Georgia supports uptake of electronic health records

The Georgia Department of Community Health has launched its new Georgia Medicare Electronic Health Records Community Partnership, designed to increase EHR uptake among small and medium-sized physician groups. During a five-year period the program will provide financial incentives to physician groups using certified EHRs to meet certain clinical quality measures. Georgia will pay physicians a bonus for each year they score on a standardized survey assessing EHR use to support the delivery of care.

Docs see digital records as key to healthcare reform

A new survey shows that 46 percent of physicians believe that automating patient records is key to streamlining healthcare and driving reform. The survey, titled “Jackson & Coker’s 2008 Healthcare Professionals’ Opinions on Presidential Health Plans,” was e-mailed to thousands of health professionals across the country. The survey asked respondents their views on universal healthcare, the specific healthcare proposals touted by the presidential candidates and the best ways to implement changes to the healthcare system.

California network offers online PHR to patients

Bright Health Physicians of PIH, a multi-site network of primary care and specialty physicians in Whittier, Calif., plans to implement an administrative software package that will allow patients access to health management tools like a personal health record. Bright Health has inked a deal with HealthTrio LLC to use the Centennial, Colo.-based vendor’s HealthTrio xpress and HealthTrio connect products. The software will give patients access to an online PHR, and offer physicians an automatically populated electronic health record.

Oregon clinic adopts electronic prescribing

Medford Medical Clinic, a primary care group practice in southwest Oregon, has deployed e-prescribing software. The technology is an upgrade to the clinic’s electronic medical record system. Medford Clinic chose e-prescribing technology from Portland, Ore.-based Kryptiq Corp. Timothy Krupp, director of IT at Medford Medical Clinic, said the practice implemented the technology to improve the overall access, speed and accuracy of its prescribing and refill processes.