Washington, D.C.-As the nation moves forward with initiativesto build an electronic healthcare information system, MCOs willplay a central role, said former National Coordinator for HealthInformation Technology David J. Brailer, MD, at a press conferencefollowing his resignation in April.
Building and applying the technology of the electronic healthrecord (EHR) is a decidedly non-magical process far more complexand less instantaneous than just making the paper disappear into awastebasket. Quality concerns about EHR systems must be addressed,which is why the Certification Commission for HealthcareInformation Technology (CCHIT) exists. A voluntary, private-sectorinitiative based in Chicago, CCHIT was established in 2004 tofoster the adoption of robust, interoperable health IT in theUnited States through product certification. In 2005, CCHITreceived a three-year contract from the Department of Health andHuman Services, making it the key entity to develop and evaluatecriteria for the testing and certification of EHR systems in theUnited States.
Sure, e-mailing your doctor about that tickle in your throat or therecurring rash on your arm sounds like a great deal-noappointment needed and no copayment. But what if there is a pricetag, albeit small, to e-mail your doctor about non-urgent medicalproblems? Would you still choose this communication vehicle?
Grayson Wheatley, MD, was sitting on an airplane, reading his medical journal and listening to music on his iPod when it suddenly dawned on him.
There are indications that the industrywide adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) technology has begun to move forward at something more than the glacier-like pace of the past few years.
As the U.S. healthcare industry continues its evolution from paper toward electronic medical record-keeping, a trend is emerging: The payers are leading the way, but the consumer ultimately will benefit from -- and actively participate in -- the shift toward industrywide computer-based medical-record databases.
IN THE 1980s and early 1990s, case management for patients with complex illnesses began evolving into the more specialized discipline of disease management. By the late 1990s, disease management was in widespread use, viewed as an effective way to help control swelling healthcare budgets while improving medical outcomes.
Government, Employers, medical associations, payers, and many others are part of a nationwide momentum toward making electronic health records (EHRs) a reality. President Bush has cited the necessity to create EHRs, leading politicians of both parties have issued joint statements, and some states have accelerated activities. A number of initiatives by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), standards development organizations, and other groups are moving several issues ahead.
There is little disagreement about the role that technology can play in the effort to improve healthcare and reduce costs, but attempts to implement technology solutions along the healthcare continuum have been uneven.
As health plans seek to enhance their consumer-directed healthcare offerings, a comprehensive health content strategy is an effective way to help members "get smart" about their health and wellness, and to promote the appropriate utilization of healthcare services. Through the delivery of targeted healthcare information and personalized decision support tools, health plans can foster better healthcare decisions, reach out to members with chronic conditions, and improve health outcomes.
It's a given in today's world that most consumers want greater control over their healthcare choices and more transparency in healthcare costs. Health plans, for the most part, are thrilled at the notion that consumers will make their own choices and—at least in theory—manage their health better.
A Decade Ago, some healthcare companies were questioning the value of having a corporate Web site. Today, the same questions might surround the value of incorporating online patient Web journals, or "blogs." Are they an important communication tool, or a collection site for useless electronic messages?
In his state of the union address in April 2004, President George W. Bush called for most Americans to have interoperable electronic health records (EHRs) within 10 years. More than a year after that ambitious pronouncement, business leaders, IT executives, healthcare professionals and average consumers are still debating exactly how that will happen.
For anonymity and 24-hour-a-day convenience, no other research methodology rivals the Internet.
Just when it looked like nothing could eclipse pharmaceutical costs, Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan found a new cost generator sneaking up, diagnostic imaging, which was increasing an average of 25% a year over the past few years. Much like disease management firms and pharmacy benefit managers, companies such as National Imaging Association (NIA), American Imaging Management (AIM) and MedSolutions have stepped in to help manage the cost of imaging services.
CPOE is a necessary intermediate step in creating an EMR.
Automation doesn't reduce frustration. Rethinking processes and workflow are key steps.
Challenges that currently face plan executives will lead back to their data management proficiency.
Ever So Slowly but ever so surely, healthcare facilities?hospitals, clinics, group care organizations, even some mid-sized-to-smaller practices?are becoming "wired."
Three years ago, officials at the Indiana University Hospital (IUH) came to the conclusion that in order to improve both quality of healthcare and the hospital's own fiscal health, they needed to change things drastically-and that they needed help doing it.
Technology Web Exclusive: No More Paper
Providing hardware is not enough motivation; you need to add another incentive.
Providing hardware is not enough motivation; you need to add another incentive.
Healthcare as an industry has been slow to apply information technology solutions in an effort to transform its clinical systems. But that seems to be changing.
It looks Like the healthcare industry-at least the provider side-may be catching on to this "information technology" thing.
