M.L. Baker

U.S. hospitals are gearing up to scan unconscious and disoriented patients for implanted microchips. To encourage patients to get tagged, VeriChip, the chips maker, plans to give away scanning equipment to hospitals. Because the chips could be scanned without peoples consent or knowledge, the news has sparked visions of a world where a Big Brother […]

If network provider SureScripts gets its way, fax machines will be getting less busy in pharmacies and doctors offices across the nation. Thanks to SureScripts recent agreements with GE Centricity and NextGen, the major national EMR vendors will now let doctors offices send prescriptions to neighborhood pharmacies electronically. Electronic medical records let physicians store and […]

Open-source software will bring down the costs of health information technology and help networks of doctors exchange information. At least thats the conclusion of a new report, here in PDF form, released by the California Health Care Foundation. Previous attempts to use open-source software for health applications failed partly because the technology was not ready […]

In an era of rising costs and dwindling access to experts, IT is untethering doctors from patients physical presence. Already, health care organizations are turning to distant practitioners to interpret radiographs and even to monitor intensive care units. Such practices are not unique opportunities in niche markets, said Robert Wachter, a medical-safety expert at UCSF […]

If the head of Googles philanthropic division gets his wish, an Internet search engine will sniff out early signs of disease outbreaks and other emerging health crises. This month, Larry Brilliant, a maverick tech guru and former WHO physician, received $100,000 and a bully pulpit to help make his wish come true. He was one […]

At a meeting with reporters Feb. 27, Intels head of health IT touted upcoming products, but said that he didnt see how the U.S. market would pay for them. Whats at issue is not whether the technologies would improve care or bring down health care costs, but how insurers, patients, doctors, and employers would foot […]

In the latest of a series of business transformations, health services provider Emdeon has announced that it might sell off its two largest business units, which together provide billing, practice management and clinical software services. The company will retain its online health portal. Though WebMD Health accounted for just over 12 percent of the companys […]

In moves that might disappoint consultants, two prominent national agencies released resources this week to help health care providers adopt information technology. Many of the resources center on humans and workflow, rather than hardware and software. The announcements were timed to capture the attention of attendees at the annual meeting of the Healthcare Information and […]

LOS ANGELES—Not satisfied with the nations largest physician incentive program, Cisco Systems, Intel and Oracle have decided to launch their own. As part of the plan, the companies will pay Silicon Valley health care providers to adopt information technology. Executives described the plan, launched last week, at the Pay for Performance conference here Feb. 7. […]

LOS ANGELES—A diverse group descended on Los Angeles this week to change the way that doctors get paid. In a turnout that surprised the organizers, even the overflow rooms were packed. The first national Pay for Performance (P4P) Summit attracted representatives from software vendors, pharmaceutical companies, physician groups, health insurance companies and patient advocacy groups. […]

LOS ANGELES—Should your doctor get a bonus if you stop smoking and lose weight? Thats the kind of question attendees are wrestling with at the first National Pay for Performance Summit here Feb. 6-9. Pay-for-performance, or P4P, is a controversial but growing practice in which health care providers receive more money if they meet certain […]

In last years budget proposal, President George Bush called for $100 million to fund new projects in health information technology. This week, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg called for the same amount to be spent for health IT in his city. The proposal—to equip 100 city-operated clinics and doctors offices with EHR (electronic health […]