Asking Uncle Sam – Why Health IT?

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA

Let ONC and CMS Explain

By Staff Reporters

On December 30, 2009, CMS and ONC issued proposed regulations on the definition of meaningful use and the initial set of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology.

According to the DDHS

Health information technology (health IT) allows comprehensive management of medical information and its secure exchange between health care consumers and providers. Broad use of HIT has the potential to improve health care quality, prevent medical errors, increase the efficiency of care provision and reduce unnecessary health care costs, increase administrative efficiencies, decrease paperwork, expand access to affordable care, and improve population health.

Improving Patient Care

Furthermore, according to the DHHS, interoperable health IT can improve individual patient care in numerous ways, including:

  • Complete, accurate, and searchable health information, available at the point of diagnosis and care, allowing for more informed decision making to enhance the quality and reliability of health care delivery.
  • More efficient and convenient delivery of care, without having to wait for the exchange of records or paperwork and without requiring unnecessary or repetitive tests or procedures.
  • Earlier diagnosis and characterization of disease, with the potential to thereby improve outcomes and reduce costs.
  • Reductions in adverse events through an improved understanding of each patient’s particular medical history, potential for drug-drug interactions, or (eventually) enhanced understanding of a patient’s metabolism or even genetic profile and likelihood of a positive or potentially harmful response to a course of treatment.
  • Increased efficiencies related to administrative tasks, allowing for more interaction with and transfer of information to patients, caregivers, and clinical care coordinators, and monitoring of patient care.

Assessment

Is the above really true in light of these two recently released reports on meaningful use?

More information is available at http://healthit.hhs.gov

Conclusion

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3 Responses

  1. Thomas, on January 24, 2010 at 3:28 AM said:

    Why HIT – Indeed

    Grassley Asks Hospitals About Problems With Health IT Systems

    http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/01/20/grassley-asks-hospitals-about-problems-with-health-it-systems/

    Tom

    Like

  2. Barbara, on June 20, 2010 at 10:34 AM said:

    ONC Issues Final Rule on Certification Program

    The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at HHS has issued a final rule outlining a temporary program by which it will select and designate not-for-profit organizations to test and certify electronic health-record systems under the stimulus law. The final rule released today deals with the temporary process in which both testing and certification can be performed by a single entity. It will become effective upon publication in the Federal Register. A companion final rule for the permanent certification program is expected to be published this fall, according to the ONC statement.

    “By purchasing certified EHR technology, hospitals and eligible professionals will be able to make EHR purchasing decisions knowing that the technology will allow them to become meaningful users of electronic health records, qualify for the payment incentives, and begin to use EHRs in a way that will improve quality and efficiency in our healthcare system,” Blumenthal said in a news statement.

    Source: Joseph Conn, Health IT Strategist [6/18/10]

    Like

  3. Ann Miller RN MHA, on June 1, 2012 at 5:32 PM said:

    EHR Use Doesn’t Always Lead to Better Outcomes

    A new Annals of Family Medicine study finds that the use of EHRs with diabetes patients did not lead to improved adherence of care guidelines.

    http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/HHNDaily/HHNDailyDisplay.dhtml?id=120003381

    The survey also found that patients in practices without EHRs were more likely to meet outcome targets over the course of the study.

    Ann Miller RN MHA

    Like

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