Archive for category: Other

A recent article from Healthcare IT News, citing a poll of hospital and health system business leaders, found that 71 percent are more than halfway complete with their EHR adoption.

While this seems like promising news, only 48 percent of those polled believed that they are ready to meet initial Stage 1 Meaningful Use requirements.

“Industry leaders’ lack of confidence in their ability to integrate electronic health information throughout an enterprise is a concern as the healthcare industry moves toward creation of a nationwide health information network,” according to the article’s author, Gary Palgon.

Palgon asserts that many organizations that have adopted EHRs are not fully utilizing their systems and he recommends the use of e-prescription, e-lab, and e-radiology systems to collect information as a part of the EHR. This, he states, will “eliminate the data silos that typically exist.”

Palgon mentions that collaboration is key to success. “Once an organization can communicate seamlessly within its own four walls, the groundwork is set to share information with entities outside those walls.”

With flu season winding down, public health professionals may soon have a new virus to focus on—the coronavirus. Coronavirus is in the same family as SARS and the common cold. According to a recent CNN article, coronavirus was found in Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.

Six people have died from the virus worldwide, prompting Vanderbilt University Medical Center infectious disease specialist Dr. William Schaffner to state, “I wouldn’t be shocked if it came here.”

The CDC is working closely with the World Health Organization and is requesting that doctors ask patients exhibiting certain symptoms where they’ve recently traveled. Infection symptoms include an acute respiratory infection, fever, and a cough.

Experts warn that this virus, which the World Health Organization has dubbed NCoV (novel coronavirus), has a range of effects that include pneumonia and kidney failure. There is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission, according to the article.

But human-to-human transmission is possible and was documented in a case within the United Kingdom.

Learn more about NCoV by visiting the World Health Organization’s website.

A recent study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration asserts that emergency rooms across the country are treating increasing numbers of patients who experience complications from consuming energy drinks. The study refers to the drinks as a “rising public health problem,” adding that 20,000 ER visits in 2011 were linked to the drinks.

Energy drinks can increase blood pressure and heart rates—and cardiologists interviewed for the study stated that ER patients “frequently complain of heart racing, heart skipping, and panic-attack like symptoms.”

The symptoms, which have resulted in a doubling of energy drink-related ER visits in just four years, have even caused Chicago to consider banning energy drink sales to individuals under the age of 21.In a response by the American Beverage Association, it is noted that the study did not “share information about the overall health of those who may have consumed energy drinks.”

To dive further into the topic, HMS attempted to confirm the study’s results by looking at data collected in ERs across the country. We found that there was not much evidence in the data that showed a direct correlation between energy drinks and ER visits.

However, the very nature of the symptoms described—racing heart, heart skipping—means that the chief complaints may not stand out in an analysis as being directly related to energy drinks.

This analysis gets to the heart of the “fun” part of data collection—sifting through data to find correlations that can better serve the public’s health. For more information on the study, visit the HLN website.

According to an article on MedPageToday, leading medical groups have contacted the Department of Health and Human Services, requesting a delay in Meaningful Use Stage 3 implementation.

The medical groups state that many providers continue to struggle with MU Stage 1 and 2 implementation.

“Rather than prematurely impose Stage 3 requirements, HHS should first focus on improving the ability for physicians to achieve Meaningful Use Stage 1 and 2 requirements,” states the American Academy of Family Physicians.

The group requested that the implementation be delayed until 2017. Current regulations are scheduled to take effect in 2016.

Joining the chorus the HIMSS EHR Association submitted comments to HHS that noted their belief that the deadline for MU 3 not only needs to be pushed back but that a change in the focus of the regulations is also necessary. HIMSS believe it would be better to focus on interoperability and the full use of MU 2 requirements before additional technical capabilities mandated.

Clearly this is a legitimate debate to have. There is a real risk that meaningful use incentive payments could direct the development of EHR’ in a negative way by forcing the addition of features and functionality that were not added due to the demand/need of healthcare practitioners but instead were added simply to meet the regulatory requirements.  If this where to happen it would undermine the whole reason for the regulations in the first place- the meaningful use of EHR in particular and of healthcare information technology in general.

The University of Minnesota’s Public Health Discovery Game, “Outbreak at Watersedge,” simulates an outbreak and challenges players to discover its source. The game, targeted at high school students who might be considering a career in public health, provides an informative glimpse into the analytical, verbal, and communications issues involved in dealing with a critical public health issue.

Another key concept of the game is to demonstrate how public health professionals promote health while working to prevent illness.

The game’s not new—but it does provide valuable insight into a career in public health. And it makes players aware of the general actions taken if and when a public health outbreak occurs.

Give Outbreak at Watersedge a try and let us know how you do!