Nationwide Health Info Network Progress
With the release of a Request for Information (RFI) earlier this month, HHS signaled advancement of the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN). According to HHS.gov, the network is a set of standards, services and policies that support trusted health information exchange nationwide. The RFI seeks public comment on NHIN governance, a requirement of the NHIN sponsoring legislation, the...
Read MoreNew US CTO to Push EHR in the Cloud?
With the White House announcement of Todd Park, HHS Chief Technology Officer (CTO), as the new U.S. CTO, we could see federal EHR initiatives focus more specifically on the cloud. Prior to serving as HHS CTO from 2009 to 2012, Mr. Park founded athenahealth with partner Jonathan S. Bush. The partners had worked at the same consulting firm and both attended Harvard University. Despite leaving the...
Read MoreHealth IT Workforce Shortage?
Widely publicized studies predict a healthcare workforce shortage over the next 8-10 years. Numbers from The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicate that the Health IT workforce accounts for a significant portion of the shortfall. The BLS estimates that 51,000 health IT professionals are needed to meet projected growth in the Health IT industry. The federal government is fueling the growth...
Read More20+ Federal Healthcare Apps
The federal government has developed several mHealth offerings. A USA.gov page lists 85 federal government mobile apps and mobile websites. 21 of them, or 25%, are healthcare related. Of these, 14 are apps, 6 are mobile websites and one is offered as both an app and a mobile website. Users with mobile devices made by Apple, iPhones and iPads, have the most app choices. Of the 15 healthcare apps...
Read MoreEHR: Now Comes the Hard Part
HHS is taking on a new EHR challenge. In recognition that the time for EHR has come (see our previous posts Are Patients Benefiting from EHR? and EHR Market Maturing), the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) faces the huge task of convincing the healthcare industry to adopt EHRs. The push to adopt not only makes sense in terms of patient care benefits and a...
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