Feb 11, 2011 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Digital Pathology, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Clinical Pathology Laboratories Swamped With Requests to Interface Their LISs to EHRs
This is the first year that hospitals and physicians can qualify for federal incentives associated with their adoption and meaningful use of electronic health record (EHR) systems. Already clinical laboratories and pathology groups report increasing demand for them to interface their laboratory information systems (LIS) to the physicians’ EHRs.
The financial incentives for hospitals and physicians are authorized as part of the federal government’s health information technology (HIT) incentive program. To get their fair share, healthcare providers must demonstrate by the end of 2011 (September 30th for hospitals) a 90-day contiguous meaningful use of an electronic health record (EHR) for Medicare transactions—and either adopt, implement or upgrade an EHR for Medicaid also within 90 days. Hospitals can receive payments for both, but physicians only one. (more…)
Jan 31, 2011 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Improved Utilization of Clinical Laboratory Tests Was One Source of Significant Savings
Investment in health informatics saved the Veterans Administration (VA) more than $3 billion during the past 10 years. This was the finding of a newly-published study in Health Affairs. It is likely to have positive implications for how use of information technology (IT) improves utilization of clinical pathology laboratory tests.
Titled “The Value from Investments in Health Information Technology at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,” the study was undertaken by the Center for Information Technology Leadership. This is a Charlestown, Massachusetts-based research organization.
During the period of the study, the VA spent more than $4 billion on health information technology. As a result of that HIT investment, the VA realized total savings amounting to $7 billion. After subtracting the expense of the HIT investment, there was a net savings of $3 billion for the VA during the 10 years covered by the study.
(more…)
Oct 20, 2010 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Company will develop solutions for new reimbursement models, evidence-based care, and supporting health service delivery needs
Earlier this fall, IBM Corporation (NYSE: IBM) announced plans to invest $100 million specifically to advance IBM capabilities in three key areas of healthcare informatics. That seemed like a big deal that might affect clinical pathology, since IBM is one of the information technology (IT) giants in the United States.
However, Dark Daily editors made a surprising discovery as they researched the news of IBM’s new $100 million healthcare IT investment initiative. IBM has a habit of making $100 million investments in recent years! It has learned that dropping a press release that announces a $100 million IT investment initiative generates plenty of press coverage.
(more…)
