2014 HIMSS Workforce Survey
The second installment of the HIMSS Workforce Survey continues research in the information technology (IT) hiring practices of both the IT vendor industry and among healthcare provider organizations. This year’s report covers a number of topics critical to organizations involved in the hiring of health IT professionals to include staffing experiences during the past year, as well as hiring plans for the coming year. It also tracks the type of candidates employers are seeking, how employees are being recruited and retained, and the challenges of managing a fully staffed health IT operation.
Study Shows Effectivenss of the EMR in Postively Impacting Clinical Outcomes
HIMSS Analytics revealed the findings of a study thought to represent the most extensive analysis to date of the clinical effectiveness of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). With clinical data support from Healthgrades, a leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals, the findings clearly demonstrate a measurable beneficial relationship between the adoption of EMRs and hospital performance, as measured by mortality rates.
New Study Highlights Growing Support for Health Information Technology in Massachusetts
A study released by the Massachusetts eHealth Institute at MassTech (MeHI) highlights growing adoption and acceptance of health information technologies, or Health IT, by healthcare providers in the Commonwealth, as well as strong consumer support for the use of technologies that electronically store and share health data. The survey data is included in the 2014 MeHI Provider and Consumer Health IT Research Study, which launched during an event at the Massachusetts State House. Sponsored by MeHI and conducted by the respected health industry research firm Market Decisions LLC, this study is designed to provide comprehensive information on the use, needs and attitudes towards health IT among Massachusetts healthcare providers and consumers, and to identify key drivers for eHealth adoption across the Commonwealth.
Medscape EHR Report 2014: Physicians Rate Top EHRs
Electronic health records (EHRs) have changed the way physicians practice medicine. Medscape invited physicians to participate in a survey of current EHR use; 18,575 physicians across 25 specialties responded during the period from April 9, 2014, through June 3, 2014. They answered questions about their use of an EHR and rated their systems in terms of overall ease of use and other performance traits, as well as their satisfaction with the EHR vendor. Physicians also described how their EHR affects practice operations and patient encounters. The results give an eye-opening portrait of how EHRs are affecting medical practices.
What Public Health Might Look Like In 2030
Leading public health officials and organizations have joined with the Institute for Alternative Futures to look ahead at the challenges and opportunities awaiting the professionals who work to ensure conditions that help all Americans get and stay healthy. The Institute’s new report, Public Health 2030: A Scenario Exploration, offers four alternative scenarios for the future of public health, and a series of recommendations for ensuring agencies that work to control communicable diseases, ensure food safety, promote health, and foster emergency preparedness and response are able to fulfill their mission. The scenarios serve as a planning tool for organizations and communities to consider plausible alternative paths for the field in order to clarify vision and identify optimal strategies. The recommendations offer robust strategies that would be effective and advance public health in multiple futures, despite ongoing changes that affect the field. The project was supported by The Kresge Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
See previously posted reports and surveys on the next pages.