Passwords – the Weakest Link in Healthcare Security HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
Passwords are still the most pervasive tool used to secure systems. As a result, the cost of managing password-based security represents a growing burden for the healthcare IT professional. Despite countless expenses and hours in creating guidelines and procedures and purchasing safeguards, one user can still override all efforts by simply sharing a password.

 Biometrics Strengthen Security and Medical Staff Efficiency HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
DigitalPersona is the leading provider of biometric authentication solutions that improve security and regulatory compliance while resolving password management problems.

 Q&A With Carol Diamond HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
The managing director of the health program at the Markle Foundation explains why public trust is essential to the successful exchange of electronic health information – and how we can build it.
Carol Diamond, Markle Foundation

 A Focus on Laboratory Revenue Cycle Management HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
XIFIN offers leading-edge technology and service solutions that help laboratories collect what they are owed, eliminate compliance risks, streamline operations and improve overall profitability.

 Q&A With Grace-Marie Turner HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
If we don’t approach healthcare like other sectors of the economy, where consumers shop for value and seek services that are faster, better and cheaper, we’re doomed to default into a government-run healthcare system.
Grace-Marie Turner, Galen Institute

 Q&A With Stephen Lieber HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
The president and CEO of HIMSS discusses his organization’s efforts in driving America’s move toward an interoperable healthcare system.
Stephen Lieber, HIMSS

 Toward a Mature Security Model HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
HIPAA Administrative Simplification intends to do what other industries have successfully achieved by sitting down with competitors – standardize common electronic transactions to reduce healthcare’s overhead cost.While not a surprising piece of legislation, Administrative Simplification’s companion privacy and security regulations have jolted just about every corner of the industry.
Kate Borten, The Marblehead Group

 Leveraging Health Information Technology and Health Information Exchange for Value-Based Healthcare Initiatives HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
Concerns about cost and quality are driving the federal government to take action. On August 22, 2006, President Bush issued an executive order calling for healthcare programs that are administered or sponsored by the federal government to make available cost and quality information to their beneficiaries, as well as to utilize HIT systems and products that meet recognized interoperability standards.
Janet Marchibroda, eHealth Initiative

 Chartlogic Case Study HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
With today’s challenges facing medical practices including government mandates, lower reimbursement and cost risk management, the physicians and administrator at Dover Orthopaedics needed a better alternative for managing patient charts. So in 2001, administrator Marilyn Orr set out to find an electronic medical record system (EMR) for her four-physician practice. Another administrator, who had been through the same experience, had given Marilyn some advice. The administrator advised her to “respect the culture of your group and understand what they are willing and able to do.” With this advice and the list of practice objectives, Marilyn began her search.

 EHR Messaging and Data Standards In the United States HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
The evolving needs of the healthcare industry — especially for EHR implementation — demand uniform messaging standards and consistent use of those standards.
John Quinn, Accenture

 EHRs and the Stark Law HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
In order to foster the dissemination of the EHR, there needs to be definitional clarity and regulatory relief from Stark Law concerns.
John E. Steiner Jr., Esq., Cleveland Clinic Health System

 EHRs, Automating Coding And Advanced Analytics HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
Adopting the EHR and integrating it into other elements of the data universe of our healthcare system will generate positive outcomes at every link in the transaction chain.
Andrea Allmon, Fair Isaac Corporation, Jean de Traversay, Fair Isaac Corporation

 Newt Gingrich Advocates the Creation of A 21st-Century Intelligent Health System HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
Accelerating universal adoption of health IT is fundamental to creating a safer and more affordable health system.
Newt Gingrich, Center for Health Transformation, David Merritt, Center for Health Transformation

 Q and A With Dr. Ed Hammond HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
Professor Emeritus at Duke University explains the historical evolution of technical standards.
Ed Hammond, Duke University

 Q and A With Lee Ann Stember and Phillip Scott HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
Leaders of the NCPDP explain why adoption of e-prescribing will be more rapid than EHRs.
Lee Ann Stember, NCPDP, Phillip Scott, NCPDP

