthcare IT adoption.
» 2 Jul 2008, 12:00 pm

Australian medical group calls for better IT after baby's deathThe Australian Medical Association has called for improvements to x-ray technology used to diagnose a baby who died of an undetected enlarged heart. The group is calling for infrastructure that allows sharing of x-ray images with other hospitals.
» 2 Jul 2008, 12:00 pm

Twin City area hospital implements lab information systemNorth Memorial Health Care, an independent hospital covering Minnesota's Twin Cities area, will implement a laboratory information solution from Eclipsys in an effort to streamline enterprise efficiencies and communication across inpatient and outpatient settings.
» 2 Jul 2008, 12:00 pm

Merging of e-prescription networks could hasten NHINTo encourage greater adoption of e-prescribing among physicians, two e-prescription networks, SureScripts and RxHub will merge. Some industry experts and stakeholders believe the integrated network will help lay down the foundation for the nationwide health information network.
» 1 Jul 2008, 12:00 pm

Brussels hospital network selects interoperability platformIRIS, the organizational network of Brussels' five public hospitals has selected dbMotion to implement an interoperability platform for health information sharing to the Brussels region's 11 sites.
» 1 Jul 2008, 12:00 pm

New York hospital to start program to store medical information on a chipPatients at New York's Mount Sinai Medical Center will soon be getting their medical history on a chip in a card, which is being touted as an ATM card for patient health data.
» 30 Jun 2008, 12:00 pm

Editorial: AMA wants physician input for health IT billsIn an editorial, the American Medical Association is asking that physician input be included as health information technology bills in the Congress are being shaped, especially with regard to technical standards, privacy and financing.
» 30 Jun 2008, 12:00 pm

Maryland county HIE commencesThe Montgomery County Health Information Exchange (HIE) Collaborative, which is tasked with improving care for Maryland's uninsured and underinsured population with an electronic health information exchange system connecting "safety net" clinics and hospital emergency departments, began with a kick-off meeting of stakeholders.
» 30 Jun 2008, 12:00 pm

NY Times - Health

The New Old Age: The Car Key ConversationThe “car key conversation” is a dreaded milestone of eldercare and one that adult children dread most.
» 3 Jul 2008, 1:48 pm

Personal Best: To Beat the Heat, Learn to Sweat It OutNo matter how much you train in the heat, it will never be easy, athletes and researchers say.
» 3 Jul 2008, 4:14 pm

Assisted Suicide of Healthy 79-Year-Old Renews German Debate on Right to DieA woman’s desire to avoid life in a nursing home forces a country to confront the thorny ethical issue and casts an assisted-suicide advocate as Germany’s Jack Kevorkian.
» 3 Jul 2008, 8:39 am

European Plan Would Expand Health Care Access Within the BlocEuropean Union residents would be able to receive most health care treatment anywhere in the 27-nation bloc without prior authorization under a proposal published on Wednesday.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:53 pm

Aiming to Sell the World on FitnessTechnogym, an exercise equipment maker, is expanding its reach to countries with few health clubs, in a strategy to survive an economic downturn in the United States.
» 3 Jul 2008, 9:49 am

E. Coli Illnesses Prompt Beef RecallThe Agriculture Department is warning that the beef supplied by a Nebraska company may be responsible for at least 40 illnesses.
» 2 Jul 2008, 10:34 pm

F.D.A. Panel Urges More Testing for Diabetes DrugsDiabetes drugs would be subject to more stringent safety standards under recommendations made Wednesday by a government panel.
» 2 Jul 2008, 11:19 pm

Salmonella Probe Adds Foods Served With TomatoesThe government is about to start testing numerous other types of fresh produce in the hunt for the source of the nation’s record salmonella outbreak.
» 2 Jul 2008, 11:55 am

Scientist at Work | David Pritchard: The Worms Crawl InCan hookworms protect against allergies? In a quest to find out, David Pritchard infected himself.
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:51 pm

Mind: Decades Later, Still Asking: Would I Pull That Switch?New papers illustrate the continuing power of Stanley Milgram’s shock experiments — and the interpretations they still inspire.
» 1 Jul 2008, 9:00 am

A Quandary on Blood Drops in the BrainImprovements in scanning techniques are making it easier to see microbleeds in the brain, but it’s unclear what should be done about them.
» 2 Jul 2008, 7:53 pm

The Healthcare Blog

What the candidates' searches say about themOne of the fun parlor games of Election '08 is to look at Internet data and figure out what they mean. The answer may be "nothing," of course. But let's play along and look at the latest Hitwise data on...
» 4 Jul 2008, 3:45 am

UnitedHealth trying to regroup for an uncertain futureBy Matthew Holt In an attempt to put that messy options back-dating business behind it, yesterday UnitedHealth Group settled with CalPERS (the ever vigilant pension fund of California state employees) and other class action suit members. And they settled for...
» 3 Jul 2008, 1:08 am

Healthcare Unbound, and HHS Genomics WorkshopBy Matthew Holt There's lots of activity coming up next week. Matthew Holt will be at a star-studded workshop about personal genomics put on by HHS in Washington DC Monday afternoon. Details are here and if you can't get there...
» 3 Jul 2008, 12:52 am

THCB is proudly sponsored by» 3 Jul 2008, 12:45 am

THCB UPDATEIf you haven't had a chance to sign up for THCB UPDATE yet, you really should. You'll get a helpful reminder email from us a few times a week when important posts go up on the site. In the two...
» 3 Jul 2008, 12:44 am

MARKETPLACE: Patient safety barbecueLeapforPatientSafety.org is hosting a patient safety barbecue in Aiken South Carolina July 4 to commemorate Patient Safety Day. The organization also has an online petition requesting increased protection for physicians who complain to hospital administrators regarding poor quality patient care.
» 3 Jul 2008, 12:40 am

Mitigating interference between electronic medical devicesBy John Halamka Last week, JAMA published an article about the risks of active and passive radio frequency identification to other hospital equipment. The Associated Press and ABC News issued major stories about it. Although the study focused on RFID...
» 3 Jul 2008, 12:40 am

AMA and AHIP go head to head with TV adsBy Sarah Arnquist The American Medical Association this week began a television ad campaign, lambasting Republican Senators who failed to prevent the July 1 automatic 10.6 percent Medicare physician fee cut. In the one-minute ad, AMA President Nancy Nielsen says,...
» 2 Jul 2008, 7:25 pm

Health 2.0 San FranciscoOctober 22 - 23 | The Marriott, San Francisco Pricing - Full Agenda - Register Me! Building on the excitement generated by the first two Health 2.0 conferences, Health 2.0 User-Generated Healthcare promises to take the conversation to a new...
» 2 Jul 2008, 10:04 am