Electronic Medical Records are Changing Health Care

A Closer Look at How Electronic Medical Records are Changing Health Care

August 9, 2010

broadbandforamerica.com - The San Bernandino Sun has an article today on electronic medical records. Some highlights:

Although 2015 may not mark the year emergency room teams in any Maine hospital will have access to the health records of a vacationing Southern Californian, "we will be a lot further along than we are now," said Dylan H. Roby, a research scientist with the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

Once medical records go on the computer, the patient can be brought aboard the medical team in a way not possible previously. Better compliance with medical instructions and a happier, healthier patient are the hoped for results.

Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente is generally recognized as a global leader in its use of electronic medical records and related technologies, including e-mail.

Although one might think patient to doctor e-mail might expose busy physicians to a barrage of questions, symptom updates and lengthy prattles from hypochondriac patients, that overall has not been the experience.

A Kaiser Permanente study found that 75 percent of all patient-physician e-mail encounters addressed ongoing medical problems or care plans.

"Putting patients and their data at the center of care, quality, access and cost," George Halvorson, Kaiser Permanente chairman and CEO, said in a statement.

"This data proves that health IT (information technology) can be a fundamental component of accomplishing those three critical goals," Halvorson said.

You can read the full article here and read more about the benefits of electronic medical records here.

USDA Provides $1.2B in Funds for Rural Broadband Internet Efforts

August 5, 2010

iHealthBeat - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced $1.2 billion in grants and loans to increase rural access to broadband Internet through126 broadband infrastructure projects in 38 states and numerous American Indian reservations, the Grand Forks Herald reports.

Several of the infrastructure projects will include initiatives to boost access to telehealth services.

On Wednesday, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said that strengthened Internet service will help to improve health care facilities in rural and remote areas, as well as aid local first responders.

The grants represent the second round of funding from a $7.2 billion allotment in the 2009 economic stimulus package for broadband access and adoption.

Examples of Local Projects

Oregon will receive $17 million in grant funding, some of which will go toward building health information exchanges.

Approximately $5.4 million of the funding will aid Oregon's Warm Springs Indian Reservation and the Warm Springs Telecommunications Company in building a wireless network.

The network will benefit more than 18 businesses and 22 community institutions, including health care facilities.

Future Funding Expected

In a posting on the White House Blog, Vilsack and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said that roughly $4 billion in additional funding will be provided for broadband services across the next few months.

The Rush is on to Approve Applications for Broadband Funds

August 9, 2010

FCW - The Agriculture and Commerce departments oversaw the first stimulus law funding for broadband networks, but they have a much larger workload and less time for due diligence in the final round of grants, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the USDA’s Rural Utilities Services may have insufficient resources to oversee, monitor and distribute all $7.2 billion in broadband funding by the Sept. 30 deadline, the GAO report said. There are problems with maintaining enough staffing and getting sufficient data on broadband availability throughout the country, the report dated Aug. 4 said.

GAO recommended that the agencies beef up their planning for continued oversight beyond Sept. 30.

The NTIA and rural utilities service did not state an opinion on the recommendation. However, the agencies outlined steps being taken to mitigate some of the risks and the NTIA said the program would meet the Sept. 30 deadline.

Under the stimulus law, Congress set aside $7.2 billion to be awarded to public and private organizations to expand broadband services in rural and areas with little service.

In the first round, which began in July 2009 and ended in April 2010, the agencies received more than 2,200 applications and awarded 150 grants, loans and grant/loan combinations that totaled $2.2 billion.

The GAO gave the NTIA and utilities service high scores for their due diligence performed on that initial round of applications.

“GAO’s review of 32 award recipient applications found that the agencies consistently reviewed the applications and substantiated the information as specified in the first funding notice. In each of the files, GAO observed written documentation that the agencies and their contractors reviewed and verified pertinent application materials, and requested additional documentation where necessary,” the report said.

However, the second round, which began in January, has problems. First, there is twice as much money to be obligated: $4.2 billion. Secondly, there is less time available for due diligence. The NTIA will have six months for its evaluations, rather than eight; and the rural utilities service will have six months, rather than nine, the report said.

The agencies said that with staff experience, and lessons learned from the first round, they expect to be able to handle the increased workload with the same high standards. But the GAO report cautioned that there may be pressures to cut corners.

“However, as the Recovery Act’s obligation deadline draws near, the agencies may face increased pressure to approve awards,” the report stated.

