Economic stimulus package – with $20 billion in health IT funding – passes House
An $819 billion economic stimulus package that includes $20 billion in healthcare information technology funding was overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The package passed by a vote of 244 to 188, with all 178 House Republicans voting no. The bill, H.R. 1, moves to the Senate, where it faces a much tougher challenge because Democrats hold a slimmer majority there. In the past week, the IT portion sailed through the House and Senate finance committees, being approved by respective votes of 24 to 13 and 21 to 9. “The road to recovery will not be quick or easy,” Senate Appropriations Chairperson Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) said. “But I am confident that working together, our nation will meet this historic challenge.” President Obama said he wants to sign the bill into law in February. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/... and http://appropriations.senate.gov/News/...

Telemedicine is key to helping England’s health service cut its carbon footprint
Greater use of telemedicine and Web conferencing can help England’s biggest employer greatly slash its carbon footprint over the next 40 years, according to a new report by the government’s Sustainable Development Unit. “Saving Carbon, Improving Health” outlines the National Health Service (NHS)’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 10 percent by 2015 and by 80 percent by 2050. The NHS currently accounts for more than 3 percent of total emissions and 25 percent of public sector emissions in England. Audio, video and Web-conferencing technology must be made available by NHS, and staff trained in its use to “support a cultural shift away from routine care and other high-carbon travel, and encourage more home working where appropriate,” the report states. http://www.ehiprimarycare.com/news/... and http://www.sdu.nhs.uk/page.php?area_id=2

NIH awards $4 million to universities to improve information exchange efforts
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded three contracts worth a total of $4 million for pilot projects designed to improve informatics support for researchers conducting small- to medium-sized clinical studies. Contract recipients Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, the University of Washington in Seattle, and Vanderbilt University in Nashville will work on projects that improve communication among researchers and facilitate discovery of new disease treatment, according to Barbara M. Alving M.D., director of the National Center for Research Resources, the contract administrator. Funding for the pilot projects is provided by the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research/Common Fund. http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jan2009/ncrr-26.htm

Physicians’ use of Health IT can lower hospital mortality rates
Use of health information technology by hospitals can lower their mortality rates, according to a study by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and University of Maryland. Conducted at 41 urban Texas hospitals, the study, “Clinical Information Technologies and Inpatient Outcomes,” found that patients at hospitals using health IT – such as software to automate patient records and notes – were 16 percent less likely to develop complications than at other hospitals. The mortality rates were also 15 percent lower. Heart attack patients had a 9 percent lower risk of fatalities, and bypass patients were 55 percent less likely to die, according to the study. The report was published in the Jan. 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/169/2/108

United Health/PacificCare awards $5.7 million in IT grants to healthcare providers
United Health/PacificCare has made $5.7 million in grants to 13 California organizations to promote health information technology and medical education among underserved populations in the state, according to the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC). The grants range from $105,000 to $1.3 million. The largest recipients include Public Health Foundation Enterprises, $1.3 million; The Hospital Council of Northern & Central California, $560,000; and the California Dental Association Foundation, and the Nurse-Family Partnership, $500,000 each. The awards are the third of four rounds of grants required by state regulators when they approved the merger of the United Health and PacificCare in 2005. “Expanding health information technology is a major component of comprehensive healthcare reform,” said Cindy Ehnes, DMHC director. “It improves access to underserved Californians, increases patient safety, and reduces overall healthcare costs.” http://www.hmohelp.ca.gov/library/reports/...

Palo Alto Medical Foundation granted $2.5 million to study diabetes in Asians
Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF)’s Research Institute has received a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to conduct a five-year study on diabetes and its risk factors among California’s six largest Asian ethnic groups: Asian Indians, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese. The Pan Asian Cohort Study will examine existing clinical records of more than 60,000 Asians in California for diabetes risk, the largest Asian-American cohort ever assembled for a study. The study will include examination of the medical records, minus any personal identifiers, of PAMF patients. In addition, researchers will use the institute’s electronic health record system to select and follow a group of patients over more than a decade to further study diabetes risk factors that may be unique to Asian Americans, according to principal investigator Dr. Latha Palaniappan, M.D. http://pamfpr.blogspot.com/2009/01/...

