Tricorder Devices, REC Numbers, and EHR Photo IDs: This Week in HealthCare Scene

John’s Note: As regular readers know, I usually reserve the Sunday post to do a Twitter round up. The Sunday post on EMR and EHR has been a Healthcare Scene round up post written by Katie. I decided to mix things up a little bit. Each week I’ll swap which site does the Twitter round up and which site does the Around Healthcare Scene.

If all of this is confusing, don’t worry. Just subscribe to the emails for EMR and HIPAA & EMR and EHR and you’ll be all set. Now sit back and enjoy a look around the Healthcare Scene network.

EMR and EHR
The Shift From Expensive Technology to Cost Saving Technology

For years, medical technology came with a hefty price tag. While many of these investments were a miracle worker of sorts, it left hospitals and medical practices with a large bill. Fortunately, in recent years, the technology being released, such as EHR, are trying to make health care less expensive. While it is up for debate if software like EHR really is less expensive, there is a definite shift in the costs of medical technology.

Photo IDs as Part of the Patient Record — Flashy Trend or Future of Medicine?

Unfortunately, errors do occur in hospitals. However, putting photos on a patient record may help prevent some of these problems. Children’s Hospital in Colorado is currently trying this out. The number of mistaken orders dropped from 12 in 2010 to 3 in 2010 since the hospital started using photo IDs. So the question is, are photo IDs worth the time and effort?

Hospital EMR and EHR
Make Consumers Want Their PHR

More PHRs seem to be popping up, but are any of them really convincing people to use them? Anne Zeigler doesn’t think she. In this post, she lists several different ideas on how to get people “excited” about PHRs with tips such as good marketing and rewarding the user. If companies want consumers to use their PHR, many things should be taken into consideration.

EMR Thoughts

REC Numbers for REACH (Minnesota and North Dakota Doctors)

REACH is a nonprofit federal Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center that aims to help hospitals and medical practices through Minnesota and North Dakota implement EHR or optimize the current system. It had many goals in mind when it started, and recently, many of these goals have been met or surpassed. REACH serves 4,749 priority primary care providers across these two states.

EHR and EMR Videos

Dr. Eric Hartz’s EHR Story from the 2012 HIMSS Conference

At the recent HIMSS Conference, Dr. Eric Hartz shared his thoughts on EHR. He discussed the benefits of EHRs and gave tips on participating in incentive programs. He also talked about how to use EHR across a number of different hospitals.

Smart Phone Health Care

Is the Tricorder Device a Reality?

Is that rash on your child something serious, or nothing to worry about? Or is that fever from a UTI? Scanadu, a tricorder-like device, supposedly will use social media to help make healthcare more immediate and accessible. The machine will allow people to take a picture or sample of something worrisome, and immediately find out what action needs to be taken. The world of social medicine is quickly expanding, and a tricorder is becoming an actual possibility.

Pajamas Created to Monitor an Infant’s Vital Stats, Sends Mobile Alerts

Wearable monitors are popping up throughout the health care world. The latest? Pajamas for an infant to wear. It monitors an infant’s vital stats and sends mobile alerts to the parents. Great idea, or just another gimmick to sell to paranoid parents? Read more and decide for yourself.

About the author

Katie Clark

Katie Clark is originally from Colorado and currently lives in Utah with her husband and son. She writes primarily for Smart Phone Health Care, but contributes to several Health Care Scene blogs, including EMR Thoughts, EMR and EHR, and EMR and HIPAA. She enjoys learning about Health IT and mHealth, and finding ways to improve her own health along the way.

   

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