The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance, a division of National Electrical Manufacturers Association, is praising the 88 Members of Congress who urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider its proposed national coverage decision expected to be decided on March 13 that will limit patient access to cardiac CT angiography (CCTA).

Jon White, MD, director of health IT for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the United States' lead agency for research on healthcare quality, costs, outcomes and safety, presented an e-seminar on March 6 that focused on AHRQ's role in helping organizations use health IT to improve patient care.

The U.S. Senate Budget Committee voted Thursday to approve a bipartisanamendment, sponsored by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., andSheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., which creates a reserve fund supportingwidespread adoption of health IT and accepted best practices inclinical settings.

EHRs are considered the answer to improving care and reducing waste inhealthcare, and yet approximately 90 percent of U.S. doctors and morethan two-thirds of U.S. hospitals still use paper for patient records.

Approximately 96 percent of health IT executives think it is importantto have a uniform way for verifying the security of sensitivehealthcare information, and 85 percent think it is time for theindustry to come together and develop a comprehensive framework thatcan provide that uniformity, according to a survey commissioned by theHealth Information Trust Alliance and conducted by KRCResearch.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has reportedthat Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget priority is to improve healthcarethrough investment in health IT, which will support several statewideinitiatives toward the goal of ensuring every Louisianan has an EHR andhealthcare providers have access to information they need.

Advances in color viewing for certain modalities, such as MR and colorDoppler ultrasound, are forcing hospitals and imaging centers toreconsider their PACS displays.

With any PACS rollout, there is the promise, the dream of becoming afilmless, digital environment. But eliminating film does not eliminatethe fact that people are still printing—the question is to what extentand in what format.