Australian government gives NEHTA green light on uniform IT infrastructure
The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) has been given “an absolute mandate” from the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to begin creating a uniform information technology infrastructure this year, according to NEHTA Chief Executive Officer Peter Fleming. COAG’s agreement signals an end to years of fragmented IT and electronic medical record system research, according to Fleming. “Legislative changes are needed, but from a technical perspective, we aim to be in a position this year to run some pilots,” Fleming said. “We’re in very close dialogue with a number of groups about trials of electronic medication management and hospital discharge summaries.” Medical software industry officials say they are keeping their fingers crossed that the long-delayed program will finally come to pass. http://www.futuregov.net/articles/2009/...

Patient health record exchange launched in Western New York
Healthcare officials in New York have unveiled the HEALTHeLINK Western New York Clinical Information Exchange in an effort to reduce medical records and avoid redundant tests. HEALTHeLINK is considered a step toward meeting Gov. David Patterson’s goal of creating a unified statewide system where doctors can easily access patient medical records. More than 500 physicians have registered for the free service, which has more than 4 million lab results and reports. Doctors may also issue electronic prescriptions. “What we’re doing is facilitating delivery of information electronically to physicians that are taking care of patients at the point of care,” said HEALTHeLINK Executive Dan Porreca. The not-for-profit exchange was created through a $3.5 million state grant and funding from seven local medical institutions or associations. http://www.wnyhealthelink.com/Home

Stroke recovery becoming a marriage of mechanics and virtual reality
Physical therapists at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center are using a combination of mechanics and virtual reality to help stroke and traumatic brain injury victims regain arm strength and movement. The “Armeo” device is a mechanical arm that allows neurological injury victims to enter a virtual world resembling a video game, where they can repeatedly practice arm movements. Studies have demonstrated that repetition is more effective at helping patients regain motor skills than the traditional treatment of picking up objects, according to Dr. Patricia Smith, vice chairperson of physical therapy at UT Southwestern. The treatment also gives patients a series of functional tasks, making it more entertaining than regular therapy. http://www8.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/...l

Canada set to unveil Ontario-based find-a-physician service next week
Ontario, Canada’s health ministry plans to launch a program next week that will help up to 500,000 Ontario residents find family doctors and reduce unnecessary trips to hospital emergency rooms. Healthcare Connect, which debuts Feb. 5, will direct people looking for medical help to physicians in their area, according to Health Ministry spokesperson Andrew Morrison. Residents can call an 800 number and speak with a healthcare worker, who will gather information about the caller’s medical history and any immediate symptoms. Nearly 890,000 Ontario residents do not have a family doctor, and up to 500,000 need one, according to Morrison. Ontario doctors will receive cash incentives of $82 to $287 [USD] for each new patient they take on, the minister added. http://www.canada.com/topics/news/...

Recession, credit crunch put brakes on construction of U.S. and UK hospitals
The slowing economy and resultant credit crunch is forcing hospitals in the U.S. and the United Kingdom to scale back or postpone “shovel-ready projects” that would improve community healthcare and increase jobs, according to reports from the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the National Health Service. A survey of more than 600 U.S. hospitals conducted by the AHA found that eight out of 10 hospitals have been forced to delay projects to update or replace clinical equipment or begin using information to automate processes. The main source of borrowing for most hospitals, tax-exempt bonds, has become nearly impossible to find. Sixty-two percent of respondents also reported putting IT projects on hold. Meanwhile, the NHS reports that the private finance initiative hospital building program, under which banks finance the construction of health facilities and lease them back to the health service, has also been severely impacted by the recession, which officially began this month in the UK, and “there is no plan B.”http://www.aha.org/aha/... and http://www.ehealtheurope.net/...

Report says HIPAA Privacy Rule hinders ability of scientists to conduct research
The Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) continues to negatively impact the scope, pace, and costs of research, according to a report by the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC). “The HIPAA Privacy Rule: Lacks Patient Benefit, Impedes Research Growth,” notes that researchers have difficulty recruiting participants for studies, and that the rule creates barriers to diversity in those studies. Such events are “fundamentally changing the conduct of research and threatening the scientific credibility of future research.” The AAHC recommends revisions to the privacy rule, such as exemption of biomedical research from its provisions. The HIPAA Privacy Rule, established in 2002, is the first comprehensive Federal protection for the privacy of personal health information. http://www.aahcdc.org/news/files/AAHCPressRelease01_23_09.pdf