EMR/EHR

Electronic medical records (EMR) are a digital version of a patient’s chart that store their personal information, medical history and links to prior exams, texts and reports. The goal of these systems is to enable immediate access to the patient's data electronically, rather than needing to request paper file folders that might be stored in fragment files at numerous locations where a patient is seen or treated. EMRs (also called electronic health records, or EHR) improve clinician and health system efficiency by making all this data immediately available. This helps reduce repeat tests, repeat prescriptions and repeat imaging exams because reports, imaging or other patient data is not not immediately available. 

Wisconsin cancer facility uses Xoft e-brachytherapy to treat skin cancer

The University of Wisconsin Cancer Center Riverview became the first medical facility to treat skin cancer patients using Xoft's electronic brachytherapy system, Axxent, in early July.

Konica Minolta introduces FlexDR

Konica Minolta Medical Imaging has introduced its FlexDR, an upright, flat-panel digital radiography system. The FDA-cleared FlexDR features an amorphous silicon and cesium iodide digital receptor for images with minimum x-ray exposure.

Report : EMR frustration hasn't made providers lose hope in technology

Healthcare professionals must first gain control of the number of records, forms and files flowing through their organization before implementing an EMR system, according to research published by Xerox.

R.I. hospital interventional radiology dept put on probation

The interventional radiology department of Kent Hospital in Warwick, R.I., has been put on probation for at least six months due to pervasive problems identified by the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH). Also, each of Kent's interventional radiologists is being referred to the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline to determine if any disciplinary action should be taken.

Workgroup continues to parse meaningful use

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) health IT policy committee met this week and approved revised recommendations from its workgroup for defining "meaningful use" of EHRs.

GE nets Wisconsin x-ray order

Beloit Memorial Hospital in Beloit, Wis., has selected GE Healthcare's Optima XR640 digital radiographic system for its expanded emergency department.

EHRs improve chronic illness care

Specialty care physicians can improve the health of high-risk patients by reviewing EHRs and proactively providing e-consultations and treatment plan recommendations with primary care physicians, according to the results of a Kaiser Permanente pilot project published online July 9 in the British Medical Journal.

Axolotl powers Santa Cruz HIE in California NHIN demonstration

Physicians Medical Group of Santa Cruz County, Calif., a founding member of the Santa Cruz Health Information Exchange (HIE), and Axolotl, a provider of HIE solutions and related services, have demonstrated a clinical HIE with multiple communities using Axolotl's Elysium Exchange.

Around the web

U.S. health systems are increasingly leveraging digital health to conduct their operations, but how health systems are using digital health in their strategies can vary widely.

When human counselors are unavailable to provide work-based wellness coaching, robots can substitute—as long as the workers are comfortable with emerging technologies and the machines aren’t overly humanlike.

A vendor that supplies EHR software to public health agencies is partnering with a health-tech startup in the cloud-communications space to equip state and local governments for managing their response to the COVID-19 crisis.

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