More Statewide Broadband Projects Getting Underway

August 9, 2010

broadbandforamerica.com - Last week, we brought you several stories of new statewide broadband projects getting underway as a result of the $1.2 billion being allocated by the USDA as part of the larger broadband stimulus. You can read about those projects here, here, here and here. Today, we bring you three more stories of how high-speed Internet is being used to connect businesses and homes across America:

New Mexico: $435, 500 has been awarded to Dell Telephone Cooperative Inc. to expand rural broadband access. Read more about the project here.

New York: $42 million will go toward five state projects designed to improve broadband infrastructure and adoption across the state.

"This funding is a down-payment on a long-term goal to connect each and every one of the people of these counties to the internet," said Sen. Chuck Schumer. Read more about the projects here.

Obama makes $795M for broadband grants

Groups Want Open Access in Stimulus-funded Broadband

March 24, 2009

FCW - Consumer groups want the Commerce Department to put open-access conditions on the $7 billion in economic stimulus funds for building new broadband networks.

The consumer groups want the department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to require that any broadband networks funded by the stimulus law be open to all traffic. However, carriers say such provisions are counterproductive and hurt the goal of building networks quickly.

In approving the broadband funding, Congress said the networks must be nondiscriminatory and connect with other networks, but lawmakers left it to regulators to define and enforce those policies.

Consumer groups, including Free Press and Public Knowledge, contend that strict definitions of nondiscrimination are needed to ensure that the broadband networks are open to all content.

“We are participating in a milestone event in Internet policy-making,” said Ben Scott, policy director at Free Press, at an NTIA-sponsored roundtable discussion March 23. “It is not only fitting and proper that we should firmly protect the open Internet built with taxpayer dollars — it is essential if we are to honor the dual goals of economic stimulus and public service required by the law. "

“The [stimulus law] commands the Rural Utilities Service to give priority to applicants that will deliver consumers a choice of more than one service provider,” said Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge. “We see no reason why NTIA should not do the same. Thus, we ask that NTIA prioritize projects that build shared infrastructure” ...

HHS to Give States $1 Million Each to Setup Electronic Health Insurance Exchanges by 2014

July 29, 2010

FCW - States can now apply for $51 million in federal money to help build health insurance exchanges, the Health and Human Services Department said today.

HHS wants states to create the exchanges and begin operating them in 2014 as part of the health reform law. The principle is that if consumers have better access to plans, and the plans can be compared more competitively, prices will come down. The exchanges will be operated primarily for individuals whose employers do not offer them health insurance.

States may create their own exchanges, partner with other states, or be part of an HHS-created exchange. The exchanges will also function as marketplaces to sell the plans.

The exchanges are expected to operate online; however, standards for the exchanges have not been developed yet. HHS is asking the public for input to establish those standards.

Under the new grant program, states and the District of Columbia are eligible for up to $1 million each to develop the exchanges.

“The exchanges will make purchasing health insurance easier by providing eligible consumers and businesses with 'one-stop-shopping' where they can compare and purchase health insurance coverage,” HHS said.

Grant applications are due by Sept. 1 and comments on the exchange development are due by Oct. 4.

National Broadband Is Necessary for Increasing the Use of Electronic Health Records in Rural Areas

Through stimulus funding, the Obama administration is encouraging the adoption of electronic health records by 2014. With more than $17 billion in stimulus funding, the government has been encouraging medical providers to adopt electronic medical records, switching patient records from old paper files to sophisticated computer databases. The plan to reshape the nation’s medical system through the implementation of computerized medical records was part of a $838 billion stimulus bill approved by the Senate in February. These electronic records would “follow each American from birth to death,” and include information about each person’s race, ethnicity and medical history. - Anita Gutierrez-Folch, Government Pushes for Electronic Medical Records by 2014, Finding Dulcinea, October 1, 2009

ObamaCare mandates that by 2014 almost every American must prove to the IRS that he or she is enrolled in a government-approved health plan. Absent that proof, the IRS will hound the luckless citizen for a "penalty" of 2.5% of his or her income (by 2016), or $695 a year, whichever is greater. - John McClaughry, The ObamaCare Tax on Your Existence, Right Side News, August 5, 2010

March 16, 2010

FCW - The Federal Communication Commission’s national strategy for broadband issued today emphasizes health care, including electronic health record adoption and use, health data exchanges, telemedicine and mobile health services.

