Obama’s pick for budget chief weighs in on IT

President-elect Barack Obama’s pick to run the Office of Management and Budget has said in the past that federal intervention would be needed if the country were to move forward on healthcare IT adoption. Peter R. Orszag, 39, will return to the executive branch where he worked as economic adviser in the Clinton administration. He stepped down immediately from his post as director of the Congressional Budget Office and wrote his final blog, titled “Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes.” Date: 11/26/08

HHS issues rule for Patient Safety Organizations

The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a final rule on procedures and requirements for Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs). The rule allows clinicians and healthcare providers to collect and analyze patient safety event information with privilege and confidentiality protections while complying with existing reporting requirements that seek similar information. “By making it easier for clinicians and healthcare organizations to report and learn from adverse events without fear of new legal liability, we will be able to improve our nation’s healthcare systems and minimize factors that can contribute to mistakes,” said HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. Date: 11/21/08

Brigham and Women’s tests automated notification

Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is testing the impact of automated telephone follow-up systems on the management of patients taking commonly prescribed medications. Researchers will study whether this type of outreach facilitates communication between patients and their physicians between visits to address potentially serious issues.Date: 11/20/08

GE execs urge industrialist approach to healthcare

General Electric’s top brass - CEO Jeffrey Immelt and John Dineen, president and CEO of GE Healthcare - invoked an industrialist’s approach to addressing healthcare’s woes Nov. 18 as the company unveiled three new digital initiatives in the healthcare sector. “You have to start doing things differently,” Dineen said. “After 22 years in operations, you get comfortable with that.” As part of a collaboration to advance healthcare IT, GE and its healthcare provider partners committed more than $200 million and 400 engineers over the course of development. Date: 11/19/08