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Healthcare Informatics Research Series Update

June 24, 2011

Healthcare Informatics Research News Research has just concluded for the newest report, “Trends in Point-of-Care Technologies.” The research points

Healthcare Informatics Research News

Research has just concluded for the newest report, “Trends in Point-of-Care Technologies.” The research points to a growing trend in healthcare organizations choosing to maximize their IT dollars at the sacrifice of some functionality. Or, as one panelist put it, “settling for the Chevy instead of buying the Cadillac.”

Healthcare Informatics Research has expanded its Web presence. In addition HCI-Research.com, users can now follow us on Twitter@ HCI_Research for news and blog updates.

Have a question about patient safety and technology? Work is now underway on our next research project, “Trends in Patient Safety Technologies, Second Edition.”

Send questions to [email protected].

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Charlene Marietti

It's about time

It's also about care and cost. Telehealth is one aspect of care delivery that has been seriously underutilized. And it certainly isn't about viability: The hardware and telecommunication technologies are mature. They are simply vastly under-utilized.

The blame falls squarely on bureaucracy and the financial reimbursement model. Physician credentialing is a bureaucratic quagmire. As for a reimbursement model, if one exists at all, it is severely restrictive. Most insurers don't cover telehealth. CMS currently does - but it restricts reimbursements to physicians who provide certain telehealth services to certain patients living in certain underserved locations.

In light of current economic conditions and shrunken budgets, many care providers are looking to telehealth networks to extend care.

(To read this posting in its entirety, please visit http://www.hci-research.com)

Deborah Kohn

Lighting strikes again

For a presidential campaign that was buoyed by use of Health 2.0 technologies, such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and blogging, and for a president who never leaves home without his Blackberry, it comes as no surprise that President Obama has made upgrading the nation's antiquated health information technology (HIT) infrastructure a priority. However, since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) - with its HITECH Act and overwhelming amount of funding for HIT - was signed within a month of the President taking office, as if struck by lightning, the HIT industry has been turning upside down and right side up to get the HITECH balls rolling on multiple fronts.

But wait! During this same time frame, lightning struck a second time! Didn't anyone in the HIT industry notice this supernatural event?

(To read this posting in its entirety, please visit http://www.hci-research.com)

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Research Spotlight

In the current economic client, healthcare organizations are not only turning to alternative technologies that weren't previously considered, but many are also rethinking how to achieve their goals in the most cost-effective way.