The National Broadband Plan makes 11 recommendations for using high-speed broadband networks to increase the use of electronic health records, health data exchange and telemedicine, or “e-care.”

E-care is defined by the FCC as the electronic exchange of information — data, images and video — help the practice of medicine and advanced analytics. E-care also is referred to as telehealth or telemedicine. When applied in mobile devices, it is sometimes called "MHealth" or "mobile health."

For telemedicine, the FCC also calls for the federal government to expand reimbursements and to remove barriers to adoption by updating regulations to for device approval, credentialing, privileging and licensing.

“Congress and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) should consider developing a strategy that documents the proven value of e-care technologies, proposes reimbursement reforms that incent their meaningful use and charts a path for their widespread adoption,” the plan states.

The FCC suggests working with the Food and Drug Administration to clarify regulatory requirements and the approval process for “converged” devices that are used both for communications and health care.

The plan has garnered the support of the American Telemedicine Association.

"These changes will greatly improve the quality of care, lower costs and improve access to healthcare to all Americans," said Jonathan Linkous, chief executive of the association. "We encourage Congress and the Administration to approve and implement these recommendations without delay.”

The plan also sees creating a Health Care Broadband Infrastructure Fund to subsidize health care delivery locations where existing networks aren't sufficient. In addition to hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices, the broadband grants should be made available to nursing homes, health care administrative offices, health care data centers and other locations, the plan said.

The FCC also recommended that the Indian Health Service get up to $29 million a year to upgrade its broadband services.

President Obama Announces Rural Broadband Projects

July 2, 2010

USDA Office of Communications - Today President Obama, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and Commerce Secretary Locke announced investment in 36 new Recovery Act broadband projects nationwide, 37 in rural America that, according to the grantees, will not only directly create over 5,000 jobs up front, but also help spur economic development in some of the nation's hardest-hit communities, creating jobs for years to come.

In total, tens of millions of Americans and over 685,000 businesses, 900 healthcare facilities and 2,400 schools in all fifty states stand to benefit from the awards. The $780 million in grants and loans through the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture have been matched by over $200 million in outside investment, for a total public-private investment of nearly $1 billion in bringing broadband service to these communities, which currently have little or no access, to help them better compete and do business in the global marketplace.

Effort to Widen U.S. Internet Access Sets Up Battle

March 12, 2010

New York Times - The Federal Communications Commission is proposing an ambitious 10-year plan that will reimagine the nation’s media and technology priorities by establishing high-speed Internet as the country’s dominant communication network.

According to F.C.C. officials briefed on the plan, the commission’s recommendations will include a subsidy for Internet providers to wire rural parts of the country now without access, a controversial auction of some broadcast spectrum to free up space for wireless devices, and the development of a new universal set-top box that connects to the Internet and cable service.

The effort will influence billions of dollars in federal spending, although the F.C.C. will argue that the plan should pay for itself through the spectrum auctions. Some recommendations will require Congressional action and industry support, and will affect users only years from now ...

FCC Plan Would Greatly Expand Broadband Internet Connections

The FCC's plan would create a federal mandate for installing thousands of miles of new fiber-optic cable and erecting many cellphone towers.

March 16, 2010

Washington Post - The Federal Communications Commission announced on Monday its long-awaited plan to bring broadband Internet connections to every home and business in the United States, part of an ambitious, multibillion-dollar attempt to create a new digital infrastructure for the nation's economy.

The national broadband plan outlines dozens of policy recommendations aimed at raising the portion of people with high-speed Internet connections to 90 percent, from the current 65 percent, over the next decade and significantly increasing the connection speeds of homes with such service.

Mandated by last year's stimulus legislation, the plan will be presented to Congress on Tuesday and is widely expected to set the FCC's agenda for years to come. It would move the commission squarely into the age of the Internet, creating a federal mandate for installing thousands of miles of new fiber-optic cable and erecting many cellphone towers ...

Editor's Note: The cellphone towers being erected under the National Broadband Plan are necessary for the future cashless society -- a society where only electronic transactions take place.

NFC-enabled mobile phones will be used to replace everything from credit cards and loyalty cards to bus and train tickets, library cards, door keys, and even cash. - Mike Clark, Banks and Mobile Operators to Go Head to Head for Mobile Payments Business, Near Field Communications World, January 14, 2010