At the iHT2 Summer Health IT Summit in Denver last week, hospital executives talked about what they must do to achieve meaningful use from EHRs. Some health organizations, such as Catholic Health Initiatives, are starting from scratch. You'd think being an early adopter would give a system a leg up, but going in fresh has its advantages. Read »

While small physician practices evaluate a baffling array of software options, skirmish with dodgy vendors, and crunch the numbers on training, hardware, and consulting, not to mention the mysterious and looming criteria of "meaningful use", President Barack Obama continually points to Utah's Intermountain Healthcare as a model for reform. But does the hospital, located in sunny Salt Lake, really represent the future, or is its presidential status a result of mere statistical manipulation and political maneuvering? Read »

While providers scramble to roll out EHR systems in time for ARRA funding, physicians have declared war on the clunky, proprietary software they are required to use. It complicates work flows, requires unnecessary data entry, and wastes time with superfluous windows and buttons, requiring the use of a maddening series of drop-down menus, mouse clicks, and work-arounds to perform even the simplest tasks. Today's EHR systems are sorely in need of the 'killer app', a term familiar to all professional computer programmers and software designers. Read »

Admit it, you'd like to know what's in Michael Jackson's electronic health record. Considering the decades of media coverage surrounding his oft-changing appearance, combined with the mysterious circumstances of his death, and investigation of his doctors, there are bound to be some juicy secrets held within. Is it only a matter of time before a breach of this magnitude becomes the latest proof of the failures of EHR security? Read »

Financial incentives to implement EHRs may finally nudge some paper-based hospitals and practices into the 21st century. But given the HITECH Act's short implementation timeline, those facilities that aren't even close to getting out of the paper game may be left in the dust. Too bad for them, I say. Read »