Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are recommending using unique device identifiers (UDIs) in universal health insurance claims forms to improve value-based reimbursement for medical devices and postmarket surveillance, the July 14 Modern Healthcare reports. Proponents say UDIs could help…

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Editor's Note Physicians are trying to adapt privacy concerns and requirements to meet patient requests that electronic health record (EHR) data be sent to their mobile apps, including fitness trackers, according to a report in the July 7 Healthcare IT News. Meaningful use and the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization…

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Editor's Note June was the worst month of 2016 for healthcare information security, with 29 breaches that affected more than 11 million patient records, the July 7 Healthcare IT News reports. A total of 24 healthcare providers accounted for 86% of the breaches, with three occurring at health plans and…

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Editor's Note This study finds that physicians who use electronic health records (EHRs) have higher rates of burnout and are more likely to be dissatisfied with their jobs because of the amount of time spent completing computerized medical forms. The findings, based on a survey of 6,375 physicians, found that…

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Editor's Note Hospital readmission app could save billions An award-winning app developed by graduate students at Binghamton University, State University of New York, could help reduce readmission rates and save the healthcare industry billions. The Android-based mobile app called “Post Discharge Treatment and Readmission Predictor,” creates a special messaging service…

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Editor's Note Eligible hospitals, critical access hospitals, and professionals who did not achieve "meaningful use" in the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program for the 2015 reporting period have until July 1 to apply for a hardship exception from the 2017 payment adjustment.   The streamlined hardship applications reduce the…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced May 11 that it will release additional guidance in June regarding the expectations for text orders. The guidance will include the frequency text orders may be used, whether text orders that are directly integrated into the electronic health record are viewed differently than manually…

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Editor's Note An Independent Security Evaluators study of 12 hospitals found that all had vulnerabilites that could lead to patient deaths or harm, according to a May 9 report from WUSA 9. During the study, cybersecurity experts were able to remotely control respirators and patient monitors, trigger false alarms, and…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on May 9 announced the Pioneers in Quality Advisory Panel, a group of technical experts who will be informing the Joint Commission on the successes and challenges hospitals are experiencing in their adoption and use of electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs). The panel also will…

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Editor's Note A Black Book survey found that 87% of financially struggling hospitals regret their decision to replace their electronic health records (EHRs) systems, the April 29 Healthcare IT News reports. Of those that changed their original EHRs since 2011, 14% are losing inpatient revenue at a pace that wouldn’t…

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