Five Reasons Why Patients with Implantable Defibrillators Deserve Their Data February 17, 2012
Posted by David Scher, MD, FHRS in Health Policy, Allied Health Professionals, Industry, EP Physicians.Tags: Arrhythmia, Electronic Health Records, HEREHR, HITECH Act, ICD, Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator, pacemaker
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The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed into law on February 17, 2009. The objective of Measure 12/15 of Meaningful Use regulations of the HITECH Act, which refers to electronic health records, states that eligible professionals “Provide patients with an electronic copy of their health information (including diagnostic test results, problem lists, medication lists, medication allergies) upon request.”
A patient’s implantable defibrillator consists of a diagnostic test of the patient’s rhythm as well as of the implanted device itself. I do not see a distinction between data derived from these devices and other diagnostic tests. In this post I will explain why, in addition to conforming to the above regulatory requirement, the furnishing of this data will benefit patients. (more…)
Thinking About Patient-Centered Care February 1, 2012
Posted by Kathleen Blake, MD, MPH, FHRS in Health Policy, Allied Health Professionals, EP Physicians.Tags: Patient care, National Quality Forum, NQF
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Last week, the National Quality Forum (NQF) hosted a meeting of the Partnership for Patients-National Priorities Partnership. The Partnership for Patients was convened last spring by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to “dramatically improve patient safety across the country.” (more…)
Five Reasons Why Physicians Will Love mHealth January 18, 2012
Posted by David Scher, MD, FHRS in Allied Health Professionals, Education, EP Physicians, Health Policy.Tags: Electronic Health Records, Healthcare reform, Medicare, mHealth, mobile health technology, Practice management, Remote monitoring
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1. Mobile health technology will increase patient engagement. Most patients do not take the responsibility they should for their own health. They are likely preoccupied with all the stresses of everyday life and might therefore take the ‘I feel good, so I must be’ approach. They possibly mutter these words after wiping their faces, hurriedly walking out of McDonald’s for lunch. Or is it because of mistrust of their physician who they get to see for a big 15 minutes that the electronic record time slot permits? Or that they are caregivers to others and sacrifice their own well-being for that higher purpose? (more…)
Business Models of Mobile mHealth January 12, 2012
Posted by David Scher, MD, FHRS in Allied Health Professionals, Education, EP Physicians, Health Policy.Tags: CMS, Electronic medical records, Healthcare reform, Medicare, mHealth, mobile health technology, Practice management, Remote monitoring
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PriceWaterhouse Coopers’ Health Research Institute released a comprehensive report (free registration required) describing business models and opportunities for the mobile health industry.
In the operational/business model, providers see mHealth as more efficient and beneficial to the patient. According to the study, one-third of physicians make decisions based on incomplete information and mHealth can result in better care by providing more robust and timely information from the patient or device. (more…)
Who Is On Your Team? November 10, 2011
Posted by Heather M. Ross, DNP, ANP-BC, CCDS, CEPS, FHRS in Allied Health Professionals, EP Physicians.Tags: Cardiology, Healthcare system, Physicians, Work force
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Since the dawn of organized medicine, health care delivery has witnessed many changes in the evolution of organizational and professional structures to benefit patient care. However, it seems that our present economy, regulatory, and social changes have combined to make this the single most uncertain time in modern medical history. (more…)
How Do Allied Professionals Fit into HRS September 23, 2011
Posted by Heather M. Ross, DNP, ANP-BC, CCDS, CEPS, FHRS in Allied Health Professionals.Tags: Allied Professionals, Heart Rhythm Society
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Have you ever wondered how Allied Professionals (AP) fit into the governance structure of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS)? There are allied professional members of many committees and subcommittees. These members are nominated by committee chairs and ultimately appointed by the incoming president of HRS. (more…)
Woot, Woot! We’re in San Francisco! May 4, 2011
Posted by Heart Rhythm Society in Allied Health Professionals, Scientific Sessions.Tags: Heart Rhythm 2011
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Editor’s Note: Erica Zado, PAC, FHRS, a physician’s assistant at the Hospital of the Univ of Pennsylvania, offers a unique perspective for Heart Rhythm 2011 attendees and will serve as a guest blogger over the course of the meeting.
