This month, part two of HMT's sampling of products unveiled at HIMSS10, which was held at
Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center in March. It featured more than 800 vendors and an estimated 30,000 attendees.
Here is a sampling of some of the many products unveiled at the convention:
Work-space management
RES Software's RES PowerFuse 2010 enables organizations operating in Citrix, Microsoft and VMware environments to separate the desktop from the operating system, automating the management, creation and composition of user work spaces. The solution samples and analyzes existing desktops prior to work-space implementation, stores and applies user settings independently from the user's profile, and supports Microsoft SQL Azure databases. Users have the ability to restore their own settings, and the solution allows an IT administrator to set up and execute synchronization of local and network folders on all devices.
BI framework
CitiusTech's BI-Clinical MUSE is a healthcare business-intelligence framework for meaningful-use analytics and reporting compliance. The solution provides an integrated approach for clinical, operational, financial and regulatory performance management for hospitals, physician practices and managed-care organizations. The BI-Clinical hospital module includes acute-care reporting and measures for CMS, JCAHO, P4P and NCQA. The physician-practice module includes registry-based reporting for chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, COPD and CAD, as well as measures for PQRI and DOQ-IT. The solution is customized for meaningful use to cover all reporting requirements for hospitals and physician practices, and also supports public health data submission.
Patient-flow solution
Web access to code sets
Health Language's Language Engine Access Portal (LEAP) enables Web access to terminologies, code sets and management tools. The portal allows hospitals, physician practices and vendors to locate, download, update and extend terminologies without installing a separate application. LEAP supports interoperability, meaningful-use requirements, ICD-10 conversion, evidence-based care, quality reporting, optimized billing and other healthcare information-technology initiatives. Hospitals and physician practices can access LEAP directly through a subscription. Vendors can provide the portal services under Health Language's name or their own private label, giving customers the option to create their own content. Health Language automatically updates terminologies and code sets to reflect changes made by governing entities.
Merge Healthcare's Merge Patient Kiosk connects to an avatar-based live agent, who can guide patients through the check-in process. The touch-screen kiosk collects co-payments and outstanding balances with multiple payment options; scans documents, including insurance cards and drivers' licenses, into Fusion RIS technology; and lets patients choose a check-in method. Integration with Fusion RIS allows real-time updating of patient status; kiosk will create alerts that flag information to be validated or updated. Procedure-specific questionnaires can be printed and finished at the patient's leisure.
Health-record platform
4medica's Integrated Health Record (IHR) includes modular components designed to enable hospitals and eligible providers to demonstrate meaningful use. A multisource, patient-centric medical record, the IHR unites data across diverse care settings. 4medica has combined its outpatient ordering and resulting system, its e-prescribing solution and its integration ability with HIS to create the IHR platform. The IHR can be used as an alternative to EHR, or used collaboratively with both inpatient and outpatient EHRs to provide connectivity and system interoperability. Its inpatient record gives physicians remote access to patient charts with lab results, radiology results, medications, images and dictated reports.
AFC Industries' PC 910 Point-of-Care Cart features an extended battery cycle and a small footprint, and can be thoroughly disinfected for use. The PC 910 is height adjustable, with electronic or pneumatic height adjustment enabling sitting-to-standing work positions. Using an all-in-one computer, the cart can be continuously deployed for up to 30 hours before recharging. Alternatively, a separate CPU and monitor can be mounted. An internal automatic transfer switch allows connected equipment to run while the battery module is recharging, and an advanced charger accelerates recharging and increases safety. An LED readout keeps users apprised of power status. Fleet-management software allows the IT department to monitor, program and manage up to 250 carts throughout a facility.
Automated document capture
Open-architecture platform
Helios by Eclipsys is an open-architecture platform designed to provide certified third-party companies open, secure access to common services, and visual and data integration. Software-development kits enable clients and third parties to natively write applications on the Helios platform, eliminating the need for interfaces. Helios is packaged with Eclipsys' Sunrise Enterprise 5.5 to help healthcare organizations meet the expected meaningful-use requirements. Features offer clinicians the ability to open and work in multiple patient charts; the underlying technology will adjust as it learns more about the user's specific work-flow preferences.
Mobile videoconferencing
