Due to increasing demand for digitized patient records management, Peirce College has introduced a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Administration (HIA). The HIA credential will help equip those aspiring to management and leadership positions within the booming non-patient healthcare field.

“This is an exciting development. Health Information Administration is a necessary degree program for such a growing field. It is another extension of Peirce’s mission to offer highly relevant, career-related degrees for working adult students in the region,” said Stephanie Donovan, Assistant Professor and Program Manager, Health Information Technology/Health Information Administration for Peirce College.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the economy, half are related to healthcare. Employment among healthcare practitioners and technical occupations is expected to increase by 21 percent by 2018. Healthcare is one of the primary industries in the greater Philadelphia region.

When Peirce’s Health Information Administration program was presented to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, it was considered it to be relatively unique in the way the program is structured, Donovan pointed out. “They were bowled over by our proposal. Plus, there are not many of Peirce’s type of program out there,” she said.

“Our Health Information Technology associate degree and Health Information Administration bachelor’s degree make up what we call a 2+2 model,” Donovan said. “This model, which is not offered by all institutions, enables students to earn an associate degree, secure credentials to begin working in the field, and then continue on to earn a bachelor’s degree.”

Dominic Adams, Risk Manager at Temple University Hospital, says healthcare education curricular models are changing, so the jobs associated with healthcare are changing. One example he points to is the similarity a few years ago of positions associated with medical records. “Now there are more models based on the different complexities of healthcare,” Adams said. “The Peirce 2+2 program is definitely a rare model. The programs offered by most institutions are traditional four-year programs. Plus, the flexibility of selecting online or classroom study formats at Peirce is definitely a benefit.”

Another Peirce program advantage is that students are exposed to Health Information Management (HIM) specific courses in every year of study. It gives the Peirce program and students continuity. From day one students are learning about Health Information Management principles. “It is a plus because during the first two years of studies, students at most schools, especially those in four-year degree programs, are exposed to general studies courses, not the root of the degree, until later in the program,” Adams said.

The Health Information Administration degree is a natural extension—and the bachelor’s component—of Peirce’s Health Information Technology program. It represents more opportunities for those who are already in the patient records managementhealthcare field and who want a bachelor’s degree that is current to industry demands, Donovan added. (Peirce’s Health Information Technology program is a two-year degree that prepares students with the technical skills needed to manage electronic healthcare data and protect the integrity of patients’ records.)

Health information professionals serve as the link between care providers, payers and patients. They play a critical role in managing patient health information and medical records, administering computer information systems, collecting and analyzing patient data, and using classification systems that healthcare providers rely on to deliver quality care.

“The need for sharing fast and accurate medical information has never been greater. We want to help our students get on the fast track to a career centered on supporting the delivery of healthcare and the management of patient health information with one of Peirce College’s healthcare degree programs,” added Patricia Rucker, Senior Vice President, Academic Advancement and Provost for Peirce College. With medical information management and healthcare administration career opportunities projected to grow much faster than the average, Peirce’s Health Information Technology, Health Information Administration and Healthcare Administration programs give students the skills and credentials needed to enter or advance in this important sector, Rucker emphasized.

The Peirce Health Information Administration program also provides students with access to the AHIMA Virtual Lab, which includes a number of software applications currently used in the healthcare industry. Hands-on access to the Lab helps ensure students are better prepared to enter healthcare information careers.

The Lab provides students a competitive advantage when they apply for positions because they will be able to demonstrate a level of experience with the software. For example, in Peirce’s Coding course, students will utilize the QuadraMed and 3M Encoders. “Our graduates will have an elevated degree of proficiency because of their experience using these encoders in the classroom,” Donovan emphasized.

The Health Information Administration degree prepares students to advance in a career as a health information administrator in a number of professional settings. Students who already have a Registered Health Information Technology (RHIT) credential may be able to earn their bachelor’s degree in two years. The Health Information Administration (HIA) program is especially designed for professionals in the field who already have an RHIT credential and wish to earn a baccalaureate degree and secure a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) credential.

After completion of the RHIA exam, graduates can seek employment in hospitals, multispecialty clinics and physician practices, long-term care, mental health and other ambulatory care settings, and/or non-patient care settings, with careers in managed care and insurance companies, software services, consulting services, government agencies, education and pharmaceutical companies.

Peirce also offers a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, which provides a solid foundation of business concepts integrated with industry knowledge for future leadership in the sector.

http://www.bioportfolio.com(Source)

“What makes the great individuals in IT great? The answer is they don’t see themselves in IT,” said Craig Schiefelbein on the closing day of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives fall forum in San Antonio last week. “They’re in healthcare.”

So, what do you do? Are you in IT (or finance, quality, or marketing, or any other department within a provider organization)? Or are you in healthcare?

