Providers
Educators
Government
Business
Health & Media
Sen Udall drafting bill to kill telemedicine barriers
Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) anticipates introducing a bill this spring to make it easier for physicians to practice telemedicine in many states instead of applying for a separate license for each state.
How Can Health IT Lead to a More Sustainable Health Care System?
Across the country, health care providers are making significant investments to redesign care processes and strengthen their health information technology (health IT) capabilities with the goal of achieving better care, better health, and lower costs.
Health IT Taking Flight–What Is in Store for the Year Ahead
A look at five health information technology trends for the year to come.
As Smartphones Get Smarter, You May Get Healthier: How mHealth Can Bring Cheaper Health Care To All
A look at the thrilling, disruptive potential of "mHealth," the rapidly growing business of using mobile technology in health care.
ONC’s Mostashari says meaningful use will 'soar' this year
“In 2012, meaningful use will soar," National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Farzad Mostashari asserted at the Jan. 10 meeting of the Health IT Policy Committee.
Can electronic health records erase disparities?
Switching to electronic health records might help close health gaps between black and white Americans, researchers suggest in a new study.
What if Insurers Didn’t Pay for Crashes Caused by Texting?
Could insurance companies curtail distracted driving if they simply refused to pay claims for accidents caused by texting?
WebMD ends sale talks, CEO resigns
Publicly traded Internet health portal WebMD Health Corp. announced that President and CEO Wayne Gattinella is resigning and the company's board has terminated talks for a potential acquisition by another firm.
HHS launches first consumer health IT video challenge of 2012
The National Coordinator for Health Information Technology announced a nationwide, open call for entries in the Healthy New Year Video Challenge, highlighting personal stories of patients and families using health technology to improve health.
12 Months of Health Information Technology: A Year of Momentous Progress
I would like to highlight ten of this year’s most notable developments in the world of health information technology....
National Conference of State Legislatures ranks healthcare among top 2012 priorities
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) published its annual listing of top priorities for the coming year, and healthcare and health information technology issues were chief concerns for 2012.
States getting the message on texting laws
Will 2011 be remembered as the year drivers got serious about putting down their phones? If the flurry of activity on distracted driving during the year’s final months is any indication, the answer is yes.
Using Google’s Data to Reach Consumers
Google and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed Google Flu Trends. What the researchers probably did not predict was that the Google flu data would end up being the cornerstone of an advertising campaign.
ONC to create health IT dashboard
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology will create an online dashboard that it will use as a tool to evaluate and improve the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) through its grants to states and other assistance.
US Won't Back Ban on Phones for Drivers
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said he won't back a proposal to prohibit drivers from talking on cellphones, even hands-free devices, giving a boost to car makers and mobile-phone companies that stand to lose if regulators impose a ban.
Anti-Drug Campaign Takes Funding Hit
How do you support an advertising campaign designed to steer adolescents away from drugs without additional media dollars? Such is the daunting challenge facing the Office of National Drug Control Policy, whose media budget for the “Above the Influence” effort has been eliminated.
Congress approves $1.4 billion military health IT budget
Congress fully funded the Military Health System's information technology systems for fiscal 2012 as part of a multiagency appropriations act passed this weekend, but a separate measure limits how the Defense Department can spend the money.
NTSB chief backs cellphone ban in cars even if policy is ‘not popular with folks’
The chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board defended the agency's proposal for a nationwide ban on all cellphone use while driving, saying the NTSB was not beholden to public opinion.
Appropriations Bill Delays FTC Food Marketing Guidelines
Looks like the Federal Trade Commission won't have to be in any hurry to come up with final recommendations on guidelines for marketing food to kids. The final version of the appropriations bill that passed the House Dec 16 and headed to the Senate and will need to be approved to avoid a shut-down, includes a provision that requires a cost-benefit analysis before the FTC can make any final recommendations.
Digital Data on Patients Raises Risk of Breaches
As part of the 2009 stimulus bill, the federal government provides incentive payments to doctors and hospitals to adopt electronic health records. Some 57 percent of office-based physicians now use electronic health records, a 12 percent jump from last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. An unintended consequence is that as patient records have been digitized, health data breaches have surged.
