EHRs

The American Hospital Association penned an Oct. 31 letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to address key health IT issues in the implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act.

Physicians override 73.3 percent of medication-related clinical decision support EHR alerts, according to a study published online in the Journal of American Medical Informatics Association.  

Four healthcare organizations using the McKesson Paragon EHR extended their Paragon agreements under Allscripts during the third quarter of 2017, Allscripts announced Oct. 30.

Allscripts CEO Paul Black is urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to focus on providing the nation's veterans with the high-quality, interoperable healthcare they deserve, according to a company blog post.

CMS is launching a new clinical engagement initiative focused on reducing regulatory burden dubbed "patients over paperwork," the agency announced Oct. 26.

Five researchers from across the U.S. will lead the National Center for Data to Health, a program established through a five-year, $25 million cooperative agreement from the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

To prevent "information blocking," or actions that inhibit the exchange of health information, select providers will have to attest to three statements about their use of certified EHR technology, according to CMS guidelines released this month.

Cerner President Zane Burke noted during an Oct. 26 earnings call the company plans to pursue additional EHR contracts at a range of government agencies, FCW reports.

Only a few providers (25 percent) strongly agree that their EHR helped position their organization for the new health economy, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report.

Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center is preparing for a Thursday Epic go-live.