The answer, says Schiefelbein, who is the co-founder and CEO of Paragon Development Systems and author of the book “Get Out of IT While You Can,” can make a difference in how happy you are. It also impacts a lot of other areas that are important to any organization, but critical in healthcare, from patient experience to quality to long-term sustainable growth.

It’s so easy to bend your head down and get lost in the day-to-day to-do list. And there are a lot of things to do on the IT department’s list these days—little things like implementing electronic medical records and preparing for ICD-10 coding changes, for example.

When you have a chance to look up, chances are you’re sitting in yet another meeting room looking at yet another PowerPoint presentation.

In fact, as Schiefelbein pointed out (and a show of hands from the audience confirmed) IT is often housed away from patients. Although it has moved up from the basement, it has also moved out to administrative buildings or wings.

IT needs to get back into the hospital, he said, shadowing clinicians and workers in a variety of departments. In some organizations I’ve talked to, workers from IT and other departments participate in rounds in order to bring those non-patient facing departments face-to-face with the sole reason the healthcare organization exists.

Schiefelbein also encouraged IT leaders—even those who consider themselves over-achievers—to reach beyond their comfort zone. Both the IT team and the department as a whole must be much more strategic, and focused on business, mission, and customers—especially patients.

Long-term sustainable growth comes from physician and patient loyalty, he added, and those are most impacted by experience.

“If you want to move to the next level, you can’t just be the best you can be; you have to be the best in your industry,” he said.

For example, he said, many IT departments are focused on coming up with programs that help reduce costs, which is critical. But to truly be strategic, they must also think about how to apply those cost-reductions in strategic ways.

People can go through their entire careers without ever contributing a strategic idea, he said.

Here’s a quick litmus test to see if you and your staff are strategic: Imagine that the CEO has a meeting with key stakeholders and asks someone from the department to step in and explain the organization’s objectives and strategies for long-term growth, talk about how it will ensure the best possible patient experience, and describe its core competencies.

Could you? Could your IT staff?

And what do you do for a living? I’d like to hear from you: Join our discussion on LinkedIn to answer the question and let us know if you think the answer makes a difference in your organization.

“http://linkd.in/vgFjj3″

http://www.healthleadersmedia.com(Source)

Health IT Executive Jobs

In the first study, “Social Media for Esophageal Cancer Survivors,” researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Florida found that social media is an important resource for patients and their caregivers who are facing important treatment decisions after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer and managing difficult nutritional and lifestyle issues after esophageal surgery. “We have successfully worked with a highly motivated group of 65 patients who have been diagnosed with and treated for esophageal cancer and Barrett’s high grade dysplasia,” said researcher Herbert Wolfsen, MD.

Few patient-centered resources are available for families and caregivers facing important treatment decisions after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer, according to Dr. Wolfsen. He said that the project goal was to establish an online community through a Facebook group to assist patients and families anticipate—and cope with—surgical and post-operative challenges after being diagnosed with
esophageal cancer. The group also helps promote disease awareness and esophageal cancer research advocacy in the community.

“Connections facilitated through this group have often lead to more contact offline to share their personal experiences and information regarding diagnosis and treatment from the perspective of the patient and their family.”

Since 2008 Dr. Wolfsen and his team recruited patients and their families to join and participate in the Mayo Clinic’s interactive Facebook group, which was created to bring together a geographically diverse group of esophageal cancer survivors. “Many of these patients do not live close enough to attend the quarterly support group meetings held at Mayo in Jacksonville, so the online group has allowed patients who may otherwise not have the support they need to connect with others who share their medical concerns,” said Dr. Wolfsen.

Much of the discussion and support revolves around strategies for coping with post-operative changes, especially with daily activities such as diet, nutrition, and swallowing and regurgitation problems, according to the study’s findings. The group also provides members with many resources including access to new medical information via text postings and links to video content on the Mayo Clinic YouTube channel, schedules of group meetings, treatment options and advice and support for patients, family and caregivers during recovery.

In a second study, “YouTube: A Friend or Foe When You Are Taking Care of IBD Patients,” researchers at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation analyzed the top 100 most viewed IBD-related videos for content, popularity and as a source of patient education information. They found that while YouTube can be a powerful tool for patient education and support, overall Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) content posted on YouTube was poor. “Clinicians and their patients need to be aware of misleading information posted by patients or particularly by pharmaceutical companies who often post videos to make it seem like they are coming from a patient when in actuality it is a company advertisement,” said researcher Saurabh Mukewar, MD. “These sources are not transparent.”

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the most common forms of IBD, which affect more than 1.4 million Americans. Both conditions inflame the intestines, leading to bouts of watery diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal cramps and pain, fever, and weight loss. Crohn’s disease can occur anywhere in the digestive tract, often spreading deep into the layers of the affected bowel wall. Ulcerative colitis usually affects only the innermost lining of the large intestine and rectum.

