Technology (BenefitsLink.com)Headlines re Technology, gathered by BenefitsLink.comGuidance Overview Side-by-Side Comparisons of Current and 'HIPAA 2' EDI Standards Posted on CMS Website- (Found July 2, 2008 ) Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: Health plans are required to comply with the EDI standards that apply to all covered entities, as well as some additional requirements specific to health plans. Covered entities (including health plans) and their business associates may find the side-by-side comparisons helpful in assessing the potential impact of the HIPAA 2 changes." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)http://www.ebia.com/weeklyguest/19376/20080523ee0e856482a890832bb36419a7f154d1/BNL080501 Gingrich Urges Switch to Electronic Medical Records- (Found July 2, 2008 ) Excerpt: "'It's been a very great disappointment that the administration has not proposed to go to 100 percent electronic health records,' Gingrich said yesterday. . . . He said Congress could have paid for such a changeover with the money now being directed to the subprime mortgage loan bailout. During a wide-ranging speech, he likened the changes in the medical industry to Major League Baseball, which in recent years has increasingly focused on using data to make personnel...http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-md.gingrich29apr29,0,7578180.story Microsoft Says Web 2.0 Essential to Helping Consumers Take Control of Their Health Care- (Found July 2, 2008 ) Excerpt: "Microsoft says Web 2.0 is the technology that will help consumers take control of their health care and health information. Attendees were told at Microsoft's Health & Life Sciences Developer and Solutions Conference . . . that Web 2.0 technologies moved information out of isolated silos and into interlinked community computing platforms that function like software for users." (eWeek.com)http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Health-Care/Web-20-Can-Give-Consumers-More-Control-over-Health-Ca... Opinion Individual Control of Sensitive Health Information Accessible Via the Nationwide Health Information Network for Purposes of Treatment (PDF)- (Found July 2, 2008 ) 11 pages. Excerpt: "This letter recommends that you adopt a policy for the Nationwide Health Information Network to allow individuals to have limited control, in a uniform manner, over the disclosure of certain sensitive health information for purposes of treatment. The discussion and recommendations that follow are based on several critical considerations: protecting patients' legitimate concerns about privacy and confidentiality, fostering trust and encouraging participation in the NHIN..http://ncvhs.hhs.gov/080220lt.pdf New Democrat Coalition, New York City Officials Announce Proposal for Federal Health Care IT Program- (Found July 2, 2008 ) Excerpt: "Members of the New Democrat Coalition on Tuesday announced a proposal that would use a New York City health care information technology program as a legislative template for a federal program, CQ HealthBeat reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=51621 HHS Releases Comprehensive Plan To Encourage Nationwide Adoption of Health IT- (Found July 2, 2008 ) Excerpt: "The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at HHS on Tuesday released a cross-agency directive to speed up the adoption of a nationwide health information technology system that would improve health care quality, increase efficiency, reduce medical errors and address concerns of patient privacy and data security, CQ HealthBeat reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=52524 ERIC Writes to Congress about Benefits of e-Prescribing- (Found July 2, 2008 ) Excerpt: "ERIC was one of 20 organizations that signed an educational letter to key House and Senate committee leaders about the benefits of e-prescribing in terms of safety and efficiency for physicians, pharmacists, and patients. The letter sought to dispel the notion that the U.S. healthcare system lacks uniform or complete e-prescribing standards, or that those standards have yet to be adopted broadly by physician technology vendors." (The ERISA Industry Committee)http://www.eric.org/forms/documents/DocumentFormPublic/view?id=126BA00000057 Federal Health IT Office Unveils Five-Year Strategic Plan- (Found July 2, 2008 ) Excerpt: "HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT on Tuesday released a five-year strategic plan to serve as a guide to coordinate the federal government's health IT efforts, Digital Healthcare & Productivity reports." (California HealthCare Foundation)http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2008/6/4/Federal-Health-IT-Office-Unveils-FiveYear-Str... Opinion 'I Think I See a Few Dollars on That X-Ray: We'll have to Operate'- (Found July 2, 2008 ) Excerpt: "As a primary care doctor, I live with one foot in the horse and buggy era and one in the silicon age. I spend most of my time talking to patients and wielding a stethoscope, and I also use the latest high tech gadgets. But the gadgetry is getting out of hand; its overuse threatens patients and is blowing the lid off health care costs." (David Himmelstein via Physicians for a National Health Program)http://www.pnhp.org/news/2008/june/i_think_i_see_a_few.php Insurer Partners With Google on Health Records- (Found July 2, 2008 ) Excerpt: "Google and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts are partnering to allow plan members to create online personal health records with Google Health. The Boston-based health insurer's members will be able to download claims data into a personal health record hosted by Google Health." (Workforce Management; free registration required)http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/25/59/55.html |