April 2010 - The Health Care Blog

We're No. 37? Maybe Not ...

By MERRILL GOOZNER Phil Musgrove, now at Health Affairs, was an editor at the World Health Organization when it compiled its international comparison of nations' health status that ranked the U.S. 37th in the world, largely because of its poor......

Published Thu, Apr 22 2010 8:00 AM by The Health Care Blog

Nurseanomics

By MAGGIE MAHAR Twenty-eight states are now engaged in a heated debate over the difference between a doctor and a nurse: Legislators in these states are considering whether they should let a nurse practitioner (NP) with an advanced degree provide... Read...

Published Thu, Apr 22 2010 5:42 AM by The Health Care Blog

Medicare To Cover Preventative Care

By Dr. Pullen A nice surprise buried somewhere in the Health Care Reform Bill is that starting next year Medicare patients will be able to get annual preventative care exams that are paid for by their health insurance. It may... Read More...

Published Thu, Apr 22 2010 3:30 AM by The Health Care Blog

Reputation versus quality: U.S. News Hospital Ranking

By PAUL LEVY Each year, US News and World Report publishes its list of the top 50 hospitals in various specialties (example here). Now, an article has been published suggesting that one aspect of the methodology used by the magazine... Read More...

Published Wed, Apr 21 2010 4:31 AM by The Health Care Blog

Challenges in EMR adoption by doctors offices

Adoption of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) by physicians – particularly by primary care physicians – has been a challenge, for a number of reasons. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) has been charged with encouraging physicians...

Published Wed, Apr 21 2010 2:00 AM by The Health Care Blog

Another physician tool: mPay Gateway interview

By Matthew Holt While I clear out interviews that I have had in the can that were interrupted by first health reform and then Health 2.0 Europe, here's an interesting one on a very niche application mPay Gateway that helps... Read More...

Published Wed, Apr 21 2010 1:50 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Technology, Electronic Medical Records, Health 2.0, Matthew Holt, Physicians

Catching up with Anvita Health

By Matthew Holt Another one of my HIMSS interviews that's taken a while to make it onto THCB. But that shouldn't fool you--Anvita Health is one of the more interesting companies out there, doing complex analytics to personalize and identify.....

Published Wed, Apr 21 2010 1:05 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Technology, Electronic Medical Records, Health 2.0, PBMs

Health 2.0 in the Doctor's Office

By Matthew Holt The Health 2.0 meetings are coming thick and fast at the moment. No sooner have we finished Health 2.0 Europe in Paris (a very successful first venture abroad—and fortuitously held before the Icelandic eruptions suspended air travel.....

Published Tue, Apr 20 2010 1:09 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Technology, Electronic Medical Records, Health 2.0, Matthew Holt, Consumers

Myths and Facts About Health Reform Part II

By MAGGIE MAHAR Lobbyists representing the many who profit from our $2.6 trillion health care industry spent millions in the war over healthcare reform. Yet National Journal Contributing Editor Eliza Newlin Carney suggests that “it's unclear whether...

Published Fri, Apr 16 2010 8:24 PM by The Health Care Blog

A Microsoft EMR: It’s Not Just a Matter of When, It’s a Matter of Who

By AUSTIN MERRITT Microsoft Dynamics is largely present in just about every software market but medical. And they’re missing out big time. The United States healthcare IT market is growing at about 13% per year and is expected to reach... Read More.....

Published Fri, Apr 16 2010 9:13 AM by The Health Care Blog

Engage with Grace on Decisions Day

By Leigh Calabrese-Eck & Alexandra Drane Friday April 16 is National Health Care Decisions Day -- a national campaign that aims to encourage people to complete advance directives or living wills to document end-of-life-wishes. In the sprit of the...

Published Fri, Apr 16 2010 1:08 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Consumers

Health 2.0 Europe - Opening Presentation Available!

Once again, we'd like to thank everyone for making Health 2.0 Europe a smashing success! In case you missed the event (we're sure you had a good excuse!) or if you wanted to see our research again, here's a look... Read More...

Published Thu, Apr 15 2010 5:20 PM by The Health Care Blog

Important: Input on consumer 'Meaningful Use' requested and required, Apr 20

By Matthew Holt Josh Seidman, now running the meaningful use program at ONC, but formerly of the Center for Ix Therapy writes with an important request: The Meaningful Use Workgroup of the Health IT Policy/federal advisory committee that advises ONC)...

Published Thu, Apr 15 2010 6:15 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Electronic Medical Records, Health 2.0, Matthew Holt, Consumers, e-patients

Fabulous HWR at HealthBlawg

By Matthew Holt David Harlow has put together a fabulous collection for Health Wonk Review over at HealthBlawg. Who knew that so many notable things happened on April 15? Read More...

Published Thu, Apr 15 2010 5:47 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Health 2.0, health wonk review

Health 2.0 Europe--My Take

By Matthew Holt I’m back in San Francisco after a fabulous Health 2.0 Europe Conference in Paris. We were welcomed wonderfully to Europe by our partner Denise Silber, her colleagues at Basil Strategies and all the fabulous people we met... Read More....

Published Wed, Apr 14 2010 7:56 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Health 2.0, Matthew Holt