There are risks and rewards with the use of healthcare IT, several studies and reports suggest. That doesnt mean we should avoid using the technology, but rather we should apply it knowing that few systemsand their human operatorsare infallible.

As more cardiovascular practices integrate with hospitals to save on overhead, data management challenges exacerbate the arduous process. Many have to overcome several hurdles to create an almost seamless system.

Physicians with an ownership stake in their practices were more likely than other physicians to think of EHR implementation as difficult or very difficult, according to the results of pre- and post-implementation surveys of physicians published Jan. 16 in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Heathcare IT continues to offer opportunities to improve patient care while adding efficiencies to the healthcare system. But several analyses show that obtaining those potential benefits remains a challenge.

As health IT use and efforts to lower costs remain on the healthcare community's collective consciousness, the American College of Physicians (ACP), updated its Ethics Manual to reflect changes among areas of concern including confidentiality, the use of social media, stewardship of resources, pay-for-performance reimbursement programs and patient-centered medical homes.

SAN ANTONIOWhen Hospital Sisters Health System, a 13-hospital system in Wisconsin and Illinois, implemented computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and EHR, everything seemed finefor a little while. Just a couple of months after the installation, William Montgomery, CIO, received a letter from the physicians listing 38 issues that they wanted fixed within two weeks.

Two million neurons die per every minute that a stroke goes untreated, making rapid diagnosis and treatment crucial for the best outcomes. However, 45 percent of Americans live more than 60 minutes away from a primary stroke center. Enter telemedicine: telestroke networks have sprung up across the U.S., and are rapidly expanding, delivering revenue gains and improving patient outcomes.

LAS VEGASIf EHRs are going to be optimized to increase efficiency and the bottom line, administrators should consider more inclusivity in the implementation process, staff and physician workflows, training time and a phased-in implementation, according to an Oct. 24 presentation at the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) 2011 annual conference.