Venture capital funding and merger and acquisition activity in the healthcare IT sector saw significant growth in the third quarter of 2011, according to a report from global communications and consulting firm Mercom Capital Group.

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It’s easy to get caught up in all the issues associated with new health IT. From non-effective EMRs to mandated practices that cause stress and headaches, the past few years have been tough. But across the country, organizations have seen success by jumping on the bandwagon, and we have their stories to prove it.

From ICD-10 implementation to mobile apps and more, check out three health IT success stories.

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ICF International, a provider of consulting services and technology solutions to government and commercial clients, has won a contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide data management support and technical assistance to more than 40 CDC-funded grantees.

The contract has a value of $9.7 million and a term of one base year and four option years.

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A new survey conducted by the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) has found that most healthcare providers agree that electronic monitoring of oxygenation and ventilation post-surgery can reduce the likelihood of patients dying from opioid overdoses.

According to results from the survey, almost all healthcare providers (90 percent) said that continuous electronic monitoring of should be available and considered for all patients following surgery.

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The iPhone 4S will be available on October 14, and one expert says Apple's new release "certainly boosts its suitability for healthcare applications." But one team of UC Davis researchers didn't need an upgrade to transform their iPhones into medical-quality imaging and chemical detection devices.

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Cerner Corp. will expand its technology offerings with the acquisition of Clairvia, a maker of workforce management software for the healthcare sector. Cerner the agreement on Oct. 7. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Durham, N.C.-based Clairvia has spent more than a decade developing healthcare workforce management solutions, including Care Value Management and Physician Scheduler. Clairvia’s software applications and predictive models enable healthcare organizations to align staff and resources with patient needs, in real-time.
 

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The healthcare track at the Oracle OpenWorld 2011 conference, held last week at the Moscone Center, saw a nearly 60 percent increase in attendees over last year -- jumping from 800 to 1,350 registered attendees.

"Making healthcare work" was the theme running through the 18 sessions specific to the industry. And the “resounding” issue attendees wanted to address was trying to break the cost curve, according to Marc Perlman, global vice president of healthcare and life sciences for Oracle Healthcare.

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HealthAmerica and Preferred Primary Care Physicians have launched a new pilot program aimed at providing more coordinated and patient-centered primary care and improved communications among patients, physicians and care teams.

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Eighty percent of respondents to a March 2011 Healthcare IT News survey of hospital and health system IT professionals cited compliance as the highest expectation of achieving meaningful use. Only 38 percent, however, are in the process of enterprise-wide adoption of secure EHRs.

The survey results confirm what Oracle and Deloitte, who commissioned the survey, are seeing in the marketplace, attendees were told at a healthcare session at Oracle OpenWorld Conference on Wednesday.

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Coders aren't just coders anymore. With the conversion to ICD-10 -- and all that entails -- set to take place by Oct. 1, 2013, a new career path is emerging. Enter the chief knowledge officer.

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The widespread development of health information exchange is happening quickly, and with it comes worries about confidentiality, privacy and security. But its benefits far outweigh potential concerns and include improved quality of care and reduced healthcare costs. 

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SRS announced a partnership with Omedix, a provider of government-certified patient-portal systems, that will enable SRS to offer its clients a next-generation patient portal that is fully integrated with the SRS EHR. Capitalizing on its OpenPath technology, the SRS Patient Portal will be available in the first quarter of 2012.
                                   

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Four out of five practicing physicians use smartphones, computer tablets, various mobile devices and numerous apps in their medical practice, according to a new report from Jackson & Coker.

“Tech-savvy physicians, especially recent graduates, increasingly rely on digital and Internet-based tools to communicate with patients and improve the medical outcomes of the care they provide,” said Sandra Garrett, president of Jackson & Coker.

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A new study profiling how five physician practices successfully overcame their e-prescribing challenges has determined that the common thread among them was that each had carefully moved through three phrases: planning, implementation and use of the systems.

The research was led by Jesse Crosson at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and identified key techniques in the implementation and use of electronic prescribing.

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Change is hard. And when that change involves new technology and a radical shift within the industry, it’s even easier to become frustrated. 

The great debate concerning electronic medical records continues to this day, and as more systems are implemented, the more issues providers and professionals have with them. That’s why we asked readers and experts alike to share with us some of their biggest gripes concerning EMRs.

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It's hard to overstate the impact Steve Jobs, who died Wednesday at age 56, has had on technology for the past 30 years. In hardware, software, communications and design, Apple's contributions have been incalculable – not least in healthcare.

The online reactions last night – with many responses no doubt tapped onto iPhone screens or typed into MacBook Pros – attested to the far-reaching accomplishments of a man many have likened to a modern Thomas Edison.

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The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA)  and The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) have called on Congress to reject the Blue Cross Blue Shield ssociation’s (BCBSA) proposal for Medicare to use prior authorization for advanced imaging services. 

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Lynne Thomas Gordon, AHIMA’s new CEO, began her first days on the job at the organization’s 83rd annual convention in Salt Lake City this week. She joins AHIMA after serving as associate vice president for hospital operations and director of the Children’s Hospital at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She is also a member of the Rush University faculty in the graduate program in health systems management. She succeeds Rose Dunn, who has served as interim CEO since May, after then CEO Alan Dowling and COO Sandra Fuller stepped down.

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Verizon and Duke University will jointly develop health information technology initiatives that both partners say will change the way healthcare is delivered.

“We’re extremely bullish about this,” said Sam Bastia, general manager, strategy, for Verizon. He said the initiatives Verizon and Duke are undertaking are meant to be "game-changers."

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The American Medical Association on Wednesday urged physicians who are not able to meet the requirements of the Medicare ePrescribing program to apply for a hardship exemption before the November 1 deadline to avoid monetary penalties in 2012.


Some 100,000 care providers could be hit with e-prescribing penalties next year. But the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering docs a chance to use an expanded list of exemptions to help dodge a 1 percent pay decrease in 2012.

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