 The Health of Our Nation’s Hospitals HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
How did the healthcare industry fare in 2004? To answer that question, Solucient® reviewed essential measures of the U.S. healthcare system’s financial strength from 1997 to 2004, including hospital operating margins and other operational indicators.
Phil Gaughan, Solucient, part of Thomson Healthcare, Gary Pickens, Ph.D., Solucient, part of Thomson Healthcare

 The Pivotal Role of Government in Transforming U.S. Healthcare HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
A national healthcare IT network would enable the electronic exchange of health data among patients and clinicians as well as with the public health sector and life sciences industry.
Rick Wheeler, Accenture, Jon Kaplan, Accenture

 A Common Language Architecture for Health Care HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Interpreting health information within electronic health information systems requires clinical data that can be transmitted without loss of meaning, aggregated at general levels from multiple perspectives, and is consistent over time and across boundaries.
Franklin R. Elevitch, M.D., SNOMED International

 CEO Chet Burrell Explains RealMed's Role As a Bridge Between Payers and Providers HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
There is really no investment required by a practice to get on the service, so ROIs tend to be high as measured by administrative cost savings and faster time to payment.
Chet Burrell, RealMed Corporation

 Digitize Your Hospital: It Is a Quality and Efficiency Imperative HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Hospitals can no longer design closed systems that just talk to Medicare, Medicaid, and the big insurance companies. They need to transform key business and clinical processes, aggressively implement new technologies, and demonstrate patient safety.
Giri Iyer, GE Healthcare

 Disease Management: Changes and Challenges HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Disease management – the concept and the industry – have experienced both success and scrutiny during its brief history. Currently, as technology seems poised to improve management systems, everyone is struggling with elevating costs and the appropriate measurement of impact.
Alison Johnson, R.N., M.B.A., Milliman, Patty Armocida, R.N., M.B.A., Milliman

 Dockside to Bedside: A New Paradigm for Health System Medication Management HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
In the distributor-lead paradigm, a closed-loop solution provides the most efficient, best practice model available for each health care organization by integrating, automating, and monitoring each pharmaceutical-related transaction from purchase order to patient.
Russell Lewis, AmerisourceBergen Technology Solutions

 EAI Provides Opportunities for Collaboration HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Enterprise application integration enables information sharing, transaction processing, and collaboration across the health industry. Payer-provider collaborations form the hub and provide the access points for transactions among the other constituents.
Brian D. Peterson, Capgemini

 Effective Demand Forecasting In the Health Care Supply Chain HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
The road to automated replenishment is not an easy one. However, through the integration of intelligence, technology, and expertise, effective demand forecasting in the health care supply chain is attainable.
Timothy J. Callahan, Owens & Minor, Inc., David R. Guzman, Owens & Minor, Inc., Mark A. Van Sumeren, Owens & Minor, Inc.

 Enterprise Business Process Management for Health Care Payers HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Implementations of tightly integrated business process management software and business rules engines are finding that traditional boundaries and limitations associated with functional specialties within health care payers can be removed.
Tom Congoran, Pegasystems Inc.

 Health Information Technology: Implications for Healthcare Organizations HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
In the spring of this year, President Bush established a vision of interoperable electronic health records within 10 years, and appointed David Brailer, MD, PhD to serve as the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (HIT). This established a focal point for action and captured the attention of both the health care industry and the nation.
Peter Kongstvedt, M.D., Accenture, John Quinn, Accenture, Hindy Shaman, Capgemini

 Hospitals and Medical Malpractice--Risk Management Issues and Approaches HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Risk management is a function that is heavily dependent on the culture of an organization. If the culture of an organization fosters patient safety, the organization’s risk management program will be greatly enhanced.
Richard H. Bucilla, Lexington Insurance Company, Charles G. Benda, Independent Consultant

 How E-Prescribing Is Fostering Collaboration Between Payers and Providers HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
We absolutely are where health care and other segments of this industry on the medical side want to be.
Lee Ann Stember, NCPDP, Phillip Scott, NCPDP

 Next Generation Payer-Provider Connectivity HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
The challenges of clearinghouses will be met by forward-thinking health care organizations that are willing to take the initiative to leverage emerging technologies, market drivers, and the HIPAA regulatory environment to their strategic advantage.
Sandy Williamson, CapTech Ventures, Inc., Brian Deasy, CapTech Ventures, Inc.

