News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel

News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel
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Top 10 Rankings of EHR Market Share Put Epic First as Hospitals, Physicians, and Clinical Laboratories Make Progress on Interoperability

In both the hospital market and the ambulatory market, Epic has the best-selling electronic health records system, according to data issued by ONCHIT

Across the nation, clinical laboratories and pathology groups are busy interfacing their laboratory information (LIS) systems to the electronic health record (EHR) systems of their client hospitals and physicians. Yet, few lab managers know which EHR systems are dominating the market and which EHR systems are barely surviving.

In fact, it can be a challenge to understand market share by vendor. That is because market share can be determined in multiple ways. Dark Daily found three different rankings of EHR vendors. Each was based on slightly different sets of data. (more…)

HIE Use Rises along with Adoption of EHRs, but Full Interoperability Remains Elusive for Hospitals, Physicians, Clinical Labs, and Pathology Groups

The majority of the nation’s hospitals and physicians now use electronic health records and most of these EHR users are already exchanging clinical data with regional HIEs

Pathologists tracking the adoption of EHR systems by hospitals and physicians will be interested to learn that, according to the federal government, more than 80% of hospitals and 50% of physicians now use these products. It is also reported that growing numbers of providers are exchanging data with health information exchanges.

Clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups have a big stake in these developments. Medical laboratory test data is an essential component to every patient’s permanent health record, which is why it is important for every lab to have interfaces with the HIEs serving their communities and regions.
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HHS Office of the Inspector General Survey Reveals That Most Hospitals Ignore or Manipulate EHR Fraud Safeguards

Although most clinical laboratories and pathology groups do not use EHR systems, the OIG’s finding should alert them to possible problems with audit integrity of their clients’ EHRs

Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems were supposed to prevent fraud, but a recent report from one federal agency states that the fraud safeguards built into EHR systems are not in engaged by a majority of users.

Pathologists and clinical laboratory managers with the responsibility to maintain security of software systems used in their medical laboratories may be interested to read “Not All Recommended Fraud Safeguards Have Been Implemented in Hospital EHR Technology,” a report issued by the Health and Human Services’  (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG). (more…)

HIE 2.0 Approaches as HIE Connectivity Delivers More Value for Patients and Providers

Advances in HIE technology and performance could prove beneficial to clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups

Even before most clinical laboratories have substantial experience with a full-function health information exchange (HIE) serving their region, one HIE expert is predicting that the next generation of HIEs is soon to arrive and will deliver more functionality.

“We’re maturing from HIE 1.0 to HIE 2.0,” declared Micky Tripathi. “We’re in a new world now.” Tripathi is in a position to know. He is CEO of the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative. He also participates on the boards and/or steering committees of the Information Exchange Workgroup of the HIT Policy Committee, the eHealth Initiative, and the New England Health Exchange Network (NEHEN). (more…)

Update on New Federal Regulations Affecting Clinical Pathology Laboratories: Stage 2 ‘Meaningful Use’ Rules Top the List

Final Stage 2 rules give providers another year to meet Stage 1 ‘meaningful use’ criteria and shorten Stage 2 requirements from one-year to just 90 days

Clinical laboratory managers and pathologists may be interested to know that, over the fall months, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released three new rules that affect users of health information technology (HIT).

One rule covers Stage Two of Meaningful Use and includes guidance on how providers should address the need to encrypt patient data. The second rule updates eligibility criteria that providers implementing electronic health record (EHR) systems must meet to qualify for federal incentives. Because medical laboratories and pathology groups maintain ongoing electronic interfaces with hospitals and office-based physicians, it is useful to know some of the key elements of these three recently issued federal regulations. The third rule establishes a date for conversion to ICD-10.

The new regulations were contained in a 1,354-page document published in the Federal Register. These rules represent “a tsunami of change” for providers, observed Patricia B. Wise, RN, MS, MA, COL (USA ret’d), Vice President for healthcare information systems for the Chicago-based Healthcare Information Exchange and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Wise was quoted in a Modern Healthcare story. (more…)

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