Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Medical Practice Management News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/medical_practice/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171962.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171962.php "Hospitals that disproportionately care for poor patients are less likely than other hospitals to have adopted health information technology," according to an October study published in Health Affairs, American Medical News reports. IT / Internet / E-mail Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171830.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171830.php As electronic health records become more widely deployed, increasing amounts of health information are being collected. This data has many beneficial applications, such as research, public health, and health system planning. In a recent study, Dr. IT / Internet / E-mail Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171647.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171647.php A health information technology project "may revolutionize how health care is managed" by using medical records to coordinate patients' records. The Kansas City Star reports: "A pilot program is helping 13 area doctors' offices convert to doing that for their patients. IT / Internet / E-mail Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170740.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170740.php Commenting on the announcement from Andy Burnham, enshrining maximum waiting times into law, Nigel Edwards, policy director at the NHS Confederation, which represents over 95 per cent of NHS organisations, said: "It is a major departure for a government in this country to guarantee what patients can expect through legislation. Medical Practice Management Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169872.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169872.php The nucleoside analogue entecavir (Baraclude, Bristol-Myers Squibb) achieves a high response rate and progressive decline in liver stiffness in patients with chronic hepatitis B, according to results from the first study in 'real-life' clinical practice reported at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (31 October - 3 November, 2009). Liver Disease / Hepatitis Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168803.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168803.php "The rest of the world has embraced e-mail, online forms and iPhone apps, but health care still communicates in the centuries-old technology of paper," McClatchy/Tribune News reports. Now, technology companies are recognizing a business opportunity in that shortcoming. IT / Internet / E-mail Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168615.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168615.php "Although thousands of doctors are converting their offices to electronic health records, a change the federal government supports with $19 billion in grants, there is a major catch - the government is still working on establishing a standard for e-records," the Las Vegas Sun reports. Primary Care / General Practice Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167418.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167418.php If we continue to use our hospitals in the same way as we do now, the health service in 2030 will need to employ every second young person in the country and increase hospital bed capacity by 5000. Medical Practice Management Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167017.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167017.php Allscripts, the Chicago-based electronic medical records company, has more than doubled its profits since last year, Forbes reports in a special report. Its stock doubled, too, and it attracted nearly 50 percent more business. It's been a "sweet year" for Glen Tullman, the company's chief. IT / Internet / E-mail Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166820.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166820.php An important observational registry evaluating processes of care and one-year outcomes of over 4300 heart attack patients is now being completed. Researchers at the Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, MO have led this observational research study in collaboration with 23 other hospitals throughout the U.S. A vast knowledge store, produced from the significant size and diversity of this cohort, is expected to generate numerous publishable studies in the years ahead. Heart Disease Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166695.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166695.php Electronic medical records could improve how care is delivered and financed, but too few doctors and hospitals use it now, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told attendees at the Cerner Health Conference in Kansas City Tuesday, the Kansas City Star reports. Only 10 percent of hospitals and 20 percent of physicians' offices use the technology. IT / Internet / E-mail Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166560.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166560.php Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, leading to over 50,000 fatalities every year. But it can be prevented with early screening using a procedure called a colonoscopy. Now researchers from North Carolina State University, Mayo Clinic and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass) have created a tool to help colonoscopy facilities operate more efficiently, ultimately lowering costs and leading to shorter waiting times for patients. Colorectal Cancer Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166400.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166400.php Routine use of electronic health records may improve the quality of care provided in community-based primary care practices more than other common strategies intended to raise the quality of medical care, according to a new study by RAND Corporation researchers. Primary Care / General Practice Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/165837.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/165837.php As doctors and hospitals begin to transition to electronic medical records, one industry obstacle remains: ensuring that patients' records can smoothly follow them from one provider to another, the Associated Press reports. IT / Internet / E-mail Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/165807.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/165807.php New research published on bmj.com today reports that the GP Patient Survey is a reliable and valid means of providing financial incentives to doctors. Moreover, there is little evidence to support concerns that it has led to unfair payments. The GP Patient Survey is a component of the Government's commitment to make the NHS more reactive to patients' needs. In 2009, 5.5 million patients registered with over 8,000 general practices in England. Medical Practice Management Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/164851.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/164851.php The Fifth Annual IT Security Automation Conference, co-hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will focus on emerging technologies designed to support the security automation needs of multiple sectors. The conference will be held Oct. 26-29 at the Baltimore Convention Center. IT / Internet / E-mail Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/164413.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/164413.php Medicare will create a pilot program for a "medical home" model. The Wall Street Journal reports: "The Obama administration said Medicare will help fund state pilot projects that use primary-care doctors and teams of coordinators to manage patient care and reduce costs. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163929.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163929.php The Associated Press: "In his Wednesday speech and again in (a CBS "60 Minutes" interview), the president signaled he was open to so-called tort reform. Under current practice, doctors and hospitals must pay huge amounts to insure themselves against malpractice lawsuits by patients seeking large court-ordered settlements for poor treatment. … 'I would be willing to . Litigation / Medical Malpractice Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163796.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163796.php The computer company Dell unveiled a new offering to doctors and hospitals shopping for an electronic medical records system Thursday, Dow Jones Newswires reports. Dell's system will be cheaper, easier and more compatible with other products, the company said, helping to overcome longstanding health information technology obstacles (Solsman, 9/10). IT / Internet / E-mail Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163677.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163677.php "On one proposal for health care reform at least, there is a rare bipartisan consensus: the push to computerize patient records," The New York Times reports. The federal recovery package sets aside $19 billion "to encourage doctors and hospitals to install and use electronic health records. IT / Internet / E-mail Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163725.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163725.php In addition to breaking news and new research data from clinical trials, investigations and registries, TCT (Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics) 2009, the largest global medical and scientific symposium dedicated to interventional cardiovascular medicine, will feature an important discussion led by national experts on Electronic Health Records (EHR). Cardiovascular / Cardiology Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163624.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163624.php A new nationwide poll reveals that a strong majority of America's voters want Congress to include lawsuit reform in any overhaul of the health care system. The survey found that: -- 83 percent of the nation's electorate want Congress to address reform of the medical malpractice system as part of any health care reform plan. -- 72 percent of voters think the fear of being sued often changes the way doctors deal with patients. Medical Practice Management Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163385.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163385.php The American College of Physicians (ACP) is offering a new, web-based tool to help guide practices through the process of becoming a patient-centered medical home (PCMH). The ACP Practice Solutions' Medical Home Builder, which can be used for both a major transformation into a PCMH or to help practices making small-scale quality improvement changes, is available to individuals, group practices, PCMH demonstration projects, academic medical centers and training programs. Primary Care / General Practice Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162971.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162971.php New network will give practice managers a much stronger voice to influence policy and promote excellence and best practice in primary care, says the NHS Alliance. The NHS Practice Management Network (PMN) is run by practice managers, for practice managers. It will serve as platform for practice managers to influence the development of policy, promote and share best practice and create a support network locally as well as nationally. Medical Practice Management Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162449.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162449.php Two weeks ago, the Obama administration offered nearly $1.2 billion in stimulus-funded grants to set up state-run health information exchanges, and create 70 "health IT regional extension centers" to help physicians adapt to the digital era, a term officials defined in greater detail during a conference call late last week, Modern Healthcare reports. IT / Internet / E-mail