 The Clinical and Financial Transformation Of Asia's Largest Private Hospital HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
With the “big bang” approach, Bumrungrad Hospital implemented an enterprise software solution that provides doctors, nurses, radiologists, and lab technicians with immediate clinical information and satisfies the billing and material management needs of back-office users.
Patrick Downing, Global Care Solutions, Curtis Schroeder, Bumrungrad Hospital

 The National Provider Identifier HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
On January 23, 2004, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the final rules on the implementation of the National Provider Identifier (NPI). The NPI will be unique to the provider and will be never ending; in other words, the same NPI will be used regardless of when or where that provider conducts standard transactions such as third party billing.
Peter Kongstvedt, M.D., Accenture, John Quinn, Accenture, Hindy Shaman, Capgemini

 Achieving Standardization Through CIS Implementation HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Standardization of clinical processes and practices is the reason for the effort and expense of building a clinical information system. It is the means by which quality and safety of patient care are improved, efficiencies realized, and costs reduced.
Robert B. Williams, M.D., Capgemini, Jay Toole, Capgemini, Michele Salvaneschi, R.N., Capgemini

 Connecting Health Care Users to Information: Convenience, Security, and Authentication Management HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Secure, simplified authentication is more of an issue than ever as the demand for access to clinical data spreads from hospitals to clinics, doctors' offices, and patients. One solution is to separate and extract the authentication process from the underlying application. Authentication services can then be provided as a "network service."
Daniel Palestrant, BNX Systems

 Domestic Violence: Confronting A Healthcare Epidemic HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Domestic violence has reached epidemic proportions in this country, and yet it remains one of the least reported and most misunderstood health issues facing our society today. If fully recognized and treated like other illnesses, domestic violence would likely be as common, if not more so, than breast cancer, and far more prevalent than hypertension, colon cancer, hepatitis and many other medical conditions which healthcare providers routinely screen and treat.
Ellen Taliaferro, M.D., Polaroid

 Ed Hammond Discusses the Need for Increased Data Sharing and the Development of Collaborative Health Care Industry Standards HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Q&A Between Dr. W. Ed Hammond, Professor Emeritus, Community and Family Medicine and Professor Emeritus, Biomedical Engineering at Duke University and Barry Jacobs, Publisher of Health Care Technology.
Ed Hammond, Duke University

 Enterprise PACS: Practical, Proven, and In Demand HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Picture Archiving and Communication Systems are a crucial component of truly integrated, effective patient care and information services. Institutions of every size, mission, and financial capacity can no longer afford to delay PACS investment.
Brad Levin, AMICAS

 Information Technology in the Emergency Department HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Adhering to fundamental critical success factors while avoiding common pitfalls will increase the chance of building, integrating, and deploying a successful computer-based patient record. Organizations that strive for, and measure, improvements in patient care and satisfaction are more likely to thrive than those that measure financial benefits more exclusively.
Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., Maimonides Medical Center

 Interview with John Glaser, ABCs of Evaluating Technologies Worth Your Investment HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
John Glaser, CIO of Partners HealthCare, explains the ABCs of evaluating which technologies are worth your investment.
John Glaser, M.D., Partners HealthCare

 Managing the Risks: Are You Scared Yet? HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Nervous about the risks involved in implementing an advanced clinical information system? Good! Anxiety motivates caution and a thoughtful quest for answers to hard questions. The question is: are you anxious enough? Here are reasons your anxiety is justified.
Manuel Lowenhaupt, M.D., Accenture, Michele Salvaneschi, R.N., Capgemini

 Protecting Private Health Information With Role-Based Authorization HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
There are several reliable methods for meeting HIPAA compliance for authentication, authorization, and accountability, including passwords, digital certificates, tokens, and biometrics. Compliance can be simple, but no one piece of software can do it all.
Michelle Netten, Secure Computing Corporation

 Providing New Solutions for Care Coordination HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Successful care management programs share common designs incorporating collaborative, inter-disciplinary care teams; information repositories; standardized communication protocols and care-management processes; continuously monitored outcomes; and reduced care team administrative tasks.
Rodd Padden M.B.A., Canopy Systems, Inc., Phil Beauchene, R.N., M.H.A., Mind My Heart, Kathleen Anderson, B.S.N., M.H.A., W.V. University Hospitals

