Federal government goes public – and private – with open-source NHIN software
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s Federal Health Architecture has made available free open-source software to expand use of the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) by public and private health IT systems. According to National Coordinator for Health IT Dr. Robert Kolodner, the software, known as CONNECT, will allow public or private groups to access open versions of NHIN services, including patient identification, document query and retrieval, audit logs, a messaging platform and an authorization framework. The Social Security Administration, Centers for Disease Control, and departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs currently use CONNECT for health information exchange. The software is available at www.connectopensource.org. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/... and http://www.connectopensource.org/...

Australian government to build $31 billion national broadband network by 2017
After months of negotiations with private consortiums, Australia’s federal government has decided to spend $31 billion [USD] to build its own national broadband network. The government-owned network, expected to be completed by 2017, will be the nation’s largest infrastructure project ever, according to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The government will establish a new public company, the National Broadband Network Corp., to partner with the private sector over most of the next decade to build the high-speed network across 90 percent of the nation, according to Rudd. The government will then sell off its stake in the project within five years of the network’s completion, Rudd said. “This injects a new player into the broadband market…a national, wholesale, open-access broadband network,” he said. “It sets up a path for economic recovery and building a 21st century economy with 21st century jobs.” Rudd noted that the government opted for a do-it-yourself approach only after failing to find another method that made the best use of the taxpayer’s dollar. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/298376/...

Physicians, hospitals may have greater incentive than expected to implement EHRs
Doctors and hospitals could receive as much as $39 billion in economic stimulus funds during the next five years to acquire electronic health record systems (EHRs), more than double the amount actually provided through the Recovery Act. According to Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Vice President for Government Relations Dave Roberts, the stimulus package’s $17 billion allocation is based on offering providers that make “meaningful use” of health information technology systems approximately $44,000 each in cost defrayments over a five-year period, beginning in 2010. But there will likely be more money available – for example, a recent Congressional Budget Office analysis estimates that IT would increase efficiencies and could cut overall healthcare costs by $15 billion during that same period, Roberts said. Only about 17 percent of doctors and 8 percent to 10 percent of U.S. hospitals currently use EHR systems, according to the Commonwealth Fund. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090406_1509.php

Regardless of economy, EHR implementation is still top goal for health IT industry
Electronic health record implementation is still the top priority among health information technology professionals, despite the weakened economy and its impact on IT budgets, according to a survey by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). According to the 20th Annual HIMSS Leadership Survey, 31 percent of respondents say their primary focus will be on ensuring that their organization has a fully operational electronic medical record. Seventeen percent said their primary focus will be on installing a computerized provider order entry system. Respondents also say they are committed to healthcare IT despite the economy, with 55 percent indicating they are increasing their IT budgets and 42 percent saying they will increase staff. http://www.himss.org/ASP/ContentRedirector.asp...

British regional development agency to invest $7.2 million in IT records project
England’s Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) plans to invest $7.2 million [USD] to develop a new information technology project for the advanced analysis of anonymous health records. The project will combine e-lab technology developed at the University of Manchester with innovations in healthcare records by Salford Primary Care Trust and Salford Royal National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, according to Mark Hughes, executive director of economic development. The Northwest e-Health e-Lab will enable NHS professionals and researchers to gain new insights into how individual treatments or whole services are working. The e-Lab will use only anonymous patient records and operate in very secure settings, thereby protecting the privacy of individual patients, according to Hughes. The project is expected to cover more than 2 million people by 2013. http://www.nwda.co.uk/news--events/press-releases/...

Microsoft launches Amalga system to increase patient, doctor access to HealthVault
Microsoft Corp. has unveiled an updated version of an enterprise data platform that grants doctors and patients easier access to data stored on its HealthVault patient information system. The Redmond, WA-based company’s new Amalga Unified Intelligence System offers bi-directional integration with HealthVault and “allows health organizations to better leverage data assets and empower and improve the productivity of their staff,” according to Microsoft Health Solutions Group Vice President Steve Shihadeh. The company has also added new features to the system, including one that allows images such as X-rays and MRIs to be stored. “Hospitals and healthcare organizations can promote better real-time decision-making, and ultimately better health outcomes, by liberating the wealth of patient data stored in siloed systems and putting it in the hands of key stakeholders,” Shihadeh said. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/...

