JANUARY 8, 2008

California opts for broader health care info law
California residents must now be notified when their electronic medical record information or health insurance information has been breached, according to a new law that went into effect last week. According to AB1298, the existing health care information law has been expanded to include unencrypted medical histories, information on mental and physical conditions, and medical treatment and diagnoses. Also covered are unencrypted insurance policy or subscriber numbers, applications for insurance, claims histories and appeals. California's data-breach law, the first in the nation, went into effect on July 1, 2003 and inspired similar laws in more than 40 states. But few of those laws cover medical information.
For complete story, visit http://www.dhs.ca.gov/privacyoffice/LegUpdate/default.htm

Clinton: Dump paper records system
As she strove to rebound from a third-place showing in the Iowa primary, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told New Hampshire voters that one of the best ways to improve health care is to dump the existing paper medical records system and go completely digital. During a speech prior to the crucial New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, Clinton said changing the "dangerous" system will save an estimated $77 billion in costs and "more importantly, save lives." It's not a new idea for Clinton, as she has been working with other senators for several years to pass legislation implementing an electronic medical records system. The EMR has been a cornerstone of the senator's 2008 campaign.
For complete story, visit http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9840073-7.html?tag=nefd.ledeand http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/healthcare/

Telemedicine turns to 'televeticine'
Why should humans have all the medical benefits? An Oakland Park, FL veterinarian has applied the basics of telemedicine to his cadre of patients - mostly dogs and cats - in creating his "televeticine" clinic at Park Veterinary Hospital. Denis Bergeron's high-tech practice allows him to make consultations via the Internet with specialists nationwide, while his mostly four-legged patients are still on the X-ray table. The $2.7 million facility includes an in-house lab, four exam rooms, an X-ray room, surgical suite, kitty condos, a dog run, an isolation room, 22 computers and a surveillance system with infrared cameras.
For complete story, visit http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2007/12/31/smallb1.html

It's share and share alike for DoD, VA
Software enhancements will make medical information exchange between the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) a lot easier, the agencies report. The Clinical Data Repository/Health Data Repository (CHDR) is a joint effort between VA and DoD designed to actively synchronize data for patients who receive health services from both agencies. Each agency may now view the other's clinical encounters, medical procedures and lists of medical problems on shared patients. The program has been operating on a limited basis since late 2007; federal law requires the agencies to fully implement an interoperable electronic health record system by Sept. 30, 2009.
For complete story, visit http://www1.va.gov/vadodhealthitsharing/page.cfm?pg=9

Web becomes an everyday affair for doctors
Doctors are no longer behind the times when it comes to using the Internet, according to Jupiter Research's new report on physicians' use of the Web. "U.S. Online Physician Executive Survey 2007: Benchmarking Online Behavior and Emerging Media Adoption" reveals that doctors are going on the Internet while on the job in about the same manner as they do in their civilian lives. For example, the proportion of physicians who say they exchange e-mails with patients rose from 20 percent in 2005 to 39 percent in 2007. It boils down to simple logic, according to Monique Levy, Jupiter Research's lead analyst of health care: A doctor that handles financial services online is the same doctor that uses Medscape and other medical channels.
For complete story, visit http://www.jupiterresearch.com/bin/item.pl/research:vision/103/id=99897/

Air Force 'Tinkers' with eye scanning technology
Dilations during eye exams are becoming a thing of the past - at least for the U.S. Air Force, which is turning to digital technology to track eye diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and retinal tears. In December, the 72nd Medical Group Optometry clinic at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma began using the Optos 2000. The device scans the retina and the interior lining of the eyeball, and creates a digitized image that physicians may examine for faster diagnoses than with traditional chemical dilation. The unit cost $180,000 but will save Tinker more than 72,000 hours annually in lost production and downtime, officials note.
For complete story, visit http://www.tinker.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123079532 and http://www.optos.com/us/About-Optos/Newsroom/Press-Releases/Optos-Introduces-optomap-fa-Medical-Procedure-at-the-American-Society-of-Retinal-Specialists-Annual-Meeting--/

