Starting January 5th, 2015 about 257,000 Medicare eligible professionals (EPs) will face meaningful use penalties, according to CMS officials. EPs must successfully attest for Meaningful Use on or before Oct. 1, 2014 in order to avoid a penalty.
The announcement also revealed during a press call on Wednesday afternoon revealed of those 257,000 EPs identified, 28,000 will face a 2 percent penalty for failing to meet the e-prescribing requirement. Additionally, more than 200 eligible
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Dell: 96% of Healthcare Organizations Turn to the Cloud
96 percent of healthcare organizations are using or considering using the cloud, according to the Dell Global Technology Adoption Index. The survey finds the healthcare industry is not only rapidly transforming but is more successfully closing the gap in cloud adoption when compared to other industries.
Key Findings
- The majority of healthcare respondents are using private cloud (43 percent) or a hybrid cloud solution (43 percent).
- Healthcare confidence in the security of data
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Can A Virutal Clipboard Automate the Patient Intake Process?
On Monday, a group of representatives from the ONC and healthcare industry meet to discuss possibly developing a mobile "virtual clipboard" that will “create an industry blueprint around how to automate the patient intake process"Modern Healthcare first reports.
“The goal is to make the first experience (going) into your GP, specialist or hospital as simple as buying a cup of coffee at Starbucks. We have created four different work groups that will meet between January and February to work out
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CMS: Meaningful Use Payments Tops $25.7B
As of December 1st, CMS has paid more than $25.7 billion in meaningful use payments to eligible hospitals and professionals, according to the latest CMS data. Elisabeth Myers, head of CMS' Office of eHealth Standards and Services made announcement on Tuesday during a Health IT policy Committee meeting.
MU Registation and Payment Data
CMS data reported 505,641 active participants in the meaningful use incentive program through October 2014 broken down by:
October-14
Program To
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Aetna Foundation Launches $4.5M Healthier World Innovation Challenge
The Aetna Foundation today announced the Healthier World Innovation Challenge, a $4.5 million initiative designed to steer digital health innovation to improve chronic health outcomes in underserved communities.
Overview
The Challenge is part of a larger, three-year digital health commitment by the Aetna Foundation to help address public health concerns. With the addition of the Challenge, the Aetna Foundation’s commitment to digital health will now total $5.7 million between 2014 and 2016.
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Walgreens to Offer Telehealth Visits Through MDLIVE
Drugstore gaint Walgreens has announced the expansion of its telehalth platform to offer telehealth visits through MDLIVE, provider of telehealth services that will give Walgreen customers 24/7 access to U.S. board-certified doctors through its mobile application. The collaboration aims to transform retail digital healthcare delivery and compete against competitors Rite Aid and CVS who already have similar telehealth offerings. Last year, Walgreens launched its Pharmacy Chat feature,
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ONC Report: 26 Trends Driving Physician EHR Adoption
The need to share patient information with other providers and the use of financial incentives are key drivers in why many providers adopt and use health information technology tools like EHRs, according a data brief released today from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).
ONC Report Overview
The new data brief details why physicians decided to adopt – or not adopt –EHRs, and it helps to explain how financial incentives drive physician EHR adoption. Additionally, data
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JASON Releases Data for Individual Health Report
In a blog post yesterday, the ONC National Coordinator Karen DeSalvo, MD references a new JASON report titled Data for Individual Health that focuses on "how to create a health information system that focuses on the health of individuals, not just the care they receive." JASON is an independent group of scientists and academics that has been advising the Federal government on matters of science and technology for over 50 years. The report commissioned by the HHS was done in partnership with the
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Philips Launches Consortium To Explore Mobile Ultrasound Solutions
During RNSA 2014, Philips has announced the initiation of a Consortium of health care leaders that will drive connected health through mobile ultrasound solutions, highlighted by the demonstration of a new app-based ultrasound proof-of-concept. This Consortium builds on Philips' momentum in the development of connected health technology that opens new opportunities to connect care across the health continuum using app-based ultrasound solutions designed to interface with the Philips
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CMS Extends Meaningful Use Attestation Deadline to 12/31
CMS has announced a one month extension for eligible hospitals and Critical Assess Hospitals (CAHs) to attest to meaningful use for the Medicare EHR program reporting period 2014 to December 31, 2014. According to CMS, the one month extension will allow more time for hospitals to submit their meaningful use attestation data for their incentive payments and avoid the the 2016 Medicare payment adjustments.
Additionally, CMS is also extending the deadline for eligible hospitals and CAHs that
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