HIMSS16 is presenting the following:

User Experience Forum Improving User Experience: A Roadmap to Safer, More Effective Health IT

“There is overwhelming evidence that usability of health IT systems impacts patient safety, and is crucial to adoption and effective use. There is a common misunderstanding that usability is only about basic screen design such as font size, color, and layout, but a better understanding is that usability needs to support the needs of clinicians of patients,”

- Raj Ratwani, Ph.D., scientific director at the National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare at the Washington D.C.-based MedStar Health.

Mobile health devices must be designed to meet specific patient needs to improve user engagement, particularly among those with chronic illnesses, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, FierceMobileHealthcare reports (Mottl, FierceMobileHealthcare, 1/24

On Oct. 6, 2015, CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT released the final rules for Stage 3 of the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program and the 2015 Edition Health IT Certification Criteria. Through this rulemaking, the agencies hoped to simplify requirements and add some new flexibilities for providers.

Many in the health IT sector and the health professional community view electronic health records as both a blessing and a curse. EHRs have significantly improved documentation and dissemination of patients' clinical information, streamlined certain tasks and improved safety in areas such as medication management. But EHRs also have made some aspects of health care providers' workload more time consuming than in the "paper" days and sometimes compromise patient safety.

Acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt and National Coordinator for Health IT Karen DeSalvo in a blog post further explained plans for the upcoming changes to the meaningful use program, EHR Intelligence reports.

The 2015 Edition Final Test Method has been posted and can be accessed on the ONC Health IT Certification Program webpage.

The Final Test Method outlines the requirements for evaluating conformance of health IT Modules to the certification criteria defined in the ONC 2015 Edition Final Rule (45 CFR Part 170 Subpart II) published in the Federal Register on October 16, 2015.

More than 80% of health IT users have experienced some type of quality performance benefit as a result of electronic health record adoption, according to survey by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, EHR Intelligence reports.

About two-thirds of the 100 largest U.S.

The American Medical Association and MedStar Health have developed a joint framework to determine usability among electronic health record technologies, EHR Intelligence reports (Murphy, EHR Intelligence, 10/27).

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a new guide to improve the usability and safety of electronic health records, Clinical Innovation & Technology reports (Walsh, Clinical Innovation & Technology, 10/12).

In recent years, telehealth technologies are diffusing rapidly into all aspects of healthcare practices, ranging from traditional medical consultations to various patient-centric areas. These new uses bring a promise of integrating computerized support and Internet functionality into the deeper recesses of our community, addressing the intractable problems of access and population-specific health disparities. To ensure the promised benefits of these new telehealth systems, usability has become an ever-present and pressing issue for the research community.

Accessibility and Usability in Health Information Technology
Thursday, September 17, 2015 8:00:00 AM EDT - Friday, September 18, 2015 2:00:00 PM EDT

Accessibility and Usability in Health Information Technology (HIT): User-Driven Research and Actionable Strategies Responsive to People with Disabilities, Older Adults, and Caregivers

A free event sponsored by the Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR), Interagency Committee on Assistive Technology (ICAT)

There is no shortage of complaints about the usability of Electronic Health Record systems (EHRs). More and more evidence is emerging regarding the lack of EHR usability. Speaking at the 2013 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Conference & Exhibition, Michael S. Barr, MD, MBA, FACP, of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) warned that:

“Satisfaction and usability ratings for certified electronic health records (EHRs) have decreased since 2010 among clinicians across a range of indicators.”

One of the great things about living near a “destination city” such as Washington DC is that friends and relatives often come to visit. This past Fourth of July week was a perfect example, as my sister-in-law and niece came to visit and to celebrate our country’s birthday in it's capital city.

My niece had also recently just turned 21, and was celebrating her birthday too. One thing that they both wanted to do was to go to a casino. Luckily about an hour or so north was Arundel Mills, an outlet shopping destination and (non-smoking) casino.

Usability improvements that could enhance patient safety are occurring in electronic health record systems, but not at an acceptable pace and not necessarily for the expected reasons or even the right ones, some industry gurus and researchers report.

Achieving the Promise of Health Information Technology: What Can Providers and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Do To Improve the Electronic Health Record User Experience?

Watch the live stream at http://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/achieving-the-promise-of-health-info...

SENATE HEARING LINEUP:

While the recent push to adopt health IT systems has helped to improve care and reduce costs, issues with usability and interoperability require further federal attention, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, FierceHealthIT rep

User Experience, usability, and user-centered design principles were on the forefront of conversations around the topic of clinician/patient satisfaction, safety-enhanced design, and value optimization. Here are a few highlights of the programming and events taking place at HIMSS15 related to the topic of health IT UX.

Click here for Update: The Final Rule for the 2015 edition certification has been released.