A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report has warned that the Department of Health & Human Services has no comprehensive strategy for ensuring the security of electronic medical records. The report highlighted a number of deficiencies in the government's approach to such records, including uncertainties regarding the extent of federal privacy protection requirements, unresolved issues introduced by varying state privacy laws, and disagreement over interpretations of HIPAA.

EHNAC offers e-prescribing accreditation

The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) has issued its first accreditation to RxHub. EHNAC accreditation is based on transmission timeliness for both electronic and fax e-prescribing transactions, timeliness of transaction processing, compliance with industry standards, and security and privacy for new prescriptions and renewals. In Maryland and New Jersey, EHNAC accreditation is required of any entity processing healthcare transactions on behalf of healthcare organizations in those states.

Parata acquires self-service player

The self-service market is certainly heating up. Parata Systems has acquired Amistar and its Distributed Delivery Networks Corp. subsidiary for cash and other considerations. Coming less than a year after Parata acquired the Automated Prescription Systems (APS) business unit of McKesson, the deal strengthens Parata's position in self-service kiosk technology. Where state regulations allow, self-service kiosks enable customers to pick up their prescriptions at secure locations, even when the pharmacy is closed.

Cognitive offers new label printer

C/Rx thermal prescription label maker

Automating preauthorization

Healthation released an automated real-time pharmacy preauthorization solution for healthcare payers and PBMs. Utilizing Web services architecture, the solution integrates with a payer's medical and pharmacy systems to auto-adjudicate preauthorization requests. The system uses user-defined eligibility, benefit, clinical step therapy, and workflow rules. Go to www.healthation.
com for additional information.

Tenn. Medicare gets monitoring program

Nearly 300 participants in Tennessee's Medicare Health Support program with diabetes and hyper-tension will be offered ADT's WellHealth monitoring solution, which employs an in-home digital device that alerts nurses to participant medication adherence. Participants will receive InforMedix Med-eMonitors, which are small portable electronic devices. At scheduled intervals, participants will be instructed by the device to take individual medications, including dosage and educational information, and asked to confirm whether they have taken their prescribed medication. In addition, participants will be asked to answer a series of health-related questions about their blood pressure, glucose levels, and potential signs of impending stroke. Trained professionals at ADT's Customer Monitoring Centers will monitor their responses.