Rockefeller bill to facilitate universal adoption of EHRs by rural health providers
Senate Commerce Science and Transportation Committee Chair Jay Rockefeller (D-W. VA) has introduced a bill that promotes nationwide adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) among small, rural providers by building upon a system used by the Department of Veterans Affairs. As with the VA, the rural EHR would be an open-source system that does not limit the use or distribution by any organization or user, according to Rockefeller. An open-source exchange model was recently expanded among federal agencies through the Nationwide Health Information Network-Connect initiative. Rockefeller’s bill, known as The Health Information Technology Public Utility Act of 2009, would also create a federal Public Utility Board within the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to oversee formation of the EHR; implement a 21st Century Health IT Grant program to cover the cost of open-source software implementation and maintenance for up to five years; and create a child-specific EHR to be used in Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and other federal children’s health programs. http://rockefeller.senate.gov/press/record.cfm?id=311951&

Joe Kvedar, Continua Health Alliance honored by ATA
Joseph C. Kvedar, M.D. and Continua Health Alliance received two of the top honors at the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) 2009 International Meeting and Exposition in Las Vegas, with Dr. Kvedar earning ATA’s Individual Leadership Award, and CHA receiving the 2009 ATA President’s Innovation Award. Kvedar, founder and director of the Center for Connected Health in Boston, MA, is internationally known for his leadership in the field of connected health and use of communications technologies to improve patient healthcare. Kvedar was also one of eight healthcare leaders inducted into the ATA College of Fellows. Continua Health Alliance, a non-profit, open-industry coalition of leading healthcare companies worldwide, was recognized for advances, creative thinking and technological developments in the telemedicine industry. http://www.connected-health.org/media/... and http://www.continuaalliance.org/static/cms_workspace...

Twitter, Google and the Internet become swine flu management tools for CDC, WHO
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are relying on Internet technology to help track the spread of swine flu, using every tool from online prevention tips to up-to-the-minute news to keep the public informed about the disease. Newer social networking sites such as Twitter offer information on how not to spread or get the flu, and CDC has created several accounts – including @CDCemergency ( http://twitter.com/cdcemergency) and @CDC-eHealth (http://twitter.com/CDC_eHealth ) – with bulletins on confirmed cases, new recommendations and ways to deal with or prevent the disease. Google offers a map that tracks locations of known cases throughout the world. WebMD.com includes a FAQ page, and WHO’s site includes up-to-date numbers from the most recent disease outbreak. Earlier in the week, the Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency in response to the growing number of human cases of swine flu in the U.S.; at least 11 countries have reported cases of the disease thus far, according to WHO. http://twitter.com/cdcemergency   http://www.who.int/csr/disease/... and http://www.webmd.com/col...

Bipartisan bill aims to improve access to telemedicine services, expand Medicare funding
Lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle have introduced legislation that would increase access to telemedicine for rural Americans by expanding Medicare reimbursement. The Medicare Telehealth Enhancement Act (H.R. 2068), by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), would expand Medicare reimbursement to urban and suburban areas, and include more facilities. The bill will also allow doctors to monitor patients remotely, and provides $30 million in grant funding to help health facilities pay for telehealth equipment and increase telehealth support services. “The Obama Administration has indicated that telemedicine will be an important part of their health care reform agenda,” Thompson said. “I look forward to working with them to expand access to this important technology.” The bill has been referred to the House committees on Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, for review. http://www.times-standard.com/ci_12236276

Blumenthal calls for definition to ‘meaningful use’ of EHRs, HIMSS offers a pair
A forthcoming definition for the term “meaningful use of certified electronic health record technologies” should help the Obama administration solidify its strategy for health information technology adoption, according to David Blumenthal, the nation’s new national coordinator for health IT. Meanwhile, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has published its own definitions, as outlined in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). ARRA calls for multiple years of Medicare incentive payments to hospitals and physicians who meet the “meaningful EHR use” requirement. HIMSS’ definitions stem from a consensus-building effort involving input by members -- nearly three-fourths of whom work in end-user settings -- and the general public. The definition should include a functional EHR certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare IT; electronic exchange of standardized patient data with clinical and administrative stakeholders using the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel’s interoperability guidelines; clinical decision support; and reconciliation of a gap between “certified EHR technologies,” “best of breed,” and “open source” technologies. Blumenthal has emphasized the importance of deciding which health IT functions constitute meaningful use of the technology. Once that definition is set, providers must use the specified applications to qualify for health IT funding under the economic stimulus law, he said. http://www.himss.org/ASP/... and http://govhealthit.com/articles/...

Bosch ‘officially’ enters remote healthcare monitoring market, drops Health Hero Network name
Auto parts and appliance maker Bosch has launched a new remote healthcare monitoring and telehealth technologies division centered around its Health Buddy line of monitoring devices. Health Buddy is made by Health Hero Network, which was acquired by Bosch in December 2007. The new subsidiary will now be known as Robert Bosch Healthcare. Although the Health Hero Network name will be discontinued, the Health Buddy System product line and brand will be retained, according to Derek Newell, vice president of Bosch Healthcare for North America. “We are now optimally positioned to develop this still young but highly dynamic market, enabling us to respond with customized solutions to the very different needs of our customers,” Newell said. http://www.healthbuddy.com/content/...

