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Archive for June, 2005
EMR Implementation Strategies
Since EMR adoption is the main driver to medical connectivity, I thought I'd post another article from Healthcare Informatics. This one
describes various EMR implementation strategies, from the single vendor
solution (are you sitting down? $15 million to $20 million) to best of
breed combos, and even open source. One of my favorites, Wellogic, gets a mention as […]
A Benefits Survey of RFID in Hospitals
Healthcare Informatics has a guest article by Richard Barnwell of PanGo
Networks on RFID in hospitals. The story includes a nice review of some
of the high level benefits RFID can bring to a hospital. Assurances are
made that the technology has matured “beyond a technology for early
adopters into one of the mainstream.” There was one bit that […]
Spacelabs Scores $6.3 Million Deal
Spacelabs continues their comeback from the brink with a big monitoring
system sale to University of Missouri Hospitals & Clinics. The sale
includes networked patient monitors and telemetry. Extensive
connectivity is included in the sale.
Spacelabs patient monitoring systems will be installed in operating
rooms and post-acute intensive care units, as well as in intensive care
units for pediatric, adolescent, cardiac, […]
Justice Dept Issues Ruling on HIPAA Limits Criminal Penalties
In a controversial ruling
(registration required), the Justice Department has ruled that HIPAA
applies to insurers, doctors, hospitals and other providers — but not
necessarily
their employees or outsiders who steal personal health data. Considered by some
as gutting the law, the decision not to hold employers culpable for
breeches of security or privacy is because they are not “covered entities.”
If […]
Hospital Finances Improve in the First Quarter of 2005
The efforts hospitals have been putting in to improve efficiency and financial performance seem to be paying off.
Those quarterly results are the best seen in at least five years at
both Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's. Fitch had
already seen an improvement in the fourth quarter of 2004 when it
upgraded five acute-care hospitals or […]
Legal Considerations for RFID in Health Care
Healthcare Informatics has a story on
RFID that explores the legal issues of privacy and things to think
about when buying this technology. An interesting read if you're in the
market for a system.
New Study on Emergency Department Costs, Visits and Economics
This study
($30 for full text) looked at Emergency Department (ED) visit costs,
and whether increased visit volumes exhibit economies of scale, i.e.,
result in lower costs per visit. The issue driving this inquiry is the
number of outpatient ED visits and whether it is more cost effective to
treat those patients in the emergency room or in an ambulatory […]
Critical Success Factors for Performance Improvement Programs
In another example of the old saw, “it's not the tool, it's how you use it,” the Journal of Quality and Patient Safety published a study ($20 full text) by the University Health System Consortium. A survey of 41 organizations to determine the organizational elements that predict successful performance improvement program and support change initiatives. […]
Quality as Gospel
This story in Modern Healthcare explores hospital executive's growing passion for quality, and how to get it. In the world of mangement trends there seems to be a shift afoot away from Six Sigma/Lean Manufacturing (which reportedly has a 30% to 40% failure rate) to Kaizen and the Toyota Way.
Regardless of your choice of […]