Patients with IBD respond differently to various treatments and inflammatory bowel diseases are life-long disorders, so from a healthcare standpoint, disease management is often challenging, according to Dr. Mukewar, who says many patients are constantly searching for new information and seek out the support of others with IBD—and want the kind of first-hand patient experience information that their doctors cannot provide.

“Recent reports state that 55 percent of IBD patients are not satisfied with the information provided at time of their disease diagnosis and more than 50 percent of IBD patients turn to the Internet as a source of information for IBD,” said Dr. Mukewar.

Both Dr. Wolfsen and Dr. Mukewar agree that Internet and social media can benefit patients and enhance their care. But Dr. Mukewar said his findings are concerning to him since IBD patients may get misleading information via YouTube® that could be harmful to their health.

“The success of Mayo’s Esophageal Cancer Survivor Facebook group clearly demonstrates how social media can assist healthcare providers in providing patients with a way to connect and get the support they need that physicians cannot provide because we have not experienced the disease first hand,” said Dr. Wolfsen. “We are also able to provide the latest Barrett’s disease and esophageal cancer research information and emphasize high quality sources of online information such as the Mayo Clinic YouTube channel.”

According to Dr. Mukewar, “one of the best resources for patients ideally would be physicians who also have health conditions and who can post a personal experience video on YouTube®, for instance, that would not only be medically correct, credible and trustful but would also contain that first-hand experience that patients with a disease like IBD really crave and search for online.”

“The Internet and social media are not going way—YouTube is a powerful platform to deliver and receive healthcare information,” said Dr. Mukewar. “But healthcare providers and professional societies need to provide more educational and efficient materials using this powerful tool to counteract misleading information.”

More…Social Media Making Its way into healthcare

http://www.jpost.com/(Source)

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) held an event today here at its vehicle display space and theme park Mega Web to display a number of new robots developed to provide support in nursing and healthcare. The robots form part of the Toyota Partner Robot series, which is being developed to assist humans in their everyday activities.

TMC considers Partner Robots to be useful in four fields: nursing and healthcare, short-distance personal transport, manufacturing and domestic duties. TMC is developing technology that cooperates with humans, including devices that assist in the loading and moving of heavy components in factories, in addition to automated technology that enables autonomous tool operation.

TMC endeavors to provide the freedom of mobility to all people, and understands from its tie-ups with the Toyota Memorial Hospital and other medical facilities that there is a strong need for robots in the field of nursing and healthcare. TMC aims to support independent living for people incapacitated through sickness or injury, while also assisting in their return to health and reducing the physical burden on caregivers.

Each robot incorporates the latest in advanced technologies developed by TMC, including high-speed, high-precision motor control technology, highly stable walking-control technology advanced through development of two-legged robots, and sensor technology that detects the user’s posture as well as their grasping and holding strength.

Since the announcement of its Partner Robot development vision in 2007, TMC has pursued the development of robots that support human activities, thereby enabling new lifestyles.

Main Features of Toyota Partner Robots

- Independent Walk Assist

Developed with the aim of supporting independent walking for people whose ability to walk has been impaired by leg paralysis or other causes. Mounted onto the paralyzed leg, it helps the knee to bend to facilitate natural walking.

- Walk Training Assist

Developed as a device for walking training, this robot incorporates Independent Walk Assist technology and assists in the development of natural walking from the early training stage for people whose walking is impaired.

- Balance Training Assist

This robot was developed to support balance function training for people with impaired balance. The combination of two-wheeled self-balancing (inverted-pendulum) technology and game elements is aimed at making training enjoyable.

- Patient Transfer Assist

Developed to reduce the heavy physical burden required of caretakers when transferring patients. With the combination of weight-supporting arms and a mobile platform, this robot helps the caregiver throughout the patient transfer process from bed to toilet and back.

These nursing and healthcare Partner Robots were developed in collaboration with Fujita Health University Hospital in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, which provided TMC feedback on the needs of specialized medical facilities, to use in the design of the robots.

TMC, in cooperation with a wide range of nursing and medical facilities, will accelerate further development of the robots while taking into consideration feedback of medical staff, with an eye for commercialization from 2013.

Outside the nursing and healthcare field, verification tests on short-distance personal transport assistance robots are being performed at commercial centers and active use is being made of manufacturing assistance robots in automobile production. Development in the field of domestic duty assistance is also progressing.

For photographs and details on how Toyota Partner Robots assist in the nursing and healthcare fields please see.

Four New Types of Robots Aimed for Commercialization from 2013

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) held an event today here at its vehicle display space and theme park Mega Web to display a number of new robots developed to provide support in nursing and healthcare. The robots form part of the Toyota Partner Robot series, which is being developed to assist humans in their everyday activities.

TMC considers Partner Robots to be useful in four fields: nursing and healthcare, short-distance personal transport, manufacturing and domestic duties. TMC is developing technology that cooperates with humans, including devices that assist in the loading and moving of heavy components in factories, in addition to automated technology that enables autonomous tool operation.