Swedish government seeks EHTEL’s help in review of national e-health strategy
The Swedish government and healthcare authorities have requested help from the European Health Telematics Association (EHTEL) in reviewing the national e-health strategy. The request marks the first time the e-health organization EHTEL has been asked to advise a national government. According to EHTEL President Martin Denz, the Swedish government and EHTEL reviewed a series of general discussions and one-to-one sessions on the strengths and weaknesses of the nation’s existing e-health plan. “They asked us to review their strategy, as we could provide a full staff of e-health specialists and any stakeholder they needed, from IT professionals to software architects,” Denz said. “The whole process meant that they were not being scrutinized, but instead receiving structured criticism.” http://ehealtheurope.net/news/... and http://www.ehtel.org/

Most U.S. adults rely on Internet for healthcare and disease management decisions
More than 60 percent of American adults now use the Internet to help them make decisions on healthcare and disease management, covering everything from acne to cancer, according to a study by New York City-based pharmaceutical and healthcare market research firm Manhattan Research. The public’s growing interest in the Internet for medical and pharmaceutical information means digital direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing is changing from a “nice to have” tactic to an essential communication channel for pharmaceutical companies that hope to reach consumer audiences, according to Manhattan Research Vice President of Research Meredith Abreu Ressi. “This is the year in which pharmaceutical companies must stop merely ‘talking at’ consumers and begin communicating with them,” Ressi said. “The old way of DTC marketing isn’t going to cut it as the consumer media landscape evolves.” http://www.manhattanresearch.com/newsroom/Press_Releases/...

New metallic nanosensors could lead to creation of ultra-powerful medical sensors
Scientists at Imperial College in London have developed new metallic nanosensors that potentially could detect anything from proteins in patients’ blood samples to poisons or explosives in surface agents or packages. The highly sensitive nanostructures, each about 500 times smaller than the width of a human hair, are separate gold- and silver-based items that, when brought together, can detect particular chemicals in their immediate surroundings, according to lead researcher Prof. Stefan Maier. “Pairing up these structures has a unique effect on the way they scatter light – an effect which could be very useful if, as our computer simulations suggest, it is extremely sensitive to changes in surrounding environment,” Maier said. “With further testing we hope to show that it is possible to harness this property to make a highly sensitive nanosensor.” Although metal nanostructures have been used as sensors before, this is the first time anyone has created a pair with a carefully tailored interaction with light, according to Maier. http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp...

Oregon Senate passes legislation promoting use of telemedicine technology
Legislation advancing the use of telemedicine through teleconferencing technology in Oregon has been approved by the state Senate and is now headed to the House of Representatives for consideration, according to Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin). Senate Bill 24 sets a standard for reimbursement to physicians that deploy telemedicine services, according to Devlin. Lack of a single statewide policy has been one of the biggest barriers toward implementing telemedicine programs in Oregon, a state that can make significant use of the technology due to its highly rural nature, lawmakers note. “We are taking the conversation about healthcare reform very seriously this session,” Devlin said. “Passage of SB 24 is one way our caucus is working to address the nationwide crisis of healthcare cost and access.” http://oregonsenatedemocrats.wordpress.com/2009/...

Opposition group to Canadian EHR database offers way for residents to opt-out
While the Canadian province of British Columbia prepares to implement a new integrated electronic health record (EHR) database, opponents have launched their own campaign encouraging people to decide if they really want their records to be part of the system. The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA)’s “BC’s Big Opt-Out” campaign stresses the right of all citizens to consent to being included in the EHR database. BCCLA alleges that the e-health program, to be rolled out over the coming year, is “unprepared and unequipped to safeguard privacy” of participants. “Governments assure citizens that the system will be secure and encryption will be of the highest level, but the global history of the security of large central databases of this kind is frankly terrible, and the costs almost invariably spiral out of control,” said BCCLA Policy Director Micheal Vonn. The organization’s Web site at www.bcoptout.ca offers downloadable letters that can be sent to healthcare providers to allow persons to make their opposition known, according to Vonn.   http://www.bcoptout.ca/Media_Launch_Release.pdf

Medseek, 3M to collaborate on broader health information exchange technology
Birmingham, AL-based enterprise portal developer Medseek and Salt Lake City-headquartered 3M Health Information Systems are combining efforts to develop health information exchange (HIE) technology that enables provider organizations and HIE initiatives to exchange data at regional, state and national levels. Medseek and 3M will offer a “comprehensive interoperability solution that integrates Medseek’s clinical portal with 3M’s highly scalable architecture,” the companies note. “There is growing industry consensus that the creation of state and regional health information-sharing networks is a critical step in improving care quality and efficiency,” said Marvin Johnson, senior vice president of 3M Health Information Systems. “By addressing interoperability challenges, [3M and Medseek] can support federal and state initiatives to improve our nation’s healthcare.” http://www.medseek.com/body.cfm?...