Free NAHAM Web seminar on May 19
NAHAM
Join NAHAM and MedeAnalytics at 4 p.m. EST May 19 for a free Web seminar titled "Patient Access: Driving Change through Process and Technology Improvements." Participants can earn one contact hour towards CHAA or CHAM certification. Details regarding obtaining and documenting this contact hour will be distributed via email by June 1 due to the NAHAM Conference taking place May 24-27. More information on the content of the Web seminar is available by clicking here. Be sure to reserve your Web Seminar seat today by clicking here. Once the host approves your registration, you will receive a confirmation email message with instructions on how to join the event.More

Patient advocates want more say in health IT
InformationWeek
Calling consumers "the most significant untapped resource" in health care, a coalition of consumer, labor and patient advocacy groups has articulated a vision for a technology-enabled, communication-based health care system that considers patients both partners and leaders in their own care. The plan emphasizes prevention, wellness and consideration of the whole person, not just the presenting injury or symptom, in context of lifestyle, job, school, family and community. More

What you should be doing to prepare for ICD-10: 3 strategies
Becker's Hospital Review
Among the many current changes in the health care industry is a transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 codes. One of the major changes of ICD-10 is an increase of specificity, as it has 68,000 codes compared to ICD-9's 13,000. As the Oct. 1, 2013, deadline looms, many health care organizations may be wondering how to best position themselves for the new system. James Swanson, director of a global IT services company, offers suggestions on how to prepare for the ICD-10 transition.More

Consumers worried about health care access, costs
FierceHealthcare
Hospitals should take heed that consumers' confidence in their ability to access and pay for health care services dropped to a historic low in April, according to the Thomson Reuters Sentiment Index. Overall, the Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index "significantly" dropped from 98 in January to 95 in April. More

Programs targeted to alleviate shortage of health IT workforce
Medical News Today
Specialized one- and two-year Indiana University graduate certificate and master's programs designed to increase the number of health information technology specialists in Indiana and nationwide will expand enrollment by 50 percent, thanks in part to Recovery Act funding. Two of the programs will be available as distance learning opportunities.More

US health care IT market to surge
Healthcare IT News
The health care IT market in the U.S. is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 24 percent during 2012-2014, says a new report from global market research and information analysis company RNCOS. The U.S. health care IT industry has been taking huge strides for the past few years. The U.S. Healthcare IT Market Analysis report provides extensive study of the U.S. health care IT market and has included detail description of the factors driving the growth of the industry.More

HHS releases hospital hazard-readiness stats
Healthleaders Media
More than 3 of 4 hospitals in the National Hospital Preparedness Program met 90 percent or more of measures for all-hazards preparedness in 2009, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The state-by-state review, From Hospitals to Healthcare Coalitions: Transforming Health Preparedness and Response in Our Communities, was prepared by HHS' Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, and identifies the progress states have made preparing hospitals for all types of disasters.More

Many women struggle to obtain health coverage
FierceHealthcare
Many women — whether insured or uninsured — are having a tough time getting the health care coverage that they and their families need, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund. These struggles have added up to "real consequences" for women and their families, with one-third of women who reported a medical bill problem also reporting they were unable to pay for basic things such as food, rent or heat because of those medical bills, notes the report. More

Sebelius upbeat on health exchanges
Reuters
Most states likely will run their own medical insurance marketplaces or partner with neighbors to help expand coverage under the federal health overhaul, U.S. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. The health insurance exchanges are a centerpiece of Democratic President Barack Obama's health care law. While Republican governors have objected to the law, Sebelius said she expected most states to opt to join the program.More

Is the ONC's Federal Health IT Plan realistic? Readers are divided
Governement Health IT
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's Federal Health IT Plan is unquestionably ambitious — and it ought to be. But is it realistic? The ONC posted the draft of its strategic plan in March, opened a public comment period and, as comments began to pour in, subsequently extended that period.More

8 trends in hospital design and development
Becker's Hospital Review
Proficient health care design gives hospitals the buildings and framework to help them gain efficiency and avoid risks associated with health care reform. Doug Strout, health care practice leader for KMD Architects, explains recent trends in hospital design along with tips for hospitals considering future development. More