ATLANTA--If there is a perceived problem of data quality, then all of the planning for a dashboard implementation is irrelevant, according to Jonathan Rothman, MBA, principal at Emergency Medicine Business Intelligence, who presented an educational session today at the HIMSS10 conference. Also, for a dashboard to have relevance within an organization, the employees must fully comprehend its role, he said.

ATLANTA--Clinicians, heathcare executives, as well as the IT tools they utilize to improve direct patient care will truly revolutionize the U.S. healthcare system, stated Barry Chaiken, MD, chairman of the board of directors for HIMSS, at Monday''s opening address and keynote session at HIMSS10.

ATLANTA--Information technologies (IT) shouldnt be the focal point of whats making [image consolidation solution] decisions. Instead, it should be the users of the system driving the decisions, and the system should be operational 24/7, 365 days a year, said Jill Wojcik of the nonprofit Continued Health Partners in New York City during a presentation today at HIMSS10.

Loss of patient data and prescription errors are just two potential safety risks associated with health IT (HIT) adoption. As the FDA examines these issues, the agency is questioning how to better regulate this new electronic field and which branch of government oversight is best suited to monitor such safety concerns.

ATLANTA--Progress does not happen in one direction, sometimes you have to go in the complete opposite direction to get to where you want to be, said closing keynote speaker Alison Levine during today's 2010 CHIME/HIMSS CIO Forum.

ATLANTA--The healthcare industry workforce in 2010 is composed of baby boomers who are unable to retire, counting for approximately 35 percent of the employees, said Marilyn Moats Kennedy, MSJ, CEO of Moats/Kennedy during the 2010 CHIME/HIMSS CIO Forum.

ATLANTA--Make sure you clarify and quantify your project management objectives as early as possible to avoid misinterpretation, said Dan Furlong, MBA, project management officer at the Charleston, S.C.,-based Medical University of South Carolinas College of Health Professions during a pre-conference workshop at HIMSS10 today.

ATLANTAUpgrading or implementing a certified EHR system will be one of the largest challenges for healthcare CIOs and IT executives in helping their organizations meet the meaningful use requirements, according to a survey released today by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) during the HIMSS10 conference.