Edition Nine (3/31/09)

Consumerism’s Impact on I.T.
Health Data Management, 3/31/09
The rise of consumerism is leading many health care organizations to rethink their information technology strategies. To make sure consumers’ demands are met, health care organizations must take steps to involve physicians, nurses, and marketers, as well as technology experts, in their strategic decisions about I.T.

Health Czar has Deep Ties to Industry
Chicago Tribune, 3/30/09
After years as a top state and federal health care official, Nancy-Ann DeParle turned her attention to the business of medicine, overseeing more than a dozen companies as a board member or private equity portfolio manager over the past eight years. In 2006 and 2007 alone, DeParle collected at least $3.5 million from fees and the sale and awards of stock from health care firms, according to regulatory filings. Now DeParle is the White House czar for health care reform, helping lead an overhaul of the nation's system of medical care, a process almost certain to impact the fortunes of the industry she recently served.

Date Set for Health Nominee's Confirmation Hearing
New York Times, 3/26/09
The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a confirmation hearing on April 2 for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, who is President Obama's nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services. The withdrawal of Tom Daschle as Obama's original nominee for health secretary was one of the first major setbacks for the new administration, and the delay in confirming Governor Sebelius to the post has only heightened concerns that Obama's health care agenda has been slowed by personnel issues.

Doctors Raise Doubts on Digital Health Data
New York Times, 3/26/09
The federal government plans to spend $19 billion to spur the use of computerized patient records, but two articles in the New England Journal of Medicine point to the formidable obstacles to achieving the policy goal. The studies point to problems of not only installing electronic health records, but also using them to improve care and curb cost.

EHR Report's Blumenthal Backs PHR Privacy in Law
Modern Healthcare, subscription needed 3/26/09
Only 1.5% of nonfederal U.S. hospitals use a comprehensive electronic health record system, according to HHS-funded researchers in a report released by the New England Journal of Medicine and mirroring preliminary survey results released by the same researchers this past November. Also in the journal, David Blumenthal writes that Congress intended in the recent passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that personal health record systems developed by Microsoft Corp. and Google and provided under contract with hospitals and other health care providers be subject to federal privacy and security laws.

Stimulating the Adoption of Health Information Technology
New England Journal of Medicine, 3/25/09
The recently enacted stimulus bill touches almost every aspect of the U.S. economy. Health care is no exception. In fact, the ARRA is historic health care legislation of the type rarely produced by our famously incremental federal government. The law prevents dramatic state cuts in Medicaid, expands funding for preventive health care services and health care research, and helps the unemployed buy health insurance.

Who Owns Electronic Medical Data?
Health Data Management, 3/25/09
As the volume of electronic medical information increases, particularly if federal stimulus efforts to boost health information technology are successful, the issue of who owns the electronic data must be clarified, according to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Clarification of property rights is necessary before comprehensive medical information networks can emerge, authors contend. Building a network would be expensive, so the "intermediary" that did this would need clear authority to "exercise the economic rights" of the multiple parties contributing data.

Glaser May Join ONC as Advisor
Health Data Management, 3/25/09
John Glaser, vice president and CIO at Partners HealthCare System Inc. in Boston, is in discussions on contract terms to become a temporary advisor to the new National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Glaser says he would serve as a full-time advisor for six months starting in May, returning to his role at Partners at the conclusion of the term.

I.T. Incentives for Doctors, Hospitals Vary Under Federal Stimulus Package
iHealthbeat, 3/24/09
Health I.T. is expected to experience a huge boost with the new economic stimulus package. The health I.T. provisions of the stimulus bill aim to accelerate the adoption of electronic health record technologies and facilitate nationwide health information exchanges to improve the quality and coordination of care between health care providers, thereby reducing medical errors and duplicative care. Most of the package's health I.T. funding—approximately $17 billion over five years—will be made available across the next 10 years as Medicare and Medicaid payment incentives to health care providers who adopt certified health I.T. systems.

