Top Story

• HIPAA rule to stiffen privacy, security penalties
  The HHS has released an interim final rule that substantially increases fines for violations of the privacy and security rules of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act as mandated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's HITECH Act. The agency has set a Dec. 29 deadline for public comments on the HIPAA rule, which is set to take effect Nov. 30. Health Data Management (10/30) , Modern Healthcare (free registration) (10/30)

Hospitals

• California hospital adopts McKesson's data management solution
  St. Rose Hospital is deploying Horizon Cardiology CVIS from McKesson to allow doctors in its cardiovascular unit to quickly access clinical reports and diagnostic images of patients. "This is significant because faster treatment time equates to positive results and overall improvement in quality of care," a hospital executive said. Healthcare IT News (10/30) , Healthcare Informatics online (10/29)

The Fall Health IT Summit is the most targeted executive summit focused on health information technology. It is designed to help executives, physicians, and technologists network and learn about the constant changes in health IT. www.ihealthtran.com For more information or to register please contact Matthew Raynor, matt@ihealthtran.com.

Providers

• GE Healthcare's new unit to focus on health data sharing
  GE Healthcare has launched another business unit, called eHealth, which will help doctors to better share patient information with each other. It also aims to help boost patient involvement in their own care and falls under the company's healthymagination enterprise. HealthImaging.com (10/30)

Payors

• Group plans ICD-10 training for health plans, providers
  The American Academy of Professional Coders will provide health insurers and medical groups on-site training to prepare them for implementation of the ICD-10 coding system for diagnoses and procedures. Hospitals and doctors are expected to comply with the new ICD-10 system by Oct. 1, 2013. Health Data Management (10/30)

Technology Trends

• Health IT use is one way to boost medication adherence, experts say
  A group of consumer and medical organizations has cited the adoption of health IT as one of the five strategies toward achieving better patient adherence to medications, which they say could improve health outcomes and save up to $300 billion in health care costs. Healthcare IT News (10/30)

• Planned Systems secures $8.3M EHR contract from Defense
  The Defense Health Information Management System has awarded an $8.3 million contract to Planned Systems International for maintenance and support services for the Defense Department's electronic health record system, AHLTA-Theater. Healthcare IT News (10/30)

• FDA launches Web-based guide about hearing aids
  The FDA has introduced an online guide that provides hearing-impaired patients with information and advice when purchasing and adjusting hearing aids. The agency's guide advises patients to consult their doctors and buy the devices from professionals, among other tips. USA TODAY (11/2)

Featured Content

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by eHealth SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• HIT panel confronts issue of meaningful use by specialists (Government Health IT)

• Government expects states to be active in health reform via IT grants (Healthcare IT News)

• Blumenthal speaks on challenges of changeover to EHRs (MIT Technology Review)

• University hospital adopts online PHR for improved diabetes care (Healthcare IT News)

• Small providers face hurdles to achieving meaningful use (Government Health IT)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Regulatory/Legislative

• Inspector General to audit HHS' IT projects over next 12 months
  The HHS Office of Inspector General is expected to review the department's information technology programs, particularly those supported financially by the stimulus package for health IT adoption, over the coming year to check for financial oversight and data security. "If errors are identified, we will also assess CMS' actions to remedy incentive payments made in error and its plans for securing these payments for the duration of the incentive program," the IG plan stated. Government Health IT (10/30)

• ONC uses blog to spur public comments on health IT efforts
  The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has introduced a blog designed to generate public comments on the health IT efforts of its two advisory committees and promote discussions on interoperability, privacy and other topics. "Our goal is to harness the shared wisdom of our community to inform the work of the HIT Standards Committee in the weeks and months ahead," said U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra. Government Health IT (10/30)

EHR Spotlight

• EHR group urges HIT panel to focus on standards implementation
  The HIMSS EHR Association is calling on the HIT Standards Committee to move forward by providing electronic health record systems vendors with a clear picture of how to implement recommended standards, instead of rehashing already-made decisions regarding the standards. Health Data Management (10/30)

Editor's Note

• Do you expect a growth spurt for telemedicine in 2010?
  Look out for the eHealth SmartBrief Year-End Report in December. The results of this poll will appear in Part 2 of the report next month.

	Yes, more doctors, payers and hospitals will get involved with telemedicine.
	Interest will increase somewhat, but not enough to change health care in a significant way.
	No, the rate of adoption of telemedicine will be the same as this year.

Statistical Programmer - Health Policy Research Palo Alto Medical Center Palo Alto, CA Manager Health Information Mgt Albert Einstein Healthcare Network US-PA-Philadelphia Health Information Management Director Healthcare Resource Group US-CA-Los Angeles Manager of Health Information (Medical Records) St. Joseph's Hospital and Health Center Dickinson US-ND-Dickinson Health Information Coder II University of Utah Hospital US-UT-Salt Lake City Health Information Manager CONNALLY MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER US-TX-Floresville Project Manager - Health Information Management (HIM) Comsys US-CA-Sacramento Manager of Health Information Systems St Lukes US-ID-Sun Valley Senior Health Information Exchange Architect Harris Corporation US-VA-Falls Church Director of Health Information Management Mirada Hills Rehabilitation and Convalescent Hospital US-CA-La Mirada Director Health Information Management Walling June and Associates US-MD-Leonardtown

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