UK Department of Health imposes ‘or else’ deadline for completion of EHR system
Authorities in the United Kingdom have set an end of November deadline for outsourcers to “demonstrate real progress” in development of the National Health Services’ Program for Information Technology – the UK’s effort for an electronic health record (EHR) system – or risk possible termination of contracts for the $18.7 billion [USD] plan. According to UK Department of Health Chief Information Officer Christine Connelly, the government is “not ruling anything out” in its attempt to get the program back on track. The IT network is at least four years behind schedule and has been plagued by delays caused by everything from software incompatibilities to resistance from physicians. The project is now scheduled for completion by 2015, Connelly said. The UK’s experience can serve as a blueprint for efforts in the United States to develop an EHR system, experts note. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/...

Economic recession forces most hospitals to think twice about new IT projects
More than half of the nation’s hospitals have been forced to scale back or postpone existing information technology projects due to the recession, according to a new survey from the American Hospital Association (AHA). The survey, “The Economic Crisis: The Toll on the Patients and Communities Hospitals Serve,” notes that 28 percent of respondents have scaled back on in-progress IT projects, while another 27 percent have opted to cancel planned IT efforts. Another six percent halted IT projects that were already in process. In general, 77 percent of hospitals have stopped, postponed or scaled back any type of project expenditures due to the “capital crisis” that began in March 2008, the survey notes. The results are based on more than 1,000 responses from AHA members collected in March 2009. http://www.aha.org/aha/news-center/map/index.html

University of New Mexico, Polycom use ‘echo’ effect to provide rural telemedicine
The University of New Mexico and Polycom are collaborating on a telepresence network designed to help healthcare workers serving rural areas, and the state’s prison system, deliver better medical services to residents. UNM’s Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (Project ECHO) is a university-run telemedicine program that will allow doctors to communicate with university healthcare specialists via videoconferencing, according to program founder Sanjeev Arora M.D. The project currently uses more than 40 Polycom VSX videoconferencing systems and a Polycom RMX 2000 real-time mediaconferencing platform for multi-site conferences. The system has allowed Dr. Arora and his team to host interactive sessions on hepatitis C, one of the state’s most common infections. “To date, we’ve enrolled more than 3,000 patients in our Hepatitis C disease management program – without Project ECHO, these patients would not have had access to treatment for their condition,” Arora said. http://www.polycom.com/company/...

Kaiser tops 3 million PHR users, stakes claim as nation’s No. 1 online health record service
Kaiser Permanente’s My Health Manager personal health record (PHR) system is now used by 3 million of the healthcare provider’s 8.6 million members, making it the nation’s most widely used PHR, the company announced. According to Kaiser Permanente spokesperson Ravi Poorsina, the free service is popular because it allows members to securely access their PHRs from home, e-mail physicians, order prescriptions, view lab results and schedule appointments for themselves or family members. The site also features health tools for handling depression, diabetes, weight and pain management, and smoking cessation. “Consumers expect easier and faster access to information, especially online, and that extends to information relating to the management of their own health,” said Anna-Lisa Silvestre, Kaiser’s vice president for online services. http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/pressreleases...

Power shortage could disable Africa continental e-network project
Development of an e-network that could ultimately connect all 53 countries in Africa could be derailed by a lack of electricity to power necessary equipment. The pan-African network project, a joint effort between the Indian government and the African Union, was launched in 2007 with the goal of connecting African nations to satellite and fiber-optic networks to provide e-learning, e-education and telemedicine. But several countries are worried that the project may fail due to lack of a constant power supply in many African nations, according to Jack Chileshe, program officer for the Zambia Academy of Science and Technology. He said participating governments need to improve the region’s power supply if the project is to succeed. So far, more than 33 countries are taking part in the pan-African project, which will cost more than $1 billion [USD] upon completion.    http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2009/04/...

PHRs, home monitoring devices are consumers’ most-desired health tools
Forty-two percent of consumers want access to a personal health record system connected to their doctor’s office, and 65 percent are interested in home monitoring devices that enable them to check their condition and send the results to their doctor, according to a survey by the DeloitteCenter for Health Solutions. Deloitte’s “2009 Survey of Health Care Consumers: Key Findings, Strategic Implications” notes that consumers prefer innovations that enhance self-care, convenience, personalization and control of their personal health information. They also rely upon the Web for information about healthcare providers, with 48 percent of respondents saying they most trust sites sponsored by physicians or medical practices. Thirty-four percent trust sites from medical associations, 33 percent rely on independent health-related sites, and 28 percent use sites from hospital associations, according to the study. http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/article/...