CAST works hard to give LeadingAge members the resources they need to make good decisions while selecting and implementing aging services technologies. We’ll be capping off a resource-filled year with 16 illuminating educational sessions during the 2015 LeadingAge Annual Meeting and EXPO, which takes place Nov. 1-4 in Boston.
During 2015 alone, we’ve released a number of groundbreaking resources, including free tools to help you conduct strategic information technology (IT) planning, select medication management and telehealth and remote patient monitoring technologies, and learn from pioneering providers about their technology implementation journeys.
As 2015 draws closer to its end, we’re preparing 16 educational sessions to light up the Annual Meeting education program. Our offerings include an Annual Meeting General Session on the intersection of technology and policy. That session will feature a conversation between CAST Chair Mark McClellan and Joseph Coughlin, director of the AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Our other sessions span a range of topic areas, including:
- Interoperability of electronic health records (EHR).
- Telehealth and remote patient monitoring.
- Medication management.
- Strategic IT planning.
- Analytic and reporting technology.
- WiFi implementation.
- Technologies to enhance care coordination, customer service, and dementia care.
You won’t want to miss this year’s Annual Meeting, as CAST hits its stride in building a comprehensive collection of practical resources to help you do your best work. Check out our article about the Annual Meeting for a quick summary of our 16 Annual Meeting sessions.
It All Starts with HackFest
Even before the Annual Meeting officially opens, young technology innovators will be working hard to design a technology tool to help improve the lives of older adults and their families. That work takes place during our 3rd Annual HackFest, which begins on Friday, Oct. 30 at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
HackFest offers young people a fun way to become familiar with—and excited about—the field of aging services technologies. And that’s exactly what our field needs.
See our HackFest article or visit the HackFest website to learn more about how you can help us sustain the energy and excitement that we sparked during our first 2 HackFest competitions. To learn more about becoming a HackFest sponsor, please contact Margaret Wanca-Daniels.
New Features of our EHR Selection Portfolio
CAST has updated its EHR portfolio with enhanced selection tools and 6 new case studies for 2015. This new update makes the EHR portfolio even more valuable to aging services providers because it identifies whether or not the various EHR systems implement ICD-10 codes inherently to comply with new regulations, or if they need to use an external coding clearinghouse to achieve compliance.
We were very happy to see that 24 of the 26 EHR vendors in the portfolio have already implemented ICD-10 inherently, while 2 are using a billing clearinghouse.
Read our article about the EHR portfolio update to get an overview of tools that can help you identify and select the EHR system that best fit your needs. Or go directly to any of the portfolio’s components:
- An enhanced Product Selection Matrix that compares 26 different products from 26 vendors. Three new products were added to the matrix added this year.
- An Online Selection Tool that allows organizations to find the right EHR based on selected criteria.
- An updated whitepaper on choosing the best electronic health record (EHR) system.
- 6 new case studies that provide real-life examples of how providers implemented EHR technologies.
August in Australia
I hope you are planning to attend the Technology Forum that CAST and the International Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing (IAHSA) are sponsoring on Aug. 31 in conjunction with the joint conference of IAHSA and Aged and Community Services Australia in Perth, Australia.
See our article for updated information about the Technology Forum agenda, which will include the sharing of CAST’s practical, hands-on tools for planning, selecting and implementing appropriate technologies and very exciting provider case studies.
Also in This Issue
This issue of Tech Time is filled with great news from CAST Partners, Supporters, and Business Associates.
Be sure to read about how Philips, a LeadingAge Silver Partner and CAST Supporter carries out innovation. You’ll also be interested in learning about a new technology solution from CAST Partner PointClickCare that gives providers the ability to receive radiology test results directly through their EHR system.
We’re also very happy to welcome 3 new Business Associates to CAST: Align LLC, Healthcare Academy, and Keystone Technologies.
Finally, don’t miss the achievements that are landing CAST Business Associates in the media. We have good news to share about Cerner, MatrixCare, Keystone Technologies, and Stanley Healthcare.
I hope you enjoy these and other articles in this issue of Tech Time. Please contact me with any comments or questions.