70 million people are said to have access to basic Personal Health Records (PHRs) — password-protected, online records that store essential health information — through their health insurers. Yet when Aetna and the Financial Planning Association surveyed more than 2,100 adults 18 and older, 64 percent said they do not know or are unsure about what a PHR is. Among the group of Americans who are familiar with PHRs, 83 percent acknowledge that the online record personalizes their experience with their health care provider, but only 11 percent currently use one to keep track of their medical and health history. In light of these findings, Aetna and FPA have expanded the Plan for Your Health public education campaign by introducing PHR information on www.PlanforYourHealth.com . When asked why they didn’t use a PHR, respondents had varying reasons, indicating a need for education: have their own system for maintaining records (35 percent); concerned with the security of personal information (26 percent); don’t know how to use and manage a PHR (18 percent) More than half (55 percent) of the women surveyed keep track of their medical and health history, but not through a PHR. By comparison, only 39 percent of men keep track of their medical and health history, and 44 percent don’t keep track at all. Aetna and FPA launched Plan for Your Health in September 2004 to help all Americans make smart health benefits and financial planning decisions.

QuadraMed signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Computerized Patient Record (CPR) assets of Misys Healthcare for $33 million in cash. Misys CPR is a leading enterprise-wide computerized patient record and electronic health record system. This transaction is expected to close within 60 days. The foundational components of the QuadraMed Care-Based Revenue Cycle include solutions for Access and Identity Management, Care Management, Health Information and Revenue Cycle Management.  These integrated end-to-end solutions combine with CPR to help clients leverage quality care into financial health, enabling them to receive the proper reimbursement in the shortest time, at the lowest administrative cost.

Fujitsu Computer Systems Corporation refreshed its Stylistic ST5100 lightweight slate Tablet PC Series with the new Intel Core 2 Duo Ultra Low Voltage processor offering superior performance levels with extended battery life. Weighing just 3.5 pounds and delivering up to 9.5 hours of computing time with a high-capacity nine-cell battery, the Energy Star version 4.0-compliant Stylistic ST5111 and ST5112 Tablet PCs are ideal for highly mobile professionals in markets including healthcare, and field and sales force automation. The Stylistic ST5111 and ST5112 Tablet PCs easily connect to the office network or Internet through an integrated Gigabit Ethernet LAN or modem. Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG or Atheros Super AG (802.11a/b/g) wireless LAN offers wireless connectivity, and a diversity antenna provides excellent data transfer rates. With optional embedded Bluetooth technology, wireless connections to peripheral devices are conveniently established.

Two Pennsylvania-based hospital organizations, Allegheny General Hospital Pittsburgh and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital have selected real-time electronic surveillance and expert clinical decision support systems provided by TheraDoc. This brings to 20 the number of Pennsylvania hospital facilities utilizing TheraDoc technology, adding to implementations at 14 University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) facilities and the three-hospital group comprising the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) in Philadelphia. TheraDoc technology leverages data from multiple sources within the hospital (ADT, microbiology, lab, pharmacy, radiology, surgery, scheduling and vitals monitoring) to power an automated surveillance solution that accurately identifies infections and their cause. TheraDoc is also participating in a CDC pilot project to automate the reporting of infection rates to NHSN.