On December 30, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the long-awaited proposed rule establishing the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, which lays out a set of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology. This program has been developed in response to the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” (ARRA), which authorizes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide a reimbursement incentive for physician and hospital providers who become “meaningful users” of an EHR.
Reach Beyond the Digital Walls of Your Practice
How much time and money do you spend trying to find information about your patients? Are you frustrated by the difficulties in obtaining patient medical records, test results, lab reports, radiology results, and insurance eligibility from organizations across state lines, down the street, or even across the hall? Do you ever order redundant tests simply because you are unable to access the results of tests ordered by another member of the care team?
ACR Online Tools for Learning and Teaching
The ACR is your source for online education
Look at What the New Rheumatology Image Bank Can Do for You
The Rheumatology Image Bank is an online library that features clinical, pathologic, and radiologic images of major adult and pediatric rheumatic diseases and conditions. Launched in late October, the Rheumatology Image Bank is a centralized resource for clinicians, researchers, and health professionals that provides assistance in selfstudy or the education of others.
Digital Footprints: Managing Your Online Professional Presence
Just over a year ago, WellPoint first made headlines when it announced a joint initiative with Zagat (known for their robust restaurant reviews) to poll healthcare consumers through an online survey to assess patients’ satisfaction with their healthcare providers. Since that time, the online community of health consumers has exploded with user-generated healthcare delivery reviews and comments collected in structured surveys and unstructured social media, such as blogs, Twitter, and Facebook.
Open (Access) Sesame
The pros and perils of open access publishing
Online Resources for Health Professional Research
How do we simplify the process for health professionals starting out in rheumatology research? This question can be difficult to answer because the plethora of information on starting out in rheumatology research is often overwhelming, and the multiplicity of Web sites with research materials can be confusing.
Rheumatology Clinical Registry Debuts This Month
Web-based system will ease compliance with PQRI, benchmarking, research
How to Win Over Information with Technology
Information overload—it’s the bane of my life. Some days I’m tempted to unplug all the fancy electronic gadgets that were designed to “keep us connected” and make our lives easier but instead often threaten to overwhelm us with the pressing need to respond immediately whenever our inbox flashes the arrival of yet another urgent message. For me, the challenge has become how to manage the inflow of data, messages, and information; stay current with the advances in my professional field; and carve out some quiet time free from beeping and flashing electronic reminders that relentlessly demand a response.
Do You E-Prescribe—or Just Think You Do?
You’ve bought an electronic medical record (EMR) with e-prescribing capabilities or stand-alone e-prescribing software and are enjoying the benefits of seamlessly writing a computer-generated prescription. Prescriptions are forwarded to the pharmacy where they enter the computer system exactly as they were sent. After all, that’s the benefit of e-prescribing, right?