By Lucia Francesca Bruno, J.D., LL.M., M.B.A.

For the past century, information technology has reinvented the familiar and revolutionized the art of medicine.  As health care professionals struggle to keep pace with an ever-changing and consolidating industry, traditional forms of health care have succumbed to modern technology and fiscal constraints.  No longer are patients and providers afforded the luxury of being in the same place at the same time.  Recent developments in patient-service delivery systems have transformed the doctor/patient relationship; paving the way for advances in telemedicine and the credentialing and privileging …

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The Wall Street Journal today features a discussion about whether docs should use email to communicate with patients.  There are many issues to consider including privacy, liability, exchange of accurate information, ability to “read” the patient, etc.  WSJ featured two opposing views on the matter.  The full article can be read here.

Dr. Joseph Kvedar — founder and director of the Center for Connected Health in Boston, which promotes the use of information technology to improve health care — is a proponent of email: “Sure, privacy is …

By Katie Matlack

Over on the Software Advice blog, we discussed ways doctors can use social media for a variety of purposes. A recent study reported over half of all doctors use social media because of the benefit it can add for marketing and business development purposes. Beyond this marketing utility, however, some research has shown that getting information from a doctor after an in-person consultation can make patients more likely to take medicine properly and follow their physician’s instructions.

If you’re ready to get social–social networking, that is–you should prioritize knowing …

By Dr. Michael West

Two classes of physicians are slowly forming, those who use electronic medical records and digital mobile technology and those who stick with paper charts. You might call these the digital haves and the digital have-nots.

No one among my friends and colleagues has yet pooh-pooh’d the idea of mobile tech, but I admit that the mobile tech crowd is still fairly small in the world of electronic healthcare. The bottom line is that most doctors are still on paper charts.

In my case, though, my EMR and mobile technology are …

By Houston Neal

Although unexpected by some, it appears the iPad is not only leading the tablet charge, but in computing, in general. One of the first mass-produced modern tablet computers, Apple’s iPad boasts great design and durability, a long battery life, and a iOS developer platform that’s helping the tablet lead the way into the next generation of computer technology.

Physicians and medical professionals have been some of the earliest adopters and strongest supporters of the iPad, and many electronic medical record (EMR) vendors are responding to the increased demand by …

By Howard Larkin

Got kidney stones? There’s an app for that—and for just about every other clinical and administrative function. As mobile applications reshape health care, hospitals will be pressed to keep up.

“The No. 1 thing that patients can do to reduce their risk of kidney stones is to drink more fluid. But people don’t drink as much as they think they do, so how do you keep track?” asks William Johnston III, M.D., a urologist practicing at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Chicago’s northern suburbs.

Johnston’s answer is a mobile app he …

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The American Medical Association (AMA) today introduced its first-ever app designed specifically for physicians that allows them to quickly find CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) billing codes. The app is now available for free through the iTunes store. It also launched the 2011 AMA App Challenge to find the next great medical app idea.

“The AMA’s new CPT quick reference app helps physicians determine the appropriate E/M code for billing quickly, easily and accurately,” said AMA Board Secretary Steven J. Stack, …

A new mobile radiology app cleared yesterday by the FDA will allow physicians to view medical images on the iPhone and iPad. The app — Mobile MIM — is the first cleared by the FDA for viewing images and making medical diagnoses based on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nuclear medicine technology, such as positron emission tomography (PET). It is not intended to replace full workstations and is indicated for use only when there is no access to a workstation.

“This important mobile …

By Austin Merritt
Chief Operating Officer, Software Advice

The answer to that question is a surprisingly resounding “No!” The medical software industry is far from supporting the iPad on a meaningful scale. Buyers would think that vendors eager to grow market share would quickly adopt new, flashy technologies, but software vendors are surprisingly slow to react. Electronic health records vendors need to get on board or face the prospect of losing market share to faster-moving competitors.

There is no doubt that buyer demand for the iPad is surging. A recent Software Advice survey found …

By Martin Perrotta

Adoption and use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) nationally and globally is becoming a reality.  There can be little doubt that EHRs improve health care decision making, maximize patient outcomes and greatly ease the sharing and exchange of health care information and critical data by and among health care providers.

The national Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), enacted as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), mandates certain timelines for the adoption, implementation and “meaningful use” of EHRs by a …