test

EHRs

Federal Agency Names First Two EHR Testing, Certification Bodies

Announcement Represents 'Crucial Step' Toward 'Meaningful Use'

(09/01/2010)  --  The Office of the National Coordinator for Information Technology, or ONC, has announced that two initial companies have been authorized to test and certify electronic health record, or EHR, systems for compliance with the standards and certification criteria that were issued by HHS earlier this year. More


HHS Panel

Health Insurance Exchanges Create Opportunities for Primary Care, Says AAFP President

(09/01/2010)  --  The creation of state-based health insurance exchanges under the recently enacted health care reform act will give federal and state governments the opportunity to move from a volume-based to a value-based health care system by putting in place measures to better reward the provision of primary care services. That was one of the main messages delivered by AAFP President Lori Heim, M.D., of Vass, N.C., and other speakers who participated in an HHS panel on Aug. 30. More

Teen Vaccination Rates Continue to Climb, Though Raising Awareness Remains Key

Uptake of Tdap, Meningococcal Vaccines Up More Than 10 Percent

(09/01/2010)  --  In 2009, the nation experienced double-digit increases in the percentage of U.S. teenagers who had received at least one dose of two of the three vaccines routinely recommended for adolescents, according to the results of a survey released Aug. 20 in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. "There's been steady incremental uptake in vaccination rates among teens," said Doug Campos-Outcalt, M.D., M.P.A., the AAFP's liaison to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. "It would be nice to be doing better than we are, but it is improving." More

HHS Expands Medicare Coverage of Tobacco Cessation Counseling

Diagnosis Requirement No Longer Barrier to Payment

(09/01/2010)  --  Beginning next year, Medicare will pay for tobacco cessation counseling for all tobacco users covered by the federal benefit program. Under the recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, certain preventive care services, such as tobacco cessation counseling, will be covered by Medicare at no cost to beneficiaries. The new benefits, which also include annual physical exams and certain screenings, take effect Jan. 1. More

Medical Journal Editors Update Universal Author Disclosure Form

(09/01/2010)  --  The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, or ICMJE, has updated its uniform disclosure form, which journal article authors use to report potential conflicts of interest. More

News Briefs: Week of Aug. 30-Sept. 3

(09/01/2010)  --  This roundup includes the following news briefs: CMS Launches Official Site Detailing EHR Incentive Programs, Illinois Creates State-run Health Information Exchange, AHRQ Report Outlines Quality Measures for Medicaid Services, and New Web Tool Makes Searching for Coverage Options Easier. More

Researchers Tie Cholesterol Levels in Women to Menstrual Cycle Phase

NIH Findings May Have Implications for Testing

(08/30/2010)  --  Physicians testing a woman's cholesterol levels may need to take into account the phase of her menstrual cycle, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. In a study of more than 250 women ages 18-44 years, researchers from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found that levels of HDL rose in concert with estrogen levels, peaking at the time of ovulation. More

People in the News -- August

(08/31/2010)  --  A number of AAFP members received various honors and awards this past month. More
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