By Gus Gilbertson and David Wayne In honor of National Health IT Week, we would like to examine the value of investing in healthcare IT as we look to the future of healthcare. Technology has already changed the way that many other industries – from retail, to customer service, to publishing – operate and engage with customers. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that technology is currently disrupting the healthcare industry and giving care providers a way to improve operations and quality of care. As the healthcare landscape continues to shift, providers are being prompted to adopt more evidence-based systems. Healthcare providers need accurate, comprehensive data that can be made readily available for government payers, insurers, registries, and other parties in order to remain competitive and maximize reimbursements. With healthcare IT solutions, care providers have an efficient way to disseminate and access patient information. Using a computer-based system as... read more

Did you have a chance to check out the latest healthcare IT news stories around the Web? We’ve captured the top industry news stories from this week that you won’t want to miss. ONC calls for behavioral mHealth in new app challenge According to EHR Intelligence, the ONC and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration are currently looking for innovative mobile-based solutions to behavioral health disorders and substance abuse. If you are an app developer interested in entering the contest, you can read the rules and details here. Cloud Computing becoming more prevalent in healthcare CIOL reports on the rise of cloud computing in the healthcare space. According to the 2013 Desktop Virtualization Trends in Healthcare report, the proliferation of desktop virtualization in healthcare continues to increase. Health IT spending on pace to top $34.5B According to FierceHealthIT, healthcare IT spending will reach $34.5 billion in North America in 2014. A... read more

Did you have a chance to check out the latest healthcare IT news stories around the Web? We’ve captured the top industry news stories from this week that you won’t want to miss. What is the role of social media in electronic health records? EHR Intelligence covers how many experts – including physicians, lawmakers, and EHR developers – are currently considering ways to integrate social media concepts into the collection and use of electronic health record data. Health IT talent in high demand We covered the demand for health IT talent recently here, and Healthcare IT News reports on how healthcare workers are still in high demand – especially in the IT sector. ONC turns over care compass to patients PhysBizTech covers the ONC’s new project, MyJourney Compass – a project designed to help patients navigate cancer treatment and become more involved in their healthcare decisions. Telemedicine improves care for kids seen in rural ERs Reuters cover a story about how... read more

Did you have a chance to check out the latest healthcare IT news stories around the Web? We’ve captured the top industry news stories from this week that you won’t want to miss. Farzad Mostashari to Leave Federal Health IT Office The Washington Post covers the big news in healthcare this week, which is that Farzad Mostashari has announced that he will be stepping down as the National Health IT Coordinator. Mostashari’s letter to ONC To get a full view of the complete email that Farzad Mostashari sent to ONC staff, head on over to Government Health IT. 12 Cardiology Center Openings and Expansions Becker’s Hospital Review publishes a list of 12 cardiology center openings and expansions that happened in the past month. Will Healthcare Look to Zappos for Inspiration – or to Comcast? Forbes poses an interesting question: as the healthcare industry becomes increasingly customer service based, how will healthcare providers have to start changing their business... read more

According to a recent HIMSS Analytics’ survey, there’s one industry where job growth isn’t slowing – and that’s in healthcare IT. According to the survey, which focused on the healthcare IT workforce, more than 85% of survey respondents said that they had hired at least one employee in 2012. And on top of that, 79% of respondents indicated that they were looking to hire additional staff in the coming 12 months. In fact, organizations are currently having a difficult time hiring enough candidates to fulfill projects and meet deadlines. Though outsourcing projects is an option, this presents a problem once healthcare organizations need to sustain IT systems with upgrades, modifications, and more. As EHR adoption continues to ramp up, healthcare organizations are facing a challenge when it comes to hiring for their IT teams. Nearly half of respondents said that they had to place an IT initiative on hold due to staffing shortages. Even when businesses did find candidates who fit... read more

Did you have a chance to check out the latest healthcare IT news stories around the Web? We’ve captured the top industry news stories from this week that you won’t want to miss. These Graphs Show How Fast Hospitals Are Adopting Computers – And How Far They Have to Go In Forbes, we see a visual representation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s annual report on health information technology in the United States. The graphs show that hospitals are adopting healthcare IT at a rapid pace, but that there is still a need for hospitals to continue investing in technology. Cardio Notes: ICD Codes Don’t Capture All Strokes According to Med Page Today, researchers have found that an uncommon type of stroke needs its own ICD-9 code. Cardiologists and researchers believe that with a dedicated or modified code, they would be able to identify these cases more accurately. 5 Ways IT helps make sense of costs Jeff Rowe of Healthcare IT News discusses the different ways in which... read more

Barbara O’Brien is a Product Education Trainer at LUMEDX. She also is the voice behind the demos of LUMEDX’s free e-learning materials, which consist of step-by-step lessons, video demos, PDF guides, and task simulations that can be accessed 24/7. What do you do at LUMEDX? I work as a LUMEDX software product education trainer and conduct on-site instruction in Bellevue, on-site training at hospitals, and webinar classes. I started out in the Training department 10 years ago as a Documentation Writer, and I plan to stay here. Within six months of starting, I moved from being a writer to a trainer. Amazingly, I love what I do now just as much as I did when I first started. The job changes, but so do I. I work with two other long-term employees. Even though I’ve been here for 10 years, I still find that my colleagues are great mentors and have helped me grow in my career. At work, I always try to represent the company in the most positive and professional manner possible.... read more

Did you have a chance to check out the latest healthcare IT news stories around the Web? We’ve captured the top industry news stories from this week that you won’t want to miss. North American Health IT Market Forecast to Reach $31.3B by 2017 According to HIT Consultant, the North American health IT market is forecast to reach $31.3 billion by 2017, up from $21.9 billion in 2012. 11 Ways to Make Healthcare IT Easier CIO covers 11 ways to help healthcare CIOs make improvements in their business. Tips include integrating data analytics, hiring the best EHR trainers, using mandates to enforce change, and more. Former ONC deputy coordinator is new AMA president-elect FierceHealthIT reports that Robert M. Wah, M.D., has been named the president-elect of the American Medical Association. Wah served as the first deputy coordinator for the ONC from 2005-2006. Government agency launches health IT webpage for long-term care providers In other ONC news, the agency just ... read more

On Friday we talked about how meaningful data can help physicians and other providers improve care and achieve business success. This Monday, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that HHS, CMS, and ONC have released new federal health data as part of a mission to create a more transparent health care marketplace and to help researchers and consumers make informed decisions. This release of information highlights the importance of monitoring your facility’s data, improving clinical and financial performance metrics, and ensuring that numbers are accurate. As health care data becomes more public, it is likely that more consumers will turn to metrics when choosing care options and providers. It is therefore critical that health care facilities not only deliver the highest quality care but also maintain accurate data that reflects their success. Some notable information released includes: Selected hospital outpatient data that gives average charges for outpatient... read more

On the White House Blog this week, United States CTO Todd Park speaks of a data-powered revolution in health care. He argues that data-powered tools change the way that clinicians and health care facilities respond to patient need and provide care – for the better. As Park puts it, “[Data-powered IT tools] are helping clinicians and patients get the latest and greatest evidence-based, life-saving best practices at their fingertips. And much more.” As we move into an increasingly evidence-based health care system, it becomes critical for providers to embrace data for numerous reasons. Meaningful data allows clinicians and hospital staff to make informed decisions to improve quality of care. In his post, Park talks about how data-powered IT tools are “enabling clinicians to analyze their patient population, understand who needs help (including and especially patients who haven’t been able to come into their office), and proactively reach out and give those patients the care... read more