A new report from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s (HIMSS) has found that hospitals will face significant challenges in order to comply with health IT requirements of the federal economic stimulus package.
HIMSS compared the requirements of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) stimulus against its 7-stage Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Adoption Model (see image below).
The majority of HITECH requirements fall under the most difficult Electronic Medical Record categories – categories that very few hospitals currently meet, a recent article from Government Health IT points out:
What does it take to ensure a successful Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) implementation?
No more than:
- Proper staff training
- The right PACS solution
- Thorough assessment of user requirements
- Accurate budgeting in terms of costs and time
And of course, an experienced, knowledgeable PACS administrator.
Scott Griffin, PACS Administrator
PACS Administrator Scott Griffin’s previous experience with several large-scale implementations helped Southeast Alabama Medical Center seamlessly install a PACS. The implementation was so successful, the hospital was able to go 90% filmless in less than six months.
No matter what your job function – physician, radiologist, administrator or other personnel – a healthcare IT or medical imaging association exists to help you stay on top of emerging trends and the latest technologies.
Check out the two organizations below, or access our complete list of healthcare IT associations.
American Academy of Medical Administrators: AAMA represents multi-disciplinary healthcare management at all levels, within all health organizations. It promotes professional development and credentials through continuing education and research in healthcare management. AAMA provides colleges that focus on specific specialties of healthcare administration, including health plan management, healthcare information and oncology.
Baton Rouge General Medical Center – particularly its radiology department – has a long history of staying on the forefront of the technology curve. It was the first in the US to operate a radiation therapy unit, the first in its region to offer endoscopic ultrasounds and the first in the state to offer portable digital radiology systems.
That long-standing history is what led it to adopt the next generation of medical imaging technology.
The medical center needed to leverage medical imaging technology that could enable fast, easy access to digital images across the enterprise. Plus, it needed a solution that would help it meet the meaningful use requirements associated with tapping into federal stimulus incentives.
Ken Olbrish on PACS implementation best practices
In this day and age, Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) are essential for providing images immediately and anywhere. Main Line Health System Enterprise Imaging Administrator Ken Olbrish understands that firsthand.
Main Line Health System, located outside of Philadelphia, successfully completed an enterprise PACS implementation. We sat down with Olbrish to discuss lessons learned from the PACS implementation.
When a PACS must be integrated with other devices, what challenges do administrators face?
There are several challenges for PACS administrators to overcome.
Are you looking to expand your knowledge of the latest advances in healthcare IT? Could you benefit from a few days of networking with other radiologists and healthcare professionals?
Look no further than the healthcare IT and radiology conferences highlighted below.
March 4-8
European Congress of Radiology
Vienna, Austria
ECR 2010 represents the medical specialty of radiology throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. The ECR comprises an executive committee, a programme planning committee, a technical exhibition committee, an international relations committee and 15 scientific subcommittees
The future looks bright for diagnostic imaging.
According to a report from ReportLinker, worldwide diagnostic imaging and Radiology Information System (RIS) markets will reach $415.8 million by 2013. Moreover, as RIS systems are integrated with electronic patient records, market growth may be even stronger.
The ability to identify additional diseases at an earlier stage through diagnostic imaging will stimulate the demand for information management systems.
The report pinpoints key drivers of diagnostic imaging and radiology information system market growth, including:
- Lower costs
- Improved efficiency
- Complete audit trails
- Centralized patient information
- Help to achieve HIPAA compliance
The immediate, primary benefits of electronic medical records are well-recognized: improved efficiency for physicians and enhanced safety for patients.
But what are the secondary benefits?
According to a recent survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, secondary use of electronic medical records may become a healthcare organizations’ greatest asset over the next five years. Data mined from health information systems could help improve patient care, predict trends in public health and reduce healthcare costs.
The survey, “Transforming Healthcare Through Secondary Use of Health Data,” found 90% of healthcare executives say the secondary use of health information from electronic health records will significantly improve patient care.
Radiology Information Systems (RIS) have come a long way in streamlining tasks and providing 24/7 access to radiology results for physicians across an enterprise.
But results from a recent Wake Forest University School of Medicine study show there still may be one missing piece of the puzzle. According to the study, many patients are dissatisfied with the lack of detail in MRI, CT scan and ultrasound test results – as well as the amount of time it takes to receive results.
Patients in the study want online access to radiology results as soon as they are available to enable them to:
Stay on top of the latest radiology and medical imaging trends and advancements with the two resources below. Or access a full list of PACS, RIS and healthcare resources for even more medical imaging news and information.
Abdominal Imaging: Radiologists, medical imaging specialists, gastroenterologists and hepatologists can discover the latest in-depth studies from well-respected healthcare researchers and research organizations. Recent published works include: “Functional MR Imaging as a New Paradigm for Image Guidance,” “Interventional Oncology in the Abdomen” and “Detecting Recurrence of Gastric Cancer.”
