Briefly
CCHIT to Certify PHRs
The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) has begun development of its 2009 certification program by announcing the formation of a personal health records (PHR) advisory task force.
(Read the full article)
Telehealth/Telemedicine
$15.5 Million Rural Broadband Network Grant
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has awarded a $15.5 million grant to the Center for Telehealth and Cybermedicine Research at the University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center to design, build, operate and evaluate the Southwest Telehealth Access Grid — a broadband network meant to serve rural areas lacking the technology.
(Read the full article)
Hospitals and IDNs
RFID EMI Poses Medical Equipment Hazard
A recent study published in the June 24 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows findings of possible patient risk due to interference between radio frequency identification devices (RFID) and some medical devices.
(Read the full article)
Government and Health IT
Final Certification Criteria Published
The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) has published its approved final criteria for certification of inpatient and emergency department (ED) electronic health record (EHR) products, as well as an enterprise EHR certification for vendors that provide ambulatory, inpatient and ED EHRs that are interoperable.
(Read the full article)
ePrescribing
Proposed Controlled Substance ePrescribing Rule
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has proposed a rule that will allow for controlled substances to be ordered electronically, thereby permitting pharmacies to receive, dispense and archive these electronic prescriptions, according to the proposed rule.
(Read the full article)