The HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) Act was passed in 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Auto of 2009 (ARRA). This piece of legislation was created to accelerate the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), and its supporting technology, in U.S. healthcare organizations. The 7 major goals of the HITECH […]
HIPAA Security Rule Part 2: General Data Security Rules for Electronic Protected Health Information
In part 1 of the HIPAA Security Rule blog series, we introduced you to healthcare data security basics, or in other words, what the HIPAA Security Rule is, what the primary objectives are, and what kind of information is protected by the HIPAA Security Rule. Below, and as part 2 of this series, we are […]
HIPAA Security Rule Part 1: An Intro to Data Security for Electronic Protected Health Information
Information and data security are hugely important topics, and no group knows that more than those who work in the healthcare field. Whether it’s who physicians and healthcare providers can talk to about a specific patient’s care, how to protect your healthcare facility from healthcare data hackers, or how to secure individuals’ “electronic protected health […]
How to Protect Healthcare Data from Orangeworm
Orangeworm, the new cyber group, seems to have its eyes set on undermining healthcare data security. Just last month, Symantec reported that they believe Orangeworm is using malware Trojan.Kwampirs to target: Healthcare Providers Pharmaceutical Firms IT Solution Providers for Healthcare Healthcare Equipment Manufacturers Manufacturing, IT, Agriculture, and Logistics Firms Possibly Linked to Healthcare Symantec believes […]
Top 5 Cybersecurity Threats to Electronic Health Records and Electronic Medical Records
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) contain a massive amount of sensitive information about a patient’s identity, medical health, and medical history. And while these electronic records allow physicians, healthcare professionals, and insurance companies to share information — a process that makes it easier to provide cross-coverage care and bill insurance — […]
The Future of Big Data in Healthcare
Big data in healthcare offers great potential for improving care, but healthcare agencies face challenges of improving infrastructure, analytics capabilities, and data security, according to “The Big Data Cure” report by MeriTalk.[1] MeriTalk surveyed 150 IT-related executives in Federal Agencies that focus on healthcare and healthcare research. The majority of respondents suggested that less than […]
Technology Adoption and Utilization in Healthcare
Technology adoption and utilization remains one of the primary challenges facing practicing physicians according to The Physicians Foundation, a non-profit seeking to advance the work of practicing physicians and help facilitate the delivery of healthcare to patients. In their 2014 watch list The Physicians Foundation has listed five critical challenges facing practicing physicians. Practice and Insurance […]
5 Usability Questions for EHR Installations
Evaluating EHR vendors can be a challenge. While physicians are experts at patient care, software evaluation can sometimes be confusing. In a recent edition of Medical Practice Insider, Linda Stotsky offers 5 core usability questions when shopping for an EHR vendor. An EHR consultant, Stotksy helps professionals sort through the varied challenges.[1] “Docs are great at […]
4 Out of 5 Patients Expect Online EMR Access
Consumers are taking notice of electronic medical records (EMR). More and more patients expect online EMR access, and they are willing to switch doctors for that access. According a recent global survey, 41 percent of patients would switch doctors to gain online access. Accenture conducted a survey with over 9,000 people, covering nine different countries: Australia, […]
EHR and the Value of Workflow Analysis
Workflow analysis and redesign is an essential part of EHR planning and implementation. One link to poor adoption and poor satisfaction with EHR may be related to poor planning. Any EHR implementation requires change. Change is stressful and causes resistance. Without effective planning, changes may actually hinder workflow and create ineffective and time-consuming workarounds. “One important lesson […]