Fred Trotter
Fred shapes our software development and data gathering strategies, which doesn't stop him from getting elbow-deep in the code on a regular basis. He is co-author of the first Health IT O’Reilly book Hacking Healthcare, and co-creator of the DIRECT protocol mandated in Meaningful Use. Fred’s technical commentary and data journalism work has been featured in several online and print journals including Wired, Forbes, U.S. News, NPR, Government Health IT, and Modern Healthcare.
New NPPES features will improve interoperability efforts
As of July 10, the NPPES data file now contains substantially more data. NPPES is a core data file for us at CareSet. NPPES stands for National Plan and Provider Enumeration System and is the dataset that helps us uniquely identify healthcare providers, using “National Provider Identifiers” or NPI numbers. This dataset was created by the…
Read MoreCareSet Labs Releases Root NPI Graph – a Greatly Improved Medicare Doctor Referral Dataset
CareSet Labs will be releasing Root NPI Graph, a new version of the “shared Medicare patients in time” provider teaming dataset on June 25 at the 2017 Academy Health ARM Meeting. Conference attendees will be able to get free copies of the academic licensed dataset. This is the next version of the “DocGraph” dataset. This…
Read MoreDesign a Medicare Data Power Tool
Step 1 of 6: Get a VRDC Seat As the first Medicare data vendor, the ultimate source of CareSet’s Medicare claims data is the CMS Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC) program. VRDC, and its more complex cousin, the Qualified Entity (QE) program, are the official ways that the private industry may now commercialize Medicare claims…
Read MoreThe Combination is The Crowbar
Did it matter how many numbers were on this safe’s combination lock? Nope! Only the tools pictured were used to open this safe, according to the forums where I found this image. This situation is analogous to healthcare cybersecurity and sophisticated cyberattacks. All the energy we put into protecting patient privacy is similar to the…
Read MoreThe First Medicare Data Vendor, the Nintendo Wii of healthcare data
CareSet Systems is the first Medicare Data Vendor. Soon, we will release our first analysis from Medicaid and also be the first Medicare/Medicaid data vendor. We think this will make CareSet into the “innovator’s dilemma” for the healthcare data industry. Traditional data vendors like IMS, Truven, Optum and First Databank will likely continue to do…
Read MoreHealthcare IT reading list
My Programmable Self Behavior Change Reading list has been one of my most popular posts. I still think any Health IT expert should be well-versed in behavior change science, since so many healthcare issues boil down to behavior change problems… either for patients or providers or both. But the other day, I was having drinks…
Read MoreHacking Healthcare
There are two definitions of the word “Hacker”. One is an original and authentic term that the geekdom uses with respect. This is a cherished label in the technical community, which might read something like: “A person adept at solving technical problems in clever and delightful ways” While the one portrayed by popular culture is what real hackers…
Read MoreDocGraph: Open social doctor data
At Strata RX in October I announced the availability of DocGraph. This is the first project of NotOnly Development, which is a Not Only For Profit Health IT micro-incubator. [Editor’s note: as of 2016, company is known as CareSet] The DocGraph dataset shows how doctors, hospitals, laboratories and other health care providers team together to…
Read MoreTracking the Social Doctor: Opening Up Physician Referral Data (And Much More)
I am happy to announce the release of the doctor “referral” social graph. This dataset, which I obtained using a Freedom of Information Act request against the Medicare claims database, details how most doctors, hospitals and other providers team together to deliver care in the United States. This graph is nothing less than a map…
Read MoreWho Owns Patient Data?
Who owns a patient’s health information? ·The patient to whom it refers? ·The health provider that created it? ·The IT specialist who has the greatest control over it? The notion of ownership is inadequate for health information. For instance, no one has an absolute right to destroy health information. But we all understand what it…
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