in the national news
Not a day seems to go by that you don’t see a story about electronic medical records. Below are some of the recent highlights about the ongoing conversation about electronic medical records.
American Medical News
Hospitals integrating their medical devices and EMRs: Officials believe the link saves staff members time by getting rid of manual documentation
12/20/10
A third of hospitals have integration between medical devices and electronic medical records, allowing data recorded on the devices to be uploaded automatically into EMRs, according to a survey released Dec. 1 by HIMSS Analytics. Most hospitals that have linked devices and EMRs said they believe it saves staff time by eliminating manual documentation.
Fortune
Tweet your chart: Why social sharing of medical data is a good idea
12/17/10
Concerns over digital privacy, especially of medical records, have never been higher. Yet startup PatientsLikeMe says there's much to be gained from the crowdsourcing of ailments -- and treatments.
Hartford Courant
Acquisition Catapults Aetna In Electronic Medical Records
12/07/10
Aetna is moving into the world of electronic medical records by acquiring a company that allows doctors, hospitals and specialists to upload and share information on a so-called exchange.
UPI.com
More physicians using electronic records
12/09/10
Slightly more than half of U.S. physicians report using electronic medical records in their practices, up a bit from 2009, researchers say.
Wall Street Journal Blog
Depression Treatment Boosted By Integrated Care — and Electronic Records
12/7/10
“It’s hard if not impossible to follow thousands of patients with depression with paper records,” Mordecai tells the Health Blog. “Our EMR has revolutionized this process so it is easy to shift information” between primary-care doctors and mental-health specialists…”
The Columbus Dispatch
Hospitals going digital: Local health systems pay millions to upgrade records, help patients, secure Medicare hikes
12/17/10
Central Ohio hospitals are spending millions to convert patient records from paper to electronic systems.
It's an upfront expense, but one that is expected to decrease medication errors, reduce duplicate medical tests and save money in the long run.
The Baltimore Sun
200 medical professionals using state's electronic medical record system
12/7/10
State officials said today that 200 medical professionals have signed up to participate in Maryland's electronic medical records system.
Los Angeles Times
Mobile health in your palm: Technology companies, medical field developing mobile apps to improve patient health
Looking to better manage your diet, your vital signs or a chronic disease?
There's a mobile app for that.
North County Times
June 12, 2010
“… patients are only getting the first tastes of the true benefits that electronic medical records will bring.”
UVA Today
June 10, 2010
“The University of Virginia Health System is on track to implement electronic medical records starting in September [2010].”
PC World
June 4, 2010
“Reducing the costs of transcribing medical records immediately saved the business money. Longer term, as data populates the record-keeping and practice management systems, staff will be able to produce business reports that examine trends in billing and claims processing. The practice benefits from enhanced record-keeping, efficiency, and patient care.”
Buffalo News
May 24, 2010
“This new facility is powered by an electronic records system that allows doctors instant access to patient information and history. The new emergency room has already greatly improved patient care and will continue to save lives and money by reducing duplication and medical errors.”
NY Times
May 20, 2010
“One key to improving health care integration may be the very data gathering methods that Dr. Fischer and his co-investigators used for their study: the electronic medical records system.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Metro Business cover story, April 5, 2010
“No paper order sets. No handwritten stuff. Everything is entered into the
computer.”
New York Times
Dec. 7, 2009
“West Virginia’s health care system could save over $1.1 billion by going digital and centralizing patient care …”
Global Newswire on CNN Money
Dec. 2, 2009
“This
(connecting EMR to medical devices) has improved nursing efficiency,
allowing nurses to spend more time at the patient’s bedside. Connecting
devices to the EMR also has improved patient safety by reducing the
likelihood of data-transcription errors.”
The Nation
Dec. 1, 2009
“The VA (Department of
Veteran’s Affairs) has been a pioneer in the use of electronic medical
records, which has led to significant cost savings and better medical
practice.”
Scientific American
Dec. 1, 2009
“The real power
of [electronic health records] comes not from looking at just one
patient but rather being able to analyze similar information across
millions of people,” said Ben Shneiderman, a University of Maryland
computer science professor and founder of the school’s Human-Computer
Interaction Laboratory.
MiamiHerald.com Medical
Nov. 30, 2009
“The mission of the Physicians Portal is to offer a more efficient,
private and secure replacement to paper, fax and phone communications
between health care providers.”
San Diego Union
Nov. 25, 2009
“Doctors and nurses
at Kaiser and VA hospitals and clinics in the county will be able to
access certain information about patients who receive care from both
organizations, regardless of where those electronic records were
created and stored.”
New York Times
Nov. 16, 2009
“Reducing the length of hospital stays, according to many experts,
should be a big money-saving payoff from electronic health records — as
better care aided by technology translates into less time spent in
hospitals.”
Read a transcript of President Obama's remarks on electronic medical records.
"...[T]he
recovery plan that we passed earlier this year has begun to modernize
our health care system, by taking the long-overdue step of
computerizing America’s health records. This will reduce the waste and
errors that cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives, while
protecting patients’ privacy."
President Barack Obama
Sept. 21, 2009, at Hudson Valley Community College