Web Watch - Directory

Health Management Technology, Jan, 2001

Update to Model Compliance Program

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has updated "Health Information Management Compliance: A Model Program for Healthcare Organizations." The publication covers the key elements healthcare information management programs should contain such as policies and procedures, training and education, auditing, monitoring and enforcement. The new edition can be ordered on AHIMA's website at www.ahima.org/commerce.> HIPAA Readiness Benchmark Survey

According to a recent survey conducted by HIPAAlert, 80 percent of providers and 75 percent of payors are still trying to build overall awareness in their organizations that HIPAA requirements will become a major focus in the coming months. More than half of healthcare industry professionals also are looking at the assessment process.

HFMA has prepared its own HIPAA Readiness Benchmark Survey. Compare your HIPAA readiness with your peers by visiting www.hfma.org/sv92500.htm.> Connect to the World of Informatics

The goal of the newly re-designed website from the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)is to be the "one comprehensive source for information on Medical Informatics." Medical informatics information is organized and presented in the website's Resource Center, which has links to eight content areas: academic and training programs, conferences and meetings, news and development, publications, public policy and legislation, grants and research, health IT marketplace and other sites of interest. www.amia.org

Virtual Security Training

Veritect, Los Angeles, CA, offers hands-on training courses taught by certified instructors who work in the field installing, configuring and troubleshooting firewalls, as well as implementing managed security services. View Veritect's course offerings or find out more about their Information Security Training locations in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. www.veritect.com

Clinical Trials for Chronic Diseases

Information about clinical trial opportunities is available on the new website from Acurian, Horsham, PA. The site helps people with chronic diseases and their healthcare providers to sift through the overwhelming amount of information about treatments and clinical trials so they can make better decisions about the management of their conditions.

Patients and providers can search and apply for inclusion in existing and future clinical trials. Vital to the development and availability of treatments, more than 75 percent of clinical trials fail to meet patient enrollment deadlines. The National Cancer Institute reports that only 3 to 5 percent of people with cancer participate in clinical trials. The institute predicts that if 10 percent of cancer survivors participated in clinical trials, research for new therapies could be completed in one year, as opposed to the three to five years currently required, www.acurian.com

Save $$$ with Cyber Survey

The Health forum, a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association (AHA), has an easier way for users to respond to the AHA annual survey. Hospitals can complete the survey online With the new interactive data collection tool and receive a substantial discount on the Annual Survey Database, with the option to purchase the survey at a cost of $600, instead of the regular $6,000 price.

All appropriate staff members can use online access to fill out the survey quickly and accurately. State hospital association partners are available to help hospitals complete their surveys, track participation and download data.

The online survey focuses on built-in safeguards, allowing respondents to immediately verify current information against historical data in the financial, utilization and staffing sections, www.healthforum.com

Knowledge At Your Fingertips

For medical professionals, finding the necessary information at the right time makes a world of difference. The Knowledge Finder, from Aries Systems Corp., Andover, MA, helps fulfill these needs. Reference and full-text medical literature--on the Web or on CD-ROM--brings the world's libraries to your fingertips. Explore the site and take the free MEDLINE test drive at www.kfinder.com.