 Question & Answer with Bill Spooner, VP and CIO of Sharp Healthcare HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Barry Jacobs talks to Bill Spooner about the necessity of multiple products and vendors, and end-user participation.
Bill Spooner, Sharp HealthCare

 Question & Answer with Eric Paul, Graduate Pharmacist, Baxter Corporation HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Eric Paul says real-time, point-of-care technology is the key to ensuring that clinicians have the best possible decision support.
Eric Paul, Baxter Corporation

 Question & Answer with Jeff Goldsmith, President of Health Futures, Inc. HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Jeff Goldsmith discusses how clinical IT will integrate a patient's history with embedded best practice guidelines to help clinicians design the best possible treatment plan.
Jeff Goldsmith, Ph.D., Health Futures, Inc.

 Reducing Practice Variation HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
There is a growing body of clinical evidence supporting leading practice interventions for treating specific medical conditions. Embedding and automating these leading practices within a computerized physician ordering system helps to ensure that the most current medical knowledge informs treatment decisions, and variations from accepted practice will be based on the patient’s specific circumstances and risks.
Robert B. Williams, M.D., Capgemini, Steve Margolis, M.D., Capgemini, Jane Neumann, M.D., ProHealth

 Smart Cards and Clinical Care Delivery HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
In the search for fast, secure, and accurate patient clinical information storage, smart cards offer advanced options to care providers and patients. Smart card technology allows health care providers and health care organizations to streamline medical processes, participate in secure health care data exchange, as well as increase quality of service through improved data access.
Dr. Bruno Lassus, D.D.S., Gemplus

 Special Section: Clinical Documentation HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Clinical documentation is often viewed as a necessary evil: a cause for overtime work, an incomplete patchwork of irrelevant or out-of-date data, or a task done to avoid legal or regulatory consequences. In this section, we make the case for designing, building, and implementing automated clinical documentation according to a new paradigm, one with the power to transform clinical practice and yield major benefits to health care organizations, clinicians, and patients.
Carol Belmont, Capgemini, Bonnie Wesorick, R.N., M.S.N., CPM Resource Center, Helen Jesse, R.N., M.S., Capgemini, Michelle R. Troseth, R.N., M.S.N., CPM Resource Center, David Brown, M.A., Eclipsys

 Special Section: Medical Safety HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Medication error and patient safety emerged as critical issues in health care in 1999 when the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released their report, To Err is Human: Building A Safer Health System. The report estimated that as many as 98,000 patients die in hospitals each year due to medical errors.
Brian Shea, Pharm.D., Capgemini, Jill Fainter, HCA, Inc.

 Special Section: Technology Overview HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
In this section, John Quinn offers an in-depth examination of core information systems. His discussion includes a look at the management of large hospital information systems, core building components and systems integration, and data management and architecture.
John Quinn, Accenture

 Technology in Health Care: Building an Integrated Infrastructure HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
A significant obstacle to making clinical care available one is system interoperability. Designing and implementing a modern replacement for limited-interoperability legacy systems can be an expensive, chaotic, and time-consuming endeavor. A less disruptive and costly alternative is to add an XML-based integration layer over existing systems.
Mark Blatt, Intel Corporation

 The Impact of IT on the Health Care Workforce HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
The role of information technology is not to replace clinicians, but to change their work environment to provide better job satisfaction and better patient care. By redesigning clinical processes and automating them with enabling technologies – often through innovative outsourcing arrangements – health care providers transform themselves into competitive enterprises that better serve their communities.
Charles Colander, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Karyl Woldum R. N., Capgemini, Brian Shea, Pharm.D., Capgemini

 The Net Effect HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Internet-based, global information technology has revolutionized the technological landscape for the health care industry. While privacy and security issues persist in patient care, safety is within reach utilizing existing security devices and systems.
Curtis K. Levinson, SBC

 Why Total Perioperative Automation Is Essential for 21st Century Health Care Systems HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Total perioperative automation (TPA) improves competitive and financial viability. TPA systems reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve quality of care by managing and integrating the entire perioperative environment from pre-op scheduling and assessment through post-anesthesia care.
Christopher Grover, Grover Group