Experts Predict a Challenging Job Ahead for Blumenthal
HealthLeaders, 3/24/09
The industry has seen serious momentum in the health I.T. field since President Obama took office in January. However, physician resistance toward adopting "clunky" electronic medical records remains strong, and experts say swaying physicians will likely be one of the greatest challenges for David Blumenthal, MD, the newly-named national coordinator for health information technology.

The Push For Paperless Health Records
Wall Street Journal, 3/23/09
In 2004, President George W. Bush named David J. Brailer to serve as the first national coordinator for health information technology as part of a federal plan for the 10-year deployment of health information technology. Brailer has since also put his health care expertise to work on the investment side of the industry, having stepped down from the government position in 2006 to serve as chairman of investment firm Health Evolution Partners. With the new federal stimulus bill set to pour an unprecedented amount of federal funding in health care I.T., VentureWire spoke to Brailer for an upcoming story on its potential impact on this sector.

From Portals to HIE
Advanced for HIE, 3/11/09
Portals are used by many hospitals as an easy way for physicians to view patient information stored within hospital information systems. With the adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) systems, more and more physicians are asking for results to be delivered directly into their EMR. Portals and health information exchange (HIE) both occur in the context of health information technology adoption, a key feature of the Obama-Biden plan to reduce health care costs.

Mississippi HIE on Track with $3 Million HHS Grant
Modern Healthcare, subscription needed 3/30/09
The need for moving medical records on-line in Mississippi became apparent after Hurricane Katrina. Now, the Gulf Coast is leading the state in electronic record management. The Mississippi Coastal Health Information Exchange (MCHIE) will allow every doctor, hospital, therapist, pharmacist, or other health professional who sees a patient to enter the information from the visit electronically.

Nebraska Telehealth Network Gets Federal Support
AP/KCAUtv.com, 3/26/09
A $95,000 cut of a $410 billion spending package approved by President Obama will benefit the Nebraska Statewide Telehealth Network. It receives the support through the Nebraska Hospital Association Research and Educational Foundation. The network uses communication technologies to improve patient access to care and to provide patient, professional, and community education.

Coming Soon: Comparative Effectiveness Research for Biotech
Wall Street Journal Health Blog, 3/30/09
The stimulus package includes $1.1 billion in funding for so-called comparative effectiveness research aimed at determining which treatment works best for a given medical condition. Now the NIH has published a list of high-priority projects it wants to fund, providing a clearer picture of just how that money may be spent. The list suggests scrutiny for some of the best selling drugs for heart conditions and asthma, among others.

NIH Might Use Stimulus Funds for Comparative Effectiveness Research
Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 3/30/09
During a House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee hearing, NIH Acting Director Raynard Kington said that the agency might use some of the $10.4 billion it received from the economic stimulus package to fund comparative effectiveness research that includes comparisons on the cost of treatments.

Survey Attempts to Collect ‘Holy Grail’ HIT, ROI Data
Modern Healthcare, subscription needed 3/25/09
The Scottsdale Institute has an expanded survey under way of health care industry executives aimed at better defining the often gauzy links between spending on health information technology and returns on that investment.

AHRQ Announces Roster of PSOs Rapidly Expanding
Modern Healthcare, subscription needed 3/24/09
The number of designated patient-safety organizations, or PSOs, continues to grow faster than originally anticipated by the federal agency overseeing the program. Last week, the group purchasing and quality network Premier announced it had formed a PSO subsidiary to collect and analyze patient data. With that organization, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality had 54 PSOs listed in 27 states as of March 20, said William Munier, director of the Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety at AHRQ.

Commentary: The Standards Charter Organization
Life as a Healthcare CIO, 3/24/09
In his "Life as a Healthcare CIO" blog, John Halamka, MD, gives insight into the recently-announced Standards Charter Organization. In this posting, Halamka addresses questions he has received on the organization, such as if SCO is the successor to HITSP or if it changes the landscape of standards harmonization efforts.

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