TMC endeavors to provide the freedom of mobility to all people, and understands from its tie-ups with the Toyota Memorial Hospital and other medical facilities that there is a strong need for robots in the field of nursing and healthcare. TMC aims to support independent living for people incapacitated through sickness or injury, while also assisting in their return to health and reducing the physical burden on caregivers.

Each robot incorporates the latest in advanced technologies developed by TMC, including high-speed, high-precision motor control technology, highly stable walking-control technology advanced through development of two-legged robots, and sensor technology that detects the user’s posture as well as their grasping and holding strength.

Since the announcement of its Partner Robot development vision in 2007, TMC has pursued the development of robots that support human activities, thereby enabling new lifestyles.

Main Features of Toyota Partner Robots

- Independent Walk Assist

Developed with the aim of supporting independent walking for people whose ability to walk has been impaired by leg paralysis or other causes. Mounted onto the paralyzed leg, it helps the knee to bend to facilitate natural walking.

- Walk Training Assist

Developed as a device for walking training, this robot incorporates Independent Walk Assist technology and assists in the development of natural walking from the early training stage for people whose walking is impaired.

- Balance Training Assist

This robot was developed to support balance function training for people with impaired balance. The combination of two-wheeled self-balancing (inverted-pendulum) technology and game elements is aimed at making training enjoyable.

- Patient Transfer Assist

Developed to reduce the heavy physical burden required of caretakers when transferring patients. With the combination of weight-supporting arms and a mobile platform, this robot helps the caregiver throughout the patient transfer process from bed to toilet and back.

These nursing and healthcare Partner Robots were developed in collaboration with Fujita Health University Hospital in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, which provided TMC feedback on the needs of specialized medical facilities, to use in the design of the robots.

TMC, in cooperation with a wide range of nursing and medical facilities, will accelerate further development of the robots while taking into consideration feedback of medical staff, with an eye for commercialization from 2013.

Outside the nursing and healthcare field, verification tests on short-distance personal transport assistance robots are being performed at commercial centers and active use is being made of manufacturing assistance robots in automobile production. Development in the field of domestic duty assistance is also progressing.

For photographs and details on how Toyota Partner Robots assist in the nursing and healthcare fields please see http://www2.toyota.co.jp/en/news/11/11/1101.html

http://www.marketwatch.com(Source)

Health Information Technology.

Healthcare ICT Task Force

His Majesty King Abdullah II of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and John Chambers, Cisco’s Chairman and CEO, formally inaugurated Jordan’s first Healthcare ICT Task Force, at a session, held alongside the World Economic Forum 2011 at the Dead Sea, Jordan. A joint effort by Cisco, King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD), and Jordan’s Information and Communications Technology Association (int@j), the Jordan Healthcare ICT Task Force is an open forum of Jordanian Health Information Communications Technology (ICT) companies under the umbrella of int@
The Task Force’s main objective is to advance Jordan’s healthcare ICT cluster capacity and promote Jordanian healthcare ICT technologies and companies on a local, regional, and international level. Cisco’s role will be to help in provisioning guidance, mentorship, and support to the Task Force’s programs.
The Task Force was launched at a special roundtable session on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Jordan 2011 at the Dead Sea, with the participation of Cisco healthcare solution executives and Jordanian healthcare ICT technology companies executives.
Discussions focused on the potential and future opportunities in healthcare ICT in the region and globally, including high level future plans.
The session also included an exchange on the progress made in Jordan’s “Hakeem” program, run by Electronic Health Solutions (EHS) a non-profit company aiming to computerize the public health sector in Jordan.
The inauguration roundtable session also witnessed the presentation of “Al Hussein Decoration for Distinguished Contribution of the First Degree” to Cisco’s Chairman and CEO, John Chambers by His Majesty King Abdullah II, in recognition of his continuous efforts and commitment to strengthen Jordan’s education and ICT sectors.

Highlights:

- Globally, there are key trends that individually and collectively are redefining the world of healthcare – aging population; shortage in key specialties; affordability crisis; new uses of IT; privacy and security concerns; focus on wellness. Key participants in the healthcare ecosystem will need to adapt to the changes driven by these trends.
- The Task Force aims to to promote knowledge-sharing and marketing for companies under the umbrella of the Jordan Healthcare ICT Task Force Cluster, as well as help to accelerate the growth of Jordan’s healthcare ICT companies by providing a forum for joint collaboration and cooperation. It also aims to create a point of reference for global and regional leaders wishing to partner with Jordan’s Healthcare ICT cluster.
- Task Force activities will include, amongst other initiatives, assessing Jordan’s healthcare delivery system position regionally and globally. It will also develop mentorship programs to link Jordanian companies with innovative and leading global healthcare ICT brands, and a forum to enable cluster companies to advance and innovate through current opportunities and future trends in Healthcare ICT Technologies globally. Regular healthcare ICT boot camps for cluster members will be hosted by leading healthcare ICT companies from around the globe.
- Cisco’s goal in this partnership is to provide support and thought leadership that helps accelerate the growth of technology firms in Jordan that are designing and deploying solutions to enhance the quality of healthcare service providers, whether focused on improved access to care, better quality of care, increased productivity and workflow efficiency, or better access to information.
- Industry experts predict that three technology ‘big bets’ will transform the healthcare industry:-Healthcare cloud – the growth of cloud computing and the ability to deliver intelligence at scale will enable disruptive business models through healthcare exchange. -Mobility – explosive mobile device and data growth will change healthcare delivery and drive new behaviors for clinicians and patients .-Collaboration – collaborative technology in areas such as clinical workflow, tele-health, and knowledge sharing, will improve access to healthcare, increase the efficiency of care delivery, and make healthcare more affordable.
Mohammad Tahboub, Chairman of the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan, Int@j said: “The taskforce will be focused on achieving multiple objectives, including rapidly replicating the Hakeem programme nationwide and positioning Jordan as a regional hub for ICT solutions in the healthcare sector. The taskforce, a joint effort by Cisco, King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD), and Jordan’s Information and Communications Technology Association (int@j), is an open forum of Jordanian Health Information Communications Technology (ICT) companies under the umbrella of int@j. The Task Force’s main objective is to advance Jordan’s healthcare ICT cluster capacity and promote Jordanian healthcare ICT technologies and companies on a local, regional, and international level.”
John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco”As a worldwide leader in networking, Cisco is well positioned to improve the future of healthcare through networked technologies that transform how people connect, access information, and collaborate. Our goal is for Cisco to lead the transformation in the healthcare industry’s complex transition. Our strategy is to be an essential partner and enabler for the entire healthcare ecosystem by working with customers and innovators to enhance the patient experience, streamline processes, and provide innovative technologies that empower care team collaboration and business efficiency from end-to-end. We strongly believe that through our collaboration with int@j the Jordan Healthcare ICT Task Force will enable accelerated growth of healthcare technology firms in Jordan.”

Current Healthcare ICT Taskforce companies include:

- Altibbi.com: Online Arabic Portal of Health related information on diseases and medical information.- In4ma:Implementing Doctors and e-prescription online and mobile application- Adaptive Tech Soft: Hospital management application implemented in majority of hospitals in Jordan and a good number in the region- Optimiza: Hospital management application implemented in hospitals in the region- Nat Health: Health insurance claim processing platform in a number of countries in the region- SSS Process: Health network focusing on medical records sharing- KeySoft: Health insurance claim processing platform implemented in Germany and expanding- Electronic Health Solutions (EHS)is a non-profit leader in the field of health technology aiming to computerize the public health sector in Jordan, in order to increase the effectiveness of medical management and the achievement of radical development in the health care provided to patients.
It also aims to reach the best international standards and to ensure economic efficiency. The company was founded to work on the employment of the latest technology and the application of concepts and best health practices to improve the quality of health services in Jordan and to increase its efficiency.
“Hakeem” is one of the Electronic Health Solutions programs and the first national initiative to computerize the health sector in Jordan, where the program was launched late 2009 under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein and aims to provide the effective and developed health care for patients.
- Eskadenia: Health Insurance management platform and developing a portal to connect the health pyramid stakeholders together- Savvytek: Developing a comprehensive health-services portal, based on a national databank that lays out the foundation of the smart-card system in Jordan. A health record information management system is planned to evolve into a knowledge-based health component, too.- IV Holding: Early stage investment arm of Accelerator Technology Holdings, brings on-the-ground experience in deal flow and investment management expertise. - Y-Consult: Developed a full mapping of processes for hospital operations including full supply chain.- SEDCO Systems: Provides Patient Management System (Queuing) and integrates with the hospital system to provide better service for the patients.- E-Tech Systems: Provides content management solutions especially targeted and customized for health system providers- Esense Software: Researching the potential for healthcare in the region and looking for partners.- SigmaSoft: Focuses on Health automation solutions in Medical Records Management Systems and real-time patient monitoring systems.- Tibna: Developing a web based application that facilitates the integration between the healthcare providers and the health insurance companies by automating the process of claims acceptance.

More About….Health Information Technology

The Bipartisan Policy Center on Oct. 18 released a preliminary report, “The Complexities of National Health Care Workforce Planning,” a review of existing work force employment and training.

The center, founded in 2007 by four former Senate majority leaders, plans to release a full version of the 28-page initial report in November.

The report concludes that work force planning does not sufficiently account for new technology, regional differences and potential consumer engagement in health care delivery. Nor does current training adequately emphasize team-based care models expected to become more prevalent through the health system reform law.

Greater care coordination will be a key to tackling chronic disease, said Donald M. Berwick, MD, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, who spoke at the report’s release. “The new health care work force can deliver what we need. But we’ll have to invest in them, train them, support them.”

