EMRs have propelled your organization on the path to Meaningful Use. Now with the arrival of Stage 2 requirements, it’s time to leverage your EMR to improve outcomes and reduce cost.
With ICD-10, Meaningful Use and other health information management-based initiatives devouring resources, maybe it’s time to consider the benefits of outsourcing.
One of the more difficult aspects of maintaining HIPAA compliance is making sure that data is being properly retained and protected.
Security breaches are one of those things that no healthcare IT professional wants to think about. Even so, it is critical for healthcare organizations of all sizes to take every reasonable precaution to prevent the exposure of patient data.
One of the most fundamental strategies for protecting an organization’s data is to store copies of the data off-site. Healthcare organizations have two main options – tape and cloud.
How close are healthcare providers to achieving Meaningful Use? Use this guide to assess where you are and how you can stay on track.
The goals of federal records management reform initiatives are clear. However, government healthcare organizations, like other agencies, face significant hurdles as they set their sights on meeting these objectives.
If pathology storage management means your organization dedicates significant space and resources to storing test slides and blocks, it may be time to consider a more efficient, effective alternative.
In 2012, pathology storage management best practices faced some serious challenges, including a trend toward more rigorous storage best practices and record-high temperatures. Are your delicate slides and blocks ready for what the skies—or winds of change—may serve up next year?
A well-indexed healthcare records management program will reduce the time your team spends locating medical records. Here’s what to consider as you develop your plan.
You’re in the midst of transitioning to the electronic health record to meet Meaningful Use requirements. But have you laid the groundwork for the change and considered its ultimate benefits? Here’s a checklist.
Tweets and blogs are quickly becoming a part of the “legal record.” But do your legacy policies address social media? Here’s how to answer this challenge with updated security, privacy and retention measures.
Here’s how to achieve optimal compliance amid an environment of changing technologies and more rigorous regulation than ever.
After a merger or acquisition, health information managers must integrate a number of systems and applications—including PACS, EHRs, coding systems and more—often while facing cost-cutting demands. How can your organization be ready?
The updated requirements of Meaningful Use Stage 2 incorporate criteria for viewing images, leading to better patient care and streamlined integration among departments and facilities. Is your organization ready for this transition?
As you grapple with keeping your paper and digital processes efficient, cost-effective and compliant, it’s easy to get frustrated. But with big changes in healthcare regulations come big opportunities. Are you ready for the electronic medical record?
What does it take these days to be a records management star? The best ones can apply long-standing records management and compliance best practices to a whole new set of digital tools.
There’s no point in seeking treatment for your information management plan unless you’ve first identified what’s ailing it. Here’s how to make a swift and thorough diagnosis.
Sometimes “forever” seems like the safest solution to the question of how long you should hold on to patient medical records. But you know better; keeping records forever poses risks. Find out how—and why—to avoid this appealing trap.
HIPAA is only one of the regulations that call for careful archiving of patients’ medical information. Meanwhile, optimal medical care requires fast, easy records access. Here’s how to keep your records’ vital signs in check.
Electronic health record (EHR) systems are becoming more popular among many healthcare providers. However, the transition to electronic records may never become an all-encompassing move, as paper records will remain valid because of a diverse range of industry conditions.
According to a report from the Clinical Advisor, Texas-based healthcare IT consulting firm the AC Group recently released a whitepaper that highlighted several of the pitfalls of speeding an electronic record deployment.
According to the latest research, the number of healthcare-related data breaches has increased 32 percent recently, with the amount of patient records involved in such incidents growing by 46 percent.
Cloud-based data backup and recovery systems are an interesting option for organizations handling specific data types and situations. Here’s how you might want to include cloud technologies as part of a complete data backup and recovery plan.
Motivated to improve patient care, meet compliance requirements and receive attractive federal incentives, hospitals and health care practices are scanning paper records in earnest. A new Iron Mountain survey provides valuable insights into how you can best implement your own EMR migration.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is pushing healthcare facilities throughout the country to update their electronic medical records (EMR) systems. Stipulations from the ARRA, and recent rulings from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), require that healthcare organizations show meaningful use of the technology they have implemented in order to receive the promised incentive payments. Learn how more efficient systems, processes, and decisions can help health care providers get the most out of their EMR systems to meet or exceed the criteria for meaningful use.
With the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, President Obama has earmarked $19 billion in stimulus funds for healthcare IT to assist healthcare providers to purchase and implement Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems by 2015.