by Graham Barnes July 2013 – In March, as required by the HITECH Act in 2009 as part of ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act), the DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) finalized the rules for HIPAA (Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Privacy and Security compliance and breach. Covered entities and their business… Read more »

by Chuck Parker June 2013 – We constantly hear that healthcare needs interoperability like the ATM or cell phone networks, but what does that really mean? Interoperability is becoming more important as we begin to implement systems in all of healthcare. The goal of the HITECH and ACA legislation was to increase the use of… Read more »

by Rick Lee March 2013 – Evidence-based medicine will always have a place in our health care industry. For example, we can ill afford to unleash unproven drugs on an unsuspecting and vulnerable population. Having the FDA require strict adherence to time-tested processes and methodologies protects our citizenry. But health care software development needn’t be… Read more »

by Scott Zimmerman February 2013 – Nothing can replace quality, personal interactions with your doctor. But technology can make delivering this personal attention, virtually 24/7, as easy as writing a prescription. Physicians are now utilizing engagement communications (education, support and encouragement delivered via technology) to help patients better manage their health. Web-based educational campaigns as… Read more »

by Frank Hone December 2012 – In recent years the American consumer has become a much more active participant in her own health and well-being. She’s generally better focused on nutrition and exercise and is more knowledgeable, proactive and aware of prevention and treatment options. But even as she has taken on more personal responsibility,… Read more »

By David Winn, M.D., FAAFP November 2012 – EDITOR’S NOTE: In light of the recent presidential election results, we are re-running David Winn’s article from the eve of the 2010 mid-term elections. Much has happened since then, and much remains the same. Some of Dr. Winn’s opinions are as equally deserving of discussion now as… Read more »

by Jim Gibson October 2012 – There’s nothing like an industry in utter turmoil to create opportunities for entrepreneurs. Turmoil doesn’t adequately describe health IT today and, as we read every day in the trade press and blogs, many health IT companies are doing quite well. Some even have the enviable challenge of managing hyper-growth…. Read more »

by David A. Jones, Jr. September 2012 – When the 900-page-plus Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted in March 2010, my first reaction was simple relief that the exhausting, incoherent, multi-year political spectacle had finally ended. My second was that implementation of this committee-bred camel, representing the largest health system overhaul since the 1960s, would… Read more »

by Donald Jones August 2012 – 860 million people worldwide have at least one chronic disease.1  10,000 people in this country turn 65 each day and most have at least one chronic disease.2  In the US, health care is nearly a 3 trillion dollar industry, comprising close to 18% of the national GDP, and up… Read more »

by Kym S. Wambold July 2012 – I just returned from my third healthcare conference in 12 months and must admit I am increasingly surprised by the lack of discussion around “Sleep Health” in general and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in particular. I recognize that managing chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, and… Read more »