Extensive research exists on the supply of and demand for physicians and nurses, but not for chiropractors, home health aides, psychologists and others with less demanding licensing requirements, the report found. Information on certain health professionals is “limited, inconsistent, profession-specific and noncomparable,” in part because states have different methods of collecting data.

The Health Resources and Services Administration is collecting more data. By late 2012, the agency plans to release statistics on the number of individuals practicing in 30 health professions, said HRSA spokeswoman Michelle Daniels.

HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, said the report complements other ongoing health care work force research. “I can guarantee we’ll be using it to inform our thinking,” she said at the Oct. 18 event.

Projected demand for professionals tends to be based on past experiences and not on how financing and demographics could affect future demand, according to the report.

Health care leaders should agree on a common objective and define demand based on where the health system is going, not where it’s been, said Paul Keckley, PhD, lead author of the report and executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.

Demand for many health professionals is expected to continue to grow in part because more than 30 million Americans will gain coverage under the health reform law beginning in 2014. Health care employment was 10.5% of the total work force in 2008 and is projected to increase to 11.9% by 2018.

But demand for physicians and other highly trained health professionals could be lessened by giving greater roles to allied health professionals and less-credentialed health care workers, speakers at the center’s event suggested.

Dr. Berwick said telemedicine in Alaska, for instance, has greatly reduced the need for patients living in remote towns to fly to cities to see physicians.

Other issue experts agreed that the U.S. needs better work force data. But health care leaders should not hesitate to ramp up health professional training whenever possible, said Atul Grover, MD, PhD, chief advocacy officer for the Assn. of American Medical Colleges. “Whatever we have now, it’s not enough.” Even if allied health professionals and others help relieve physicians’ workloads, the nation still faces a significant shortage of doctors, he said.

Physician supply is on track to increase slightly, according to statistics AAMC released on Oct. 24. First-time medical school applicants reached an all-time high of 32,654 in 2011, a 2.6% increase from 2010. Total medical school applicants increased by 2.8% to 43,919.

But interprofessional education is lacking, said Michael Bleich, PhD, RN, dean and professor of nursing at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. Physicians and nurses rarely interact with each other during their training, he said.

Medical schools are paying more attention to interprofessional education, said Sheldon Retchin, MD, MSPH, CEO of Virginia Commonwealth University Health System in Richmond. However, these models must be careful not to provide incentives to deliver more care, he said.

Health care payment reforms, such as pay bundling, will play a huge role in demand for health professionals, said Nicholas Wolter, MD, CEO of the nonprofit Billings (Mont.) Clinic.

“These payment policies are extremely important in terms of how they can drive changes in the delivery system,” said Dr. Wolter, a former member of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. “The details of how those payment systems are built, however, are incredibly difficult.”

Dr. Retchin noted that health care prices could be driven higher by shortages of health professionals.

http://www.ama-assn.org(Source)

Healthcare Apps

http://www.ameinfo.com(Source)

Let’s say I’m 83 years old. I’m not that old — but let’s assume I am just for the purposes of this column. Let’s assume you’re in your 80s, too.

Where would we like to live? It’s a relatively easy question for both of us, I suspect. We’d like to be comfortably situated in our own homes. I know I’d like to be independently observing my personal morning rituals and managing my own activities of daily living.

If either of us were chronically ill or physically frail and had a need for constant medical attention, living independently might not be possible.

That’s what I used to think. An article in a recent issue of the Atlantic (www.theatlantic.com) altered my view.

Here’s the story. It’s about Ellen, who is an 82-year-old widow living in Anaheim, Calif. “One Wednesday morning last year she got on the scale, as she does every morning, and it read 146 pounds — wasn’t that a little high? Ellen felt vaguely troubled as she poured herself a bowl of oat bran.”

As Ellen ate her cereal, the phone rang, and a friendly voice from the health clinic where Ellen was a patient expressed concern about Ellen’s weight — which “had jumped 3 pounds from the previous day.”

The friendly voice knew about Ellen’s weight gain because Ellen’s scale had transmitted the information through a wireless connection.

Because Ellen had a history of congestive heart failure, a 3-pound weight gain in a 24-hour period was a potentially dangerous situation. There was likely to be fluid build-up that would complicate her already-existing medical issues. She needed treatment immediately.

So now you may be thinking that the friendly voice — not a mechanized one by the way, but a real person — probably told her to come into the clinic. Or maybe the voice said, “Call 911 and get to an emergency room.”

Nope.

The friendly voice said, ‘We’re sending a car to pick you up,” which they did. Ellen’s health provider gave her no-fee transportation from her home to the health clinic over the next few weeks, as well as appropriate medical treatment, until her health situation stabilized.

Had this not occurred, Ellen might have languished. Perhaps she would have eaten less because she was afraid she was gaining too much weight. She may have experienced a life-threatening cardiac event. She could have ended up in the hospital for days or weeks undergoing painful — and expensive — treatment.