Every year I’m excited to come to the Heart Rhythm Society’s 32nd Annual Scientific Sessions, but I’m even more excited when it’s in San Fran (my apologies to Boston andDenver). I arrived yesterday and the city is as beautiful as I remember it — clear blue skies, the bay, the bridge, the shopping!! At the hotel, I was given a map of the area, and there they were, just where I remembered them: Nordstrom and Bloomies one half of a block away. Sweet!
But back on point: Heart Rhythm 2011 is a time to learn new things, see what research others around the world are conducting, present the science we are doing, and check in at the exhibits to see new technology. (more…)
Remote Device Monitoring in the Real World June 16, 2010
Posted by Heather M. Ross, DNP, ANP-BC, CCDS, CEPS, FHRS in Allied Health Professionals.Tags: Remote monitoring
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I was in Philadelphia last weekend for an advanced level allied professional educational program. Along with outstanding lectures from experts and local faculty, program attendees raised some excellent points and questions about providing high level electrophysiology care challenging practice environments.
One interesting topic focused on how to incorporate remote device monitoring into practice workflows. (more…)
Expanding NP Services: Effect on Heart Rhythm Care April 23, 2010
Posted by Heather M. Ross, DNP, ANP-BC, CCDS, CEPS, FHRS in Allied Health Professionals.Tags: Healthcare reform, Practice management
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Are you a nurse practitioner? Do you work with one? In a recent post about transitions in health care policies, Dr. Amit Shanker mentioned the issue of scope of practice. Have you ever wondered why nurse practitioners and physician assistants function so differently at different institutions? It’s partly due to practice and institutional policies, but even more closely related to state legislatures. That’s right: scope of practice is determined by your elected state legislators.
Twenty-eight states are currently considering expanding nurse practitioners’ scope of practice to alleviate the national shortage of primary care physicians and provide care for the estimated 32 million Americans who will gain health insurance in the next few years. These state-level policy changes would reflect health reform legislation including nurse practitioners as medical home providers. (more…)
Providing Quality Care to Patients While Pushing Buttons March 9, 2010
Posted by Heather M. Ross, DNP, ANP-BC, CCDS, CEPS, FHRS in Allied Health Professionals.Tags: Quality & outcomes
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Some days I feel like I just push buttons. No, I’m not reliving my teenage years when I tormented my parents. I’m referring to checking devices in outpatient clinics.
Pacemakers and ICDs have become wonderfully intricate. We can program for, or around, almost anything. We have pages of diagnostics to review. We have numbers to analyze, recalls to review, and spreadsheets to populate. Ain’t technology grand? But, what about the patient? During all of our button-pushing, do we forget that there is a patient underneath the programmer wand? On the other end of a remote monitoring transmission? Generating an electrogram interesting enough that we took out calipers? (more…)
Heart Rhythm Society
Laurie Racenet, RN, MSN, ANP
Michael Giudici, MD, FACC, FACP, FHRS
Heather M. Ross, DNP, ANP-BC, CCDS, CEPS, FHRS
Anne Dubin, MD, FHRS
John D. Day, MD, FHRS
Andrea M. Russo, MD, FACC, FHRS
Joshua M. Cooper, MD, FACC
Amit J. Shanker, MD, FHRS, FACC
Bruce Stambler, MD
David Wiggins, RN, BS BME, CEPS
Fred M. Kusumoto, MD, FHRS
Leonard Ganz, MD, FHRS
christinechiuman
Craig Delaughter, MD, PhD
Ariana Del Negro, Heart Rhythm 2010 Quality
Peng-Sheng Chen, MD, FHRS
MSKremers MD,FHRS
Ann C. Garlitski, MD, FACC, FHRS
Alan Cheng, MD, FHRS
Ulrika Birgersdotter-Green, MD
Christopher Clyne, MD, FHRS
Kathleen Blake, MD, MPH, FHRS
David Scher, MD, FHRS
Sanjay Deshpande, MD, FHRS
