BEI HIT Blog
EHR Watch, January 26, 2012
BEI Commentary: Wouldn’t it be great to know how patients are doing in between office visits? If data could be collected in real-time, patients could be seen when needed, for instance, when remote monitoring equipment indicates there might be a problem. A new technology from a company called Biotronik, allows continuous, automatic, wireless remote monitoring of patient and implantable cardiac device status with daily updates—all independent from any patient interaction. With immediate access to patient information, physicians can remotely monitor and assess patient device data and determine the level of care needed.
There’s more news coming out of the recent IHE Connectathon in Chicago.
Biotronik, a German manufacturer of cardiac medical devices and remote patient management solutions, has announced it has successfully completed its final interoperability testing process for an Internet-based system for patient and implantable cardiac device information.
At the event, the company tested its implantable device cardiac observation (IDCO) profile and demonstrated its ability to connect to third-party EHR systems and cardiovascular data management systems using defined industry standards. The connecting technology from the BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring® system to the EHRs is called BIOTRONIK EHR DataSync®. Read More
Information Week, January 25, 2012
BEI Commentary: As expected, mobile applications related to EHRs are starting to become more popular. Kaiser has recently announced the ability for patients to access their medical records via an Android app, with iPhone coming soon.
Nine million Kaiser Permanente patients now can access their electronic health records (EHRs) and securely email their physicians using their smart phones and other mobile devices.
Kaiser Permanente, which has the largest civilian EHR system in the world, this week introduced a new mobile EHR application for Android smartphones. An iPhone application also is in the works and will be available from Kaiser Permanente in coming months. In the meantime, iPhone users, as well as users “of any mobile device,” can access their Kaiser Permanente EHR via a new “mobile-optimized” version of the Kaiser website, kp.org, said Kaiser Permanente CIO Phil Fasano in an interview with InformationWeek Healthcare. Read More
From: HealthIT Buzz, June 24, 2011
BEI Commentary: We talk a lot about EHRs, but we are really just scratching the surface of what IT can do to improve the health of patients. Here is a description of a new service that will utilize text messaging to help diabetics get proper care. It is modeled after a similar program that focused on pregnant women.
Health care improvement often refers to the process of making changes to the way health care is delivered by providers. But actions to improve and reform the health care delivery system can only go so far. As Dr. Don Berwick, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services often reminds us, the delivery system doesn’t have much control over the biggest factors that influence a person’s overall health. For example, a doctor doesn’t decide what each of their patients eats, whether every patient takes their medications, or how individuals respond to symptoms of chronic diseases like diabetes. Those health choices rest squarely with the individual.
Beacon Communities Seek New Health Improvement Opportunities
While the Beacon Communities have made significant investments in improving health care delivery in the 17 areas where they operate, they also constantly seek out improvement opportunities that exist outside of the traditional delivery system. For example, they search for new sources of information, new support mechanisms, and new tools that make it easier for individuals to access the care they need and better manage their own health. Read More
From: Healthcare IT News, May 3, 2011
NEW YORK – The Institute for Health Technology Transformation has released a report that compiles what key health IT experts from across the United States view as the best ways to engage patients in the digital age.
“Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Engaging Patients” was prepared by: Donna Scott, executive director of marketing strategy, RelayHealth; Howard Rosen, CEO, Life:Wire; Brad Tritle, president and CEO, eHealth Trust Arizona; Shadaab Kanwal, director of clinical informatics, UCLA Health Sciences; Michael Brown, MD, chief information officer, Harvard University Health Services; Adam Clark, director of scientific and federal affairs, FasterCures, and member, ONC HIT Policy Committee; Pamela Law, MD, David Geffen School of Medicine ’09, affiliated with Health 2.0; and Waco Hoover, CEO, Institute for Health Technology Transformation. Read More
From: HealthData Management, March 30, 2010
Mobile developers are offering a slew of applications that can help clinicians keep in touch with their data and get medical information in a timely fashion. The applications profiled here run on Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices. Read More