The California-based clinic system that supported Ellen in this way is appropriately named CareMore (www.caremore.org) and it specializes in patient-centered approaches that also seem to avert huge medical costs.

This is impressive health care. According to the Atlantic article, CareMore has a hospitalization rate 24 percent below average and hospital stays are 38 percent shorter. Overall costs are 18 percent lower than average. And the surveyed satisfaction rate is well above 90 percent. (And remember, 80-year-olds can be hard to please.)

When I’m in my 80s, that’s the kind of health care I want: coordinated, integrated, tuned in to my personal needs and preferences. You too?

Whatever you may think about the Affordable Care Act President Obama signed into law in 2010, these are the kinds of innovative approaches included in it. These ideas effectively combine common sense with technology — or as some system-watchers put it, “It’s about improving the quality of our country’s health care, but at a reduced cost.

It’s really about you and me at 83.

Health Information Technology

http://www.mailtribune.com(Source)

In an event in Las Vegas last Tuesday, IBM unveiled software that was designed for the communication and healthcare industry players that need to improve their information workflows. The network analytics appliance for communications service providers was based on technology that the company acquired from its $1.7 billion buyout of Netezza as well as the $4.9 billion buyout of Cognos. For healthcare providers, it has a content analytics app that utilizes AI algorithms from supercomputer Watson, which gained

worldwide recognition for playing Jeopardy.

In the past five years, IBM has spent around $14 billion to buy data management and business intelligence specialists. Aside from Cognos and Netezza, it also acquired smaller players, such as i2, Platform Computing, and Algorithmics.

The IBM Netezza Network Analytics Accelerator appliance is designed to analyze information based from a wide range of sources, which include mobile devices and social networks. It could be incorporated with the Cognos analytics tools.

IBM also launched software that utilizes Watson’s artificial intelligence that can help healthcare providers analyze patient information to improve courses of treatment and their patient outcomes. It is known as the IBM Content and Predictive Analytics for Healthcare package and uses raw information and transforms it into data that clinicians can apply in practice.

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When healthcare leaders use long-term care (LTC) facilities and health information technology in the same sentence, they’re coming from one of two points-of-view. Either the facilities are behind the curve with digital adoption or the institutions are the last sector of the market for vendors to conquer.

Regardless of the perspective, the reality is the same: long-term care facilities have not implemented healthcare information technology (HIT) strategies and solutions with the same vigor as other providers, for a variety of reasons. And now they’re playing catch-up.

“Long-term care seems to be the final mountain when it comes to healthcare technology,” says Greg Goodale, Marketing  Manager at HealthMEDX in Ozark, Mo. “Hospitals and physician practices were the early adopters, but now the focus has shifted to long-term, post-acute, and home care and hospice.”

According to a 2009 Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality HIT report, LTC facilities have encountered significant roadblocks to adopting new technology over the past decade. Today, however, they are finally beginning to upgrade their HIT systems, first purchased seven or eight years ago. While the facilities face both financial and cultural trials, Goodale says, they have the benefit of learning from the mistakes acute and tertiary care facilities have already made.

The Challenges Facing Long-Term Care

With Medicare’s 2015 meaningful use deadline looming in the distance, healthcare providers are rapidly taking steps to adopt effective HIT systems. The fire fueling their fervor is a $43,000 incentive payment if they can prove they’re using these technologies effectively. However, Medicare has left LTC facilities out in the cold.

“To not be included in meaningful use and have the opportunity to receive those incentives is a big issue,” says Siobhan Sharkey, Principal with consulting firm Health Management Strategies (HMS). “For most, it means they don’t have the money to adopt a good health information technology system and keep in step with other providers.”

Without the extra funding, many LTC facilities feel hamstrung. Others are pushed to create a piecemeal system – picking and choosing technology strategies based more on what they can afford than on what they need to improve patient care and workflow.

But sufficient financial means to purchase a modern HIT system doesn’t mean facilities are safe from facing pushback from within. Many of the physicians, nurses, or certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are wary of implementing a digital system that will largely replace the paper processes they’ve used for years. The thought of abandoning a familiar workflow produces two sentiments, says HMS Principal Sandra Hudak – intimidation and fear.

“There’s a growing sense of anxiety that healthcare is moving to something they still don’t fully understand,” she says. “They don’t have a clear idea of how the electronic systems work or how [those systems] will improve their abilities to do their jobs.”

For example, CNAs at Seton Health Schuyler Ridge in Clifton Park, NY, resisted switching to a HIT system when the facility made the move in September 2007, according to Executive Director Sandra Smith. Their unfamiliarity with computers was the main obstacle to implementation. To overcome that discomfort, administration provided significant support services during the transition and offered rewards, such as pizza parties, to units that achieved certain levels of compliance.

