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Outpatient electronic prescribing systems don't cut out common mistakes

Research found that outpatient electronic prescribing systems do not significantly reduce medication errors, with over 12% of prescriptions containing mistakes. The most common errors were related to missing information and involved anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, nervous system drugs, and cardiovascular drugs.

SourceBMJ Group·JournalJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association·DateJun 29, 2011

JAMIA reports on people, their information needs and social networks

The May issue of JAMIA features research on protecting provider identities during disease surveillance, rapid outbreak detection, and disparities in internet patient portal use in diabetes. The study highlights the importance of understanding people's information needs and social networks in improving healthcare services.

SourceAmerican Medical Informatics Association·JournalJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association·DateMay 6, 2011

Recognition given for ground-breaking advancements in digitalizing health data and information

Four leaders in biomedical and health informatics received the AMIA Signature Awards for their groundbreaking work in digitalizing health data and information. Adam Wright's research on clinical decision-support systems and data mining transformed patient care, while Judy Ozbolt's pioneering work in nursing informatics improved profess...

Researchers expand cyberspace to fight chronic condition in breast cancer survivors

University of Missouri researchers are developing a virtual database to store, search, and review information on lymphedema treatment. The system aims to improve patient health by providing timely access to evidence-based research. Lymphedema is a chronic condition affecting physical, mental, and social health in breast cancer survivors.

SourceUniversity of Missouri-Columbia·JournalProceedings of the IEEE·DateNov 3, 2010

Improving health care in the Internet age

Researchers suggest using digitized personal health records (PHR) to improve chronic disease management, increasing patient engagement and reducing hospital visits. A PHR portal-type system could facilitate dialogue between patients and healthcare workers, leading to better overall health outcomes.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics·DateNov 2, 2010

Use of informatics, EMRs enable genetic study of vascular disease

A team of researchers from Mayo Clinic used electronic medical records (EMRs) to launch a genome-wide association study of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which affects approximately eight million Americans. The study demonstrates the feasibility of leveraging EMRs for genetic research, offering advantages over traditional approaches.

SourceAmerican Medical Informatics Association·JournalJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association·DateSep 8, 2010

Measuring success: Regenstrief helps assess value of investment in health info tech

A new study from the Regenstrief Institute provides a framework for evaluating the costs, effort, and value of health information exchange services. The framework will help track the development and utilization of these services, crucial for understanding their impact on quality of care and patient safety.

SourceIndiana University School of Medicine·JournalJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association·DateMay 11, 2010

Elsevier sponsors 2009 Semantic Web Challenge

The 2009 Semantic Web Challenge recognized four outstanding applications that demonstrated practical applicability to real-world issues. The winners were awarded cash prizes sponsored by Elsevier, promoting the dissemination of knowledge from academia to society.

Yoga boosts heart health

A study published in International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics found that yoga practitioners exhibit higher heart rate variability compared to non-practitioners. This suggests a strengthening of parasympathetic control, indicative of better autonomic function and a healthier heart.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics·DateNov 9, 2009

Breast cancer: To screen or not to screen?

Researchers found that breast cancer screening's life-saving benefit gradually increases with age, but the majority of women do not need regular mammograms to save lives. The study estimated that around 1 in 5,000 women will be saved by screening between ages 40-59.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalBMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making·DateApr 1, 2009

Giving doctors the complete picture

A new clinical support tool developed by Martin Were and Michael Weiner significantly improves communication between doctors, resulting in better implementation of medical recommendations. The tool reduces errors and saves healthcare dollars by decreasing delays in care and prioritizing specialty treatment.

SourceIndiana University·JournalJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association·DateMar 6, 2009

Protecting patient privacy the new fashioned way

A new computer program, Medical De-identification System (MeDS), can accurately and speedily remove patient identifiers from medical records while retaining essential data for medical research. MeDS has been successfully tested on large datasets and shows promise in resolving the complex issue of privacy vs. public good.

SourceIndiana University·JournalJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association·DateSep 25, 2008

A look to the future

Researchers at Indiana University successfully demonstrated secure sharing of health information across the nation during an emergency scenario, leveraging Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) technologies. This innovation has great potential to improve healthcare in the United States.

Patient privacy assured by electronic censor

A new software has been developed to delete confidential patient data from medical records, leaving essential information intact. The system was tested on a large database of nursing notes and successfully removed over 94% of sensitive information, with only 0.2% of useful content mistakenly deleted.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalBMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making·DateJul 23, 2008

Sounding out heart problems automatically

Researchers have developed an analytical method using Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) to classify a wider range of heart sounds than skilled physicians can. The EMD system, trained with AI algorithms, outperforms conventional methods in identifying murmurs and other anomalies.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics·DateJul 11, 2008