No one asked (well at least not publicly), but I wanted to share my opinions on what EMR vendors should be doing in regards to EHR certification. I guess you could say this is a small sample of the advice I’d offer as an EMR vendor advisor albeit not EMR vendor specific and with less detail. Take it for what it’s worth.

Much has been made of the introduction of Electronic Health ( or Medical ) Records as a means of controlling health costs and improving quality. Despite the medical community’s quick embrace of technology to treat disease, physicians have been reluctant to adopt medical records to the same degree as other technologies. Many have characterized physicians as stodgy curmudgeons, stubbornly clinging their antiquated, overstuffed records in the face of rapidly evolving times. The reality is that you...

First lets define "chronic condition". There are many definitions of  "chronic condition", some more expansive than others. I would characterize it as any condition that requires ongoing adjustments by the affected person and interactions with the health care system.As I mentioned on a previous blog (Chronic Disease Management and Adverse Drug Events) the care of patients with chronic conditions needs to be improved and streamlined.Some deficiencies that exist today include: • Rushed...

Do you want to get the stimulus money? Of course, every body wants to get a piece of the pie. But that money comes with some strings attached. Your organization needs to demonstrate the use of an EMR within the Meaningful Use criteria.

Here are the facts:

"One of six Americans who visit emergency rooms due to adverse drug-related events will need to be hospitalized. Drugs that commonly require monitoring in outpatient settings accounted for over half of all unintentional drug overdoses that resulted in an emergency room visit.  With monitoring, clinicians can adjust the patient's dosage to prevent avoidable adverse events."

How can I make sure all my patients have the information they need to be safe?

That is a common question we get from many of our clinics. We develop chronic disease management software with configurations for many different specialties.  But one thing they all have in common is the education page.

Good and Bad News on Hypertension in US from Heartwire

October 13, 2008 (Bethesda, MD) — A new report looking at hypertension during two time periods 10 years apart has found that more US adults have high blood pressure than ever before. The prevalence has increased from almost 25% during the first period surveyed (1988–1994) to 28.9% during the second period (1999–2004). The findings, by Dr Jeffrey A Cutler (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [NHLBI], Bethesda, MD) and colleagues, are...