Digital Government

Doctors frustrated by Medicare quality reporting data program

Some doctors' practices were dissatisfied with the reports they got for participating in a Medicare quality reporting program, according to a new survey.

Digital Government

Health IT systems vulnerable to server failures, study reveals

Three-quarters of the 102 health IT professionals surveyed said they experienced downtime related to a server failure during the past two years.

People

VA takes a leap of faith into telehealth

The Veterans Affairs Department is a step ahead of the rest of the federal government in promoting telehealth, also called telemedicine. Now VA is proposing to double its telehealth investment over two years. But without a broader federal strategy behind it, VA’s leap into telehealth is, to some degree, a leap of faith.

Cybersecurity

DHS falls behind in issuing HSPD-12 ID cards, IG reports

Poor management and not enough funding have caused the Homeland Security Department to fall behind in its distribution of HSPD-12 identification cards to employees and contractors, according to a new report.

Cybersecurity

SBInet's caretaker shares frustrations about delays, snafus

Mark Borkowski is in the unenviable position of overseeing SBInet, the border protection system that is as noteworthy for its ambitious scope as it is for technical glitches and schedule delays.

Digital Government

Committee considers changes to meaningful use definition of EHRs

A health IT policy committee is meeting tomorrow to discuss modifications to the recent proposed regulations for the "meaningful use" of electronic health records.

Digital Government

Departments award nearly $1B in grants for health IT

Federal departments have awarded $386 million for state health information exchanges, $375 million for health IT regional extension centers and $225 million for health IT training.

Digital Government

Food-safety, public health surveillance IT highlight FDA fiscal 2011 budget request

The Food and Drug Administration wants a 23 percent increase in its budget for fiscal 2011 in part to expand several information technology programs.

Digital Government

HHS Open Government Web site snowed by bad timing?

As of today, only three people have commented on the new Open HHS Blog. That seems to suggest a slow start to the discussion about how HHS can be more transparent and more accessible.

Acquisition

VA to implement IT-driven, patient-centered care model

In what it describes as a massive transformation, the Veterans Affairs Department is preparing to adopt a relatively new concept called patient-centered care that uses technology to keep patients informed and engaged.

People

Common standards urged for public, private data exchanges

Gail Belles, health care security director for the Veterans Health Administration, addressed the challenges of securing health data exchanges between federal agencies and the private sector.

People

Teleworkers get the job done with a BlackBerry and car charger

It's a worst-case scenario for teleworkers — being caught in a blizzard with no electricity — but they find a lifeline in the form of their smart phone and a car charger.

Modernization

VA launches Open Government Web site with IT dashboard

The VA today introduced its new Open Government Web site with a dashboard showing progress on the VA's IT projects and an idea forum to encourage public engagement.

People

Feds stay connected in aftermath of 2010 blizzard

Many federal employees say they are continuing to work even though they can't get into the office.

Modernization

FDA rolls out Web-based risk assessment tool for food, drug imports

The Food and Drug Administration is launching its automated risk-assessment system that will flag high-risk shipments of imported food and drugs.

Digital Government

Veterans Health Administration runs competition for health IT ideas

The Veterans Health Administration has launched a contest to see which employees and contractors can dream up the best ideas for improving its use of health IT.

Modernization

SSA sets goal of 50 percent online applications for retirees

The Social Security Administration has set targets for increasing its online application rate for retirees and the disabled by 2012.

People

Fresher data would improve Data.gov, watchdog groups say

The Data.gov transparency Web site could be improved if it had newer data, used better data formats and offered more options for searching, transparency advocates said in a letter to the White House.

Digital Government

What's the big picture for federal health IT budgets?

If you’ve been curious about President Obama’s proposed federal investment in health information technology in fiscal 2011 but finding it difficult to pin down all the numbers, you’re not alone.

Digital Government

VA budgets $157M for virtual e-health record interagency office

The Veterans Affairs Department is forging ahead on its joint program with the Defense Department to create a Virtual Lifetime Electronic Health Record.