Content about Medical informatics

ATLANTA — McKesson on Tuesday announced it has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Emendo, whose CapPlan Predictive Capacity Planning solution equips healthcare providers to optimize operational performance by intelligently forecasting patient demand. 

CapPlan also supports clinicians in their delivery of quality patient care by using a patient-centered, enterprisewide view of activity to make real-time adjustments for patient flow and staffed capacity allocations.

Emerging multidisciplinary healthcare models, such as accountable care organizations and patient-centered medical homes, promise to elevate quality and lower costs by harnessing the power of provider, payer and patient collaboration. Often overlooked in the coordinated care equation, however, is the integral role pharmacists can play in delivering efficient and effective care.

On the horizon of diabetes offerings at retail is telemedicine — a concept that may come sooner than later thanks to the rapid adoption of smartphones by consumers. In March 2012, researchers from the Stanford Prevention Research Center reported that smartphone applications can raise awareness and motivate older adults to improve their health. After eight weeks, 80% of participants reported increased awareness regarding a targeted health behavior (increased walking, decreased sitting time, improved diet), and three-quarters said the apps helped track the behavior.

CHICAGO – A company developing mobile medication therapy management technology got a big boost from the federal government.

BURLINGTON, Vt. — PureWellness has released continuity of care documents supported by HL7 standards for health information exchange between its online wellness system and CCD-supported electronic health records, the company said.

The new integration allows members and health coaches to synchronize and share lifestyle, behavior and risk information with care providers and their associated data networks. Most EHR systems and the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology have adopted CCD as the standard.

CARROLLTON, Ga. — Greenway Medical Technologies on Wednesday announced that Walgreens is deploying its electronic health record  solution to more closely integrate the retail pharmacy's healthcare services. The EHR is currently in more than 200 Walgreens stores, with chainwide rollout to its nearly 8,000 locations planned to be completed by the end of summer 2013.

Healthcare providers in today’s environment are committed to promoting patient safety while providing access to the most reliable and innovative treatments.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. and MAITLAND, Fla. — CVS Caremark’s MinuteClinic has announced that it is partnering with Florida Hospital Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group affiliated with Florida Hospital, in a clinical affiliation that expands access to healthcare services in central Florida.

Under the agreement, FHMG physicians will serve as medical directors for 12 MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in Orlando and the surrounding counties of Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk and Seminole.

ALBANY, N.Y. — With state-led Medicaid redesign and federal healthcare delivery reform under way in New York state, the demand for nurse practitioners, physicians assistants and other healthcare professionals is anticipated to continue to increase, according to a recent report by the Healthcare Association of New York State, which is a statewide hospital and continuing care association.

A few weeks ago, we joined some 37,000 of our closest friends for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference. HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology and management systems for the betterment of health care.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The fact that CVS Caremark’s MinuteClinic has partnered with Allscripts to leverage its electronic health record system helps further position MinuteClinic for future growth and clinical collaboration.

(THE NEWS: MinuteClinic deploys Allscripts EHR nationally. For the full story, click here.)

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation has announced a $750,000 grant opportunity to conduct research examining the impact of medication management services on patient health outcomes within existing medical homes or accountable care organization delivery models, and released a corresponding request for proposal.