A Medical Device Daily

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT; Chicago) reported on plans for expansion of the certification program in 2009 during a Town Hall meeting at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS; Chicago) annual conference in Orlando, Florida.

Commission chair Mark Leavitt, MD, PhD, provided an update on the current certification program, outlined plans for EHR certification, reported the launch of a new web site aimed at helping physicians make better-informed EHR decisions, and spoke of a measure that seeks responses to a survey for revamping the commission’s network.

CCHIT is preparing its updated ambulatory and inpatient certification criteria, as well as new programs to certify systems for child health, cardiovascular medicine and emergency department requirements, all to be launched in July. Certification of networks (health information exchanges), another new area, is now planned for launch in October.

For 2009, proposed expansion areas include long-term care, behavioral health, personal health records, and additional medical specialties to be determined later this spring by the commission.

The new web site, www.EHRDecisions.com, is designed to help educate physicians on EHR selection and the value of choosing CCHIT Certified products. The site will help physicians better determine their readiness for moving to electronic health records, get started on the selection process, and be wiser in the actual purchase and contract negotiations.

The survey is designed to gauge the needs of health information exchange groups that would apply for network certification and assess the market readiness for the new certification program and is available at http://cchit.org/surveys/network until March 15.

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology is an independent, nonprofit organization that has been named by the federal government as a “recognized certification body” for electronic health record products.

In other news from the HIMSS conference:

• Baxter Healthcare (Deerfield, Illinois) and Capsule (Boston) reported a collaboration that allows Baxter to leverage Capsule’s DataCapto Connectivity Suite with Baxter’s Colleague Volumetric infusion pumps. This agreement will provide Baxter with a wired and wireless connectivity solution that can connect the Colleague pump to many healthcare information systems.

This connectivity solution will allow for the rapid transfer of data between the infusion pumps and the hospital’s existing information infrastructure. The infusion data may be integrated for various clinical systems to aid in improving safety, workflow and reducing medication errors.

The new DataCaptor connectivity solution provides a standard interface to send infusion data from Colleague pumps to the hospital’s healthcare information system. Clinicians can then utilize these data within their hospital information system to support increased efficiency and patient safety.

• Siemens (Munich, Germany) reported enhancements to its syngo WebSpace, which turns office personal computers (PCs) and laptops into computed tomography (CT) workplaces.

syngo WebSpace represents the latest innovation in client-server solutions for CT applications and offers real-time access to CT data at a doctor’s office or home, and even on the road through a network connection. Medical professionals can connect to the server in a matter of seconds and work with a patient’s CT scans anytime and anywhere, improving productivity and diagnosis capabilities.

One of the latest enhancements to syngo WebSpace features Advanced Vessel Analysis, which includes refined vessel segmentation algorithm, centerline editing capability, guided workflow (fewer steps), automated measurement tools (true/false lumen, stent planning) and improved reporting tools.

• RemoteScan (Missoula, Montana) reported a new release and new pricing of its RemoteScan software. RemoteScan makes it possible for users of EMR (electronic medical records) software to scan directly into any medical document management or EMR software package which is hosted on Citrix or Windows Terminal Services servers.

New customer volume pricing for RemoteScan for medical use has been reduced to $5,000 for a 50-user license.

New features in RemoteScan include faster data throughput speeds, improved user templates for controlling scanner features of ID scanners, and a license administration system.

“HIPAA and other compliance regulations have made the scanning of ID cards, hand written notes and prescriptions an important consideration of all modern medical management and EMR systems,” said RemoteScan President Steve Saroff “RemoteScan software makes it ‘drop-in simple’ to connect and use document and card scanners with PCs and work stations in any Terminal Services or Citrix environments. Based on the caliber and sheer numbers of our customers and end users, RemoteScan has clearly become the accepted world-wide, hassle-free standard for connecting scanners to workstations and PCs in Terminal Services and Citrix environments.”

RemoteScan develops networking software for scanners and digital cameras.