News 5/20/10

digiChart partners with PeriGen to integrate the digiChart OB-Gyn EHR with PeriGen’s clinical decision support system, PeriBirth.

About half of all parents would like to be able to communicate with their children’s doctors online, according to a poll by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Even though many parents think online tools would be great for requesting records or refills, less than one in six say they currently have the ability to electronically connect with their kids’ providers.

Hill Physicians Medical Group (CA) says that more than 1,000 of its doctors are using EHRs, and requests for new installations is at an all time high. The IPA also reports 2009 net income of $4.7 million and revenue of $419 million. That compares to 2008 revenues of $420.6 million and a net loss of $4.4 million. In 2009,  Hill spent $4.7 million on EHR installation and support, and paid out $32 million in bonuses to member physicians who met clinical quality and patient satisfaction criteria.

The US Patent and Trademark Office issues athenahealth a patent related to its self-service implementation capability that allows practices to virtually implement athenahealth services.

National Medical Billing Services, a billing company focused on ambulatory surgery centers, names Nader Samii CEO. Samii founded Ajuba International, an RCM outsource company.

NightHawk Radiology issues its “Rules of Engagement” for servicing hospitals directly or indirectly through a non-radiologist-owned entity. The commitments are meant to demonstrate NightHawk’s alignment with radiologists and reduce concerns that NightHawk is attempting to undermine radiology practices. Among other promises, NightHawk vows it will only consider providing services if the hospital does not have an existing radiology group offering services, or, if the invite comes from a radiology group already providing that hospital services.

Quality Systems, the parent company for NextGen, is named a finalist in 10 different categories in the 2010 American Business Awards competition.

More than half of all doctors delay the adoption of medical innovations because they fear possible litigation, according to a Jackson Healthcare survey. Surgery subspecialists and OB-Gyns are the most likely to delay adopting new pharmaceuticals, procedures, and medical devices.

AMA membership dipped over 3% in 2009, but operating profit surged 560% to $16.5 million. The profit figures are actually less than numbers posted in the last few years ($30 million in 2006 and $24 million in 2007.) About 16% of the AMA’s revenues come from membership dues, so the decline in membership has to hurting the bottom line. Since 2007, membership has fallen from 241,000 to 228,000.

Good news if you are a physician concerned about online reviews from your patients: a study of posted comments finds that most reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Furthermore, patients really aren’t all that interested in rating sites for physicians. Turns out that restaurant reviews are far more popular. And who doesn’t want to know if the new Japanese place down the street has great sushi, before plopping down a few Andrew Jacksons?

E-mail Inga.