Telehealth home cooking means $ in Canada
The leading healthcare IT organization in Canada has unveiled a formula that provides 100 percent funding to native Canadian telehealth projects. Canada Health Infoway's plan offers full funding for telehealth deployment in "First Nation" communities if the projects are integrated with existing provincial or territorial programs. Stand-alone First Nation projects will receive 75 percent funding. According to the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey, nearly 1 in 5 native Canadian adults have no doctor or nurse available in their community. Telehealth is being promoted as a way to overcome geographic, transportation infrastructure and socio-economic disparity barriers, according to the report.
For complete story, visit http://www.infoway-inforoute.ca/en/News-Events/InTheNews_long.aspx?UID=295

BlueCross BlueShield wants to 'CareFirst' with EHRs
The chief executive officer of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the largest insurer in Maryland, wants to build a secure electronic health record system to improve efficiency and increase safety of public data. Chester Burrell, CEO of CareFirst, said he wants to reduce administrative costs by helping more doctors submit their bills electronically. He also hopes to offer grants to encourage physicians to create an EHR system in an effort to avoid repetitive medical tests and improve care coordination. CareFirst also wants to create a pay-for-performance program for affiliated physicians and providers to encourage doctors to provide efficient, quality care.
For complete story, visit http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.burrell03jan03,0,3332025.story

For the record, Pittsburgh Medical links 'em all
Doctors and other clinicians at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's hospitals and outpatient offices will soon be able to access key patient data, such as drug information, in a single view. On Feb. 3, UPMC will go live with a $35 million interoperability project designed to link disparate clinical systems, electronic health records and computerized physician order entry systems in hopes of minimizing errors and improving access to data. The live rollout will involve 45 providers at two emergency department sites, two busy primary-care ambulatory practices that include about 16 doctors, and a 10-physician UPMC medical subspecialty clinic serving tens of thousands of patients. Eventually the project will be rolled out across UPMC's 20 hospitals and 400 outpatient sites, doctor offices and other care facilities. UPMC provides care to about 1.2 million patients annually.
For complete story, visit http://healthjournal.upmc.com/0605/ErecordInterview.htm

Telecare coverage poised for growth spurt by 2012
Capitalizing on the success of its year-long trial telephone-based care management program, Birmingham Primary Care Trust (PCT) plans to expand coverage from 2,000 patients to up to 27,000 within the next four years. The Birmingham OwnHealth program, a collaboration between Birmingham East, Birmingham North, NHS Direct and Pfizer Health Solutions, was launched in April 2006. The service was designed to provide telephone support to rural patients suffering from long-term conditions. A report measuring OwnHealth's first-year progress noted that those who took part in the study had improved cholesterol, blood glucose and blood sugar, had improved adherence to their medication regimens, showed changes in their diet, exercise and smoking habits, and felt more confident in their ability to self-manage their condition.
For complete story, visit
http://www.ehiprimarycare.com/img/document_library0282/BirminghamOwnHealth_-_successes_and_learning_from_the_first_year.pdf

Home monitoring's a hit with Montana's elderly
Increasing numbers of Montana's elderly are turning to home monitoring systems to help them stay in their homes longer and stay out of assisted living facilities or nursing homes. The systems, such as one unveiled by HomMed Health and in use in the town of Bitterroot Valley, MT, take residents' blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation and weight. The data is then electronically transmitted to a home care program at Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital, the third agency in the state that offers remote monitoring systems for homebound patients with critical health issues. At least 14 counties in Montana still lack home health care services, according to Marcus Daly Home Care Director Jane Hron.
For complete story, visit
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/01/03/news/top/news01.txt and http://www.hommed.com/Products/Products.asp

New face for radiology at Arab Health '08
GE Healthcare promises to introduce the Middle East to a "re-imagined" version of radiology during Arab Health 2008, the annual international hospital, medical equipment and services exhibition and conference scheduled for Jan. 28-31 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. GE's healthcare model promotes helping clinicians re-imagine new ways to predict, diagnose, inform and treat disease, so their patients can live their lives to the fullest. Currently, 70 percent to 80 percent of healthcare resources are devoted to managing symptom-based, advanced diseases, GE notes. This is the company's focused response to the projected rise in Middle East healthcare costs from $12 billion today to $60 billion by 2025.
For complete story, visit http://www.ameinfo.com/143087.html