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Biomedical subjects

John Halamka

Publications and source records attributed to John Halamka.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The security implications of VeriChip cloning.

The VeriChip is a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag produced commercially for implantation in human beings. Its proposed uses include identification of medical patients, physical access control, contactless retail payment, and even the tracing of kidnapping victims. As the authors explain, the VeriChip is vulnerable to simple, over-the-air spoofing attacks. In particular, an attacker capable of scanning a VeriChip, eavesdropping on its signal, or simply learning its serial number can create a spoof device whose radio appearance is indistinguishable from the original. We explore the practical implications of this security vulnerability. The authors argue that:1 The VeriChip should serve exclusively for identification, and not authentication or access control. 2 Paradoxically, for bearer safety, a VeriChip should be easy to spoof; an attacker then has less incentive to coerce victims or extract VeriChips from victims' bodies.

Computer Security↗
PubMed2006

E-Prescribing collaboration in Massachusetts: early experiences from regional prescribing projects.

Massachusetts payers and providers have encouraged clinician usage of e-Prescribing technology to improve patient safety, enhance office practice efficiencies, and reduce medical costs. This report describes three early pilot e-Prescribing projects as case studies. These projects identified the e-Prescribing needs of clinicians, illustrated key issues that made implementation difficult, and clarified the impact of various types of functionality. The authors identified ten key barriers: (1) previous negative technology experiences, (2) initial and long-term cost, (3) lost productivity, (4) competing priorities, (5) change management issues, (6) interoperability limitations, (7) information technology (IT) requirements, (8) standards limitations, (9) waiting for an "all-in-one solution," and (10) confusion about competing product offerings including hospital/Integrated Delivery System (IDN)-sponsored projects. In Massachusetts, regional projects have helped to address these barriers, and e-Prescribing activities are accelerating rapidly within the state.

Drug Prescriptions↗
PubMed2006

Early experiences with E-prescribing.

Most physicians understand that e-prescribing will reduce medical errors and will be perceived by patients as making the prescription process easier. However, they are skeptical about a number of things. They worry whether their office processes will be improved or streamlined; e-prescribing will interface seamlessly with their existing practice management software; training and support will be available; e-prescribing data will be seamlessly transferable to an electronic health record when they implement a more advanced clinical record system for their practice; and if they will achieve a return on investment. Early adopting clinicians in Massachusetts can convince the majority of clinicians to adopt e-prescribing by sharing their motivations for adopting e-prescribing, the challenges that they needed to overcome, the hardware and software requirements, and integration into their office workflow. Finally, interaction with the physicians and practice managers in the audience makes the adoption of e-prescribing seem both reasonable and exciting. Resources such as vendor lists, questions to ask, and hardware and software requirements also need to be readily available and in a form that non-technical staff can read and understand. Physicians who know the "why" would also like to know

Diffusion of Innovation↗
PubMed2006

The perfect storm for electronic health records.

EHRs and data sharing improve quality, reduce costs, and enhance workflow. They create a c ommunity of clinical collaboration, fostering the adoption of new knowledge and best practices. With government, provider, and payer support for the nationwide rollout of electronic records, 2006 will be the year in which the United States makes significant progress on the journey to deliver electronic systems to all clinicians.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2006

A tale of three cities--where RHIOS meet the NHIN.

Regional health information exchanges in California, Indiana, and Massachusetts have been collaborating on a prototype for a nationwide health information network, first under the auspices of the Markle Foundation's Connecting for Health program and now under contract to the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Since mid-2004, this collaboration has evolved from a collection of regional efforts to a standards-driven cooperative and now to one of four prototype national networks fostered by federal efforts. This development reflects a maturing market for interoperability and integration in healthcare information technology, starting with RHIOs, and suggests one response to the industry's need for the type of plug-and-play information exchange available in other industries. The authors share their experiences and their views of how RHIOs and a Nationwide Health Information Network will further develop to make interoperable electronic health records a reality in coming years. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official view of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

Boston↗
PubMed2005

Health care IT collaboration in Massachusetts: the experience of creating regional connectivity.

The state of Massachusetts has significant early experience in planning for and implementing interoperability networks for exchange of clinical and financial data. Members of our evolving data-sharing organizations gained valuable experience that is of potential benefit to others regarding the governance, policies, and technologies underpinning regional health information organizations. We describe the history, roles, and evolution of organizations and their plans for and success with pilot projects.

Clinical Pharmacy Information Systems↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Exchanging health information: local distribution, national coordination.

The fragmentation of our health care system, our need to accommodate the diversity of existing health information exchanges, the lack of consistent implementation of clinical information standards, and the need to protect patients' privacy and maintain trust are all challenges to overcome in achieving broad-scale interoperable health information exchange. We propose several steps to coordinate information sharing among regional and other networks through universal adherence to a basic framework of policies and standards. The critical policy action is the identification of a "common framework" of standards and policies, maintained by a new Standards and Policy Entity that reflects both public- and private-sector participation.

Community Health Planning↗