Industry Insight

Transcend Awarded HealthTrust Contract
Transcend Services, Inc recently announced that it has entered into a 27-month contract with HealthTrust Purchasing Group, LP to offer medical transcription and clinical documentation products and services to nearly 1,400 not-for-profit and for-profit acute-care facilities and other healthcare organizations within the HealthTrust membership.

— Source: Transcend Services, Inc

 

Most Wired Survey: HIT Adoption Progress Continues but Barriers Still Exist
Hospitals understand the importance of HIT and the benefits of its widespread adoption yet as a field still face significant barriers to implementation, according to a newly released survey of America’s Most Wired hospitals and health systems.

This year’s survey reveals continued progress for hospitals in patient safety initiatives, as follows:

• Fifty-one percent of medication orders were done electronically by physicians at Most Wired hospitals, up from 49% last year.
• More than one half (55%) of Most Wired hospitals match medication orders at the bedside through bar coding or radio-frequency identification, up from 49% in 2009 and from 23% five years ago.
• Most Wired hospitals have made improvements when it comes to sharing information during care transitions. For example, new medication lists are electronically delivered to caregivers and patients 94% of the time when a patient is transferred within the hospital, 98% at discharge, and 86% when transferred to another care setting.

— Source: Health Forum

 

Globaltel Media CEO Named Trustee of Rady Children’s Hospital IT Task Force
Globaltel Media has announced that its CEO, Robert Sanchez, has been appointed to the Rady Children’s Hospital Information Technology Task Force as a trustee. In this role, Sanchez will share his expertise and provide guidance to improve patient care and hospital efficiency through the use of proven technologies in the healthcare field.

This year, Globaltel Media has developed key technologies used in the healthcare field, including MedAlirti, which enables the sharing of medical information with rich media via standard cell phone SMS text messaging. The solution provides a way for doctors and other healthcare professionals to securely and efficiently transport and share medical records and information without the need for specialized mobile applications. Globaltel Media has customized MedAlirti to meet HIPAA compliance regulations for text message–based communication to alleviate privacy concerns for both patients and healthcare providers.

— Source: Globaltel Media

 

HIMSS Names McMillan Chair of Privacy and Security Steering Committee
CynergisTek, a provider of IT security services and solutions for healthcare organizations, has announced that its cofounder and CEO, Mac McMillan, was selected as chair of HIMSS’s Privacy and Security Steering Committee.

As chair, McMillan will work closely with HIMSS members to provide oversight and strategic direction for HIMSS projects, policies, and other matters relating to privacy and security issues associated with the exchange and storage of electronic health information. He has been involved with various HIMSS committees since 2007, first as chairperson of the HIMSS Information Systems Security Work Group and most recently as an active member of the Privacy and Security Committee.

— Source: CynergisTek