Mobile Workstations From The Editor

  1. Obamacare On Trial: The Potential Repercussions For Health IT 4/4/2012

    Is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as the healthcare reform law, or Obamacare) unconstitutional? Can the federal government require us to purchase a product (health insurance), or is this an infringement on our personal freedom? By Ken Congdon, editor in chief, Health IT Outcomes

  2. iPhones & iPads: A Medical Liability? 3/28/2012

    Studies have shown that texting while driving is worse than driving drunk. The act takes a driver’s focus away from the road and severely impairs reaction times. By Ken Congdon, editor in chief, Health IT Outcomes

  3. The Potential Impact Of 4G On Healthcare 3/25/2012
    By now, most of you have probably seen television commercials from cellular carriers or smartphone manufacturers that tout the benefits of new 4G cellular broadband networks. Today, this fourth generation of cellular wireless standards can achieve download speeds upwards of 10 Mbps, with even higher speeds expected for the future. By Ken Congdon, editor in chief, Health IT Outcomes
  4. The Care Continuum Wars 3/15/2012

    Lines are beginning to blur between health insurers and hospital systems, as both parties battle it out to control their own autonomous patient care networks. By Ken Congdon, editor in chief, Health IT Outcomes

  5. EHRs On Trial … Again 3/7/2012

    New research published in the March issue of Health Affairs and covered in a March 5 article in the New York Times once again calls into question the ultimate value of EHRs. In most health IT circles, digital patient records have been touted as a key way to reduce the number of medical tests ordered, thereby cutting healthcare costs. By Ken Congdon, editor in chief, Health IT Outcomes

  6. HIMSS12 & Stage 2 MU: A Match Made In Vegas 3/1/2012

    HIMSS12 proved to be the biggest HIMSS yet as more than 37,000 healthcare executives, IT professionals, and clinical leaders flocked to Las Vegas to attend valuable health IT educational sessions and evaluate the latest products and services from more than 1,100 vendors in the exhibit hall. By Ken Congdon, Editor In Chief, Health IT Outcomes

  7. iPads Clinically Challenged 2/8/2012

    There’s no doubt that iPad business is booming in healthcare. A 2011 poll of more than 5,000 doctors conducted by the Physicians Consulting Network revealed that 27% of primary care and specialty physicians own an Apple iPad or similar device and use it on the job — a rate five times higher than the general population. By Ken Congdon, Editor In Chief, Health IT Outcomes

  8. Robots Invade Telemedicine 2/3/2012
    As consumers in the age of infomercials, many of you have probably seen television spots for the Roomba — a robotic vacuum cleaner that automatically sweeps the floor without the aid of a human operator. By Ken Congdon, editor in chief, Health IT Outcomes
  9. IT Still A Hotbed In Healthcare 1/20/2012
    Two studies were released recently that indicate, while the overall U.S. economy may still be on shaky ground, IT spending in the healthcare sector is as solid as ever. First, Mercom Capital Group recently released its annual and fourth quarter merger and acquisition and funding report for the healthcare technology sector in 2011.
  10. The ACO 'Guinea Pigs' 1/12/2012

    On December 19, 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) selected 32 healthcare systems to take part in the new Medicare Pioneer accountable care organization (ACO) initiative. 80 systems actually submitted formal applications to take part of the program. By Ken Congdon, editor in chief, Health IT Outcomes