Even with these challenges, facility administrators recognize the trend toward electronic health records (EHRs), electronic prescribing systems, and other HIT strategies has now become a best practice. And they’re looking for efficient strategies to bring them up-to-date.

“A few years ago, there didn’t seem to be the pressure or the sense of urgency to adopt technology,” Sharkey says. “However, with new regulations and changes in payment, long-term care facilities realize they need to be part of this system and are trying to find out what they need to do.”

What HIT Offers

Stream-lining how LTC facilities share information with each other, as well as hospitals, is a paramount concern, says Kate Galambos, director of technical services for the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut, as well as an instructor in the HIT program at Capital Community College in Hartford. There are constant concerns about pressure sores, medication errors, and hospital re-admissions, so facilities should first concentrate on greasing those lines of communication, she said.

“Having data flow between facilities is so important to patient safety,” she says. “It could, hopefully, reduce the administrative burden, giving supervisors and nurses more time to actually spend with resident and supporting staff.”

To foster a fluid information chain, most HIT systems include computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and an electronic medication administration record (eMAR). CPOE immediately transfers provider orders to the pharmacy, eliminating confusion over hard-to-read, hand-written orders, and it alerts providers if they’ve prescribed a patient take a drug longer than is customary.

What makes a HIT solution most desirable and easy to navigate, however, is the personalized dashboard, says Rick Hammer, Marketing and Product Manager at SigmaCare in New York.

“The dashboard is role-based. If you’re a physician, it pulls up only the information you need. If you’re a nurse, you’ll see only what you need,” Hammer says. “That way you’re never bothered with alerts or documentation that has nothing to do with you.”

Once activated, systems can remind providers to help patients with their daily living activities, prompt them to take vital signs, and help them avoid duplicating services.

Does It Work?

Since choosing the cloud-based Care Tracker module from Cerner Corporation, Schuyler Ridge staff has seen significant improvement in how they use the patient information they gather, Smith says. The technology helps them manage the EHR, revenue cycle management, patient tracking and referrals.

“After the initial phase-in, staff began to see how important the information they had regarding resident function was to the overall care team,” she says. “Utilizing reports from Care Tracker during weekly stand-up meetings with the caregivers helped them see the care team relied heavily on this documentation and that they were part of that team.”

Since 2007, Schuyler Ridge’s pressure ulcer rate has dropped. Also, thanks to on-time reporting and the ability to easily analyze information in the records, staff can identify problems, such as weight loss, early and start the proper intervention to avoid a negative outcome.

Smith credits the efficiency and user-friendly nature of the kiosk touch-screen documentation system for the facility’s success. Not only does a digital system eliminate the habit in some LTC facilities of putting the most important care updates on sticky notes on the outside of patients’ files, but it also drastically reduces the amount of paper used in the facility.

In addition to workflow benefits, Hammer says, some SigmaCare clients have reported clinical improvements, including an 84-percent drop in medication errors and 30-percent decrease in accidents after launching a technology solution. Others have seen proper CNA documentation rise to nearly 100 percent.

An Insider’s Perspective

For Galambos, a former LTC nursing supervisor, human error is the number-one enemy of facility efficiency and safety. Transferring hand-written patient information from one form to the next provides ample opportunity for mistakes, especially when moving a patient from the LTC facility to the hospital or home care, she said. Electronic systems eliminate that possibility.

“What concerned me most was that my handwritten [forms] would serve as the sole source of information about the patient once they arrived at the hospital,” she says. “If I missed something or made an error, what effect might that have for the patient? The entire workflow was duplicative, risky and inefficient.”

HIT technology would also slice into data entry time, she says, by requiring staff to enter patient information, such as name, date of birth, or diagnosis once. Having a central record system that everyone uses also simplifies information exchange between shifts. Previously, Galambos says, she left voicemail messages and written notes for nurses on other shifts – a method both inefficient and careless with patient privacy.

Making Your HIT Strategy a Success

While HIT solutions will function in any LTC environment, only those that approach digital strategies as an investment will see significant benefits, says Goodale.

“If administrators make the decision to pursue digital strategies but then set out to find the cheapest product, they’ll have poor results,” he says. “But if they view it as a long-term investment, even in this down economy, they will see sustainable improvements in patient care, staff satisfaction and workflow.”

Facilities should also take steps to choose HIT solutions that best suit their needs, Hammer said. He recommended administrators identify workflow or patient care problems they’d like to solve before meeting with vendors and put together a team of three or four people who can pinpoint the best technology solutions. The same group should evaluate the system’s performance after a year.

All possible preparation, however, cannot replace proper buy-in, Galambos explains. Individuals from throughout the LTC facility should be onboard.

“Everyone – owners, physicians, nurses, staff – needs to be supportive. In my experience, LTC nurses tend to be negative about computers. That needs to be addressed because without the nurses’ support, the likelihood of success is diminished,” she says. “Best case scenario: The residents and families demand HIT.”

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By Whitney L.J. Howell