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Revolutionizing the Healthcare Industry
by Diann Cattani
Healthcare is a topic that concerns us all so EDI continues to vigilantly monitor the development of a change we highlighted in our May, 2004 “EDItion” Newsletter, “The Changing Face of National Health Information Technology”. In this article we briefed you on President Bush’s recently established position of a National Health Information Technology Coordinator to fall under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the subsequent appointment of Dr. David Brailer to this position.
Dr. Brailer and his team have begun to lay out the framework and strategic plan for Health Information Technology (HIT) adoption. This plan will guide federal agencies and the private industry in their efforts to develop and implement programs promoting the adoption of interoperable HIT.
As basic research results are translated into new understanding of disease; better diagnostic tools, disease prevention, and innovative treatments are being developed. New therapies, procedures, and medications are the norm, and Americans have access to unparalleled standards of care and technologies that give them a continued stream of new treatment options, medications and other therapies over their lifetime.
At the same time, healthcare spending and health insurance premiums continue to rise at rates much higher than the rate of general inflation. Despite national healthcare spending of $1.7 trillion (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, 2004), concerns persist about preventable errors, uneven healthcare quality, and poor communication among physicians and hospitals. It is estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans die each year from inpatient medical errors. (Institute of Medicine, Corrigan et al., 2000)
As consumers we are desperate for change, but want to ensure we have choices in treatment and the information to make informed decisions about our care. Concerns about the privacy and security of personal medical information remain high. Public health monitoring, bioterrorism surveillance, research, and quality monitoring require data that depends on the widespread adoption of Health Information Technology (HIT) and these are just a few of the issues that fall under the auspices of the HIT coordinator.
Without going into significant depth in this article, Dr. Brailer outlined four major goals and several strategies within each goal as part of his framework.
Goal 1: Inform Clinical Practice
- Strategy 1. Incentivize Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption.
- Strategy 2. Reduce risk of EHR investment.
- Strategy 3. Promote EHR discussion in rural and underserved areas.
Goal 2: Interconnect Clinicians
- Strategy 1. Foster regional collaborations.
- Strategy 2. Develop a national health information network.
- Strategy 3. Coordinate federal health information systems.
Goal 3: Personalize Care
- Strategy 1. Encourage use of Personal Health Records (PHRs)
- Strategy 2. Enhance informed consumer choice.
- Strategy 3. Promote use of telehealth systems.
Goal 4: Improve Population Health
- Strategy 1. Unify public health surveillance architectures.
- Strategy 2. Streamline quality and health status monitoring.
- Strategy 3. Accelerate research and dissemination of evidence.
See www.healthsignals.typepad.com/newyork/2004/08/index.html for a comprehensive review of Dr. Brailer’s initial proposal and details regarding his plan and next steps.
EDI will continue to track the progress of these and other significant changes within the healthcare industry.
On a related, yet local level, First Data has announced that Atlanta will be the test site for a new health card they feel “will do nothing short of revolutionizing the healthcare industry.” The card is designed for clinicians to retrieve immediate information regarding your particular coverage, i.e. plan type, coverage, co-pay, prescriptions, benefits etc.
Many in the healthcare industry see an automated, nationwide system to process payments and transfer medical records as long overdue. Between the mountains of paper records associated with current methods, there are the more complex government regulations such as HIPPA. Add to this the increasing complexity of healthcare plans, and the cost of medical administration can only increase. The hope is an automated system will reduce such expenses.
First Data’s machine will have smart-chip technology as well as the familiar magnetic strips. Because there are still privacy concerns to be worked through, these chips are not being tested at this time, but will eventually allow a greater amount of information to be transferred and stored. www.atlanta.bizjounals.com.
As vendors, insurance companies, providers and consumers do their part, the HIT initiative is intended to transition the healthcare industry into a more affordable and efficient system for everyone.
