Category Archives: health IT
Accountable Care is Accountable to Whom?
By Peggy Salvatore In the never-ending quest to balance the cost-access-quality triangle, the healthcare system led by the federal government has pursued many variations of payment incentives. Pay more to get them to do it. Pay less to get them … Continue reading
The Man and the Mission: Data Integrity and the First CMS Chief Data Officer
By Peggy Salvatore The changes at CMS have been stunningly breathtaking over the past few months, particularly those related to health IT. The top two biggies are personnel and mission refocus at the very top. Those high-profile changes signaled this … Continue reading
Roadmap to replace MU? MY, MY!
By Peggy Salvatore Last week, the eHealth Initiative officially launched its 2020 Roadmap initiative to “enable coordinated efforts by public and private sector organizations to transform care delivery through data exchange and health information technology,” its website states. Its foci: … Continue reading
Posted in electronic patient records, health IT, health reform
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The Best Laid Plans…Laid Waste? ONC and CCHIT and the future of health IT
With some fanfare, in 2004, President George W. Bush (Bush, the younger) made the national rollout of health information technology a federal government priority when he established the Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT. Dr. David Brailer was … Continue reading
Apple Hints At Putting The “Meaningful” Into Meaningful Use
What’s so “meaningful” about Meaningful Use anyway? The short answer is, “Today, very little. Tomorrow, everything.” And that is the problem with the meaningful use requirements as they exist. By its very definition, patient data is information that should have … Continue reading
If You Buy a Donut, You May Hear From Your Doctor
With respect to HIPAA, has the law of unintended consequences devolved to its illogical conclusion? Continue reading
Posted in health IT, health reform, training
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Is Resistance Futile in Health IT? KSAs in Health IT Education
KSAs? For my readers who are healthcare people, you may ask, “What are KSAs?” For readers who are training people, you know that KSAs are Knowledge, Skills and Atttitude. You can teach KSAs. Here are some examples of teaching KSAs … Continue reading
Healthcare Futurist Meets Present Reality
Frequently, when I go to work, I get in my car and drive to New York City, Philadelphia, New Jersey or to the airport. That’s the life of a home-based writer. Last week was a little different. I got in … Continue reading
New Leadership at HHS and ONC: A Change in Direction or Doubling Down?
In periods of relative calm, leadership can be largely titular. These are not those times. While Burwell’s and DeSalvo’s predecessors were both stellar leaders in their own right, these times call for operational excellence. That requires hands-on leadership with proven management skills.
With only several weeks’ experience to judge them, it appears the country is getting what it needs right now: a change in direction of the kind of leadership that will double down on moving along all the initiatives to coordinate the implementation of health IT within the larger implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
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You Can’t Have One Without the Other: Patient Experience and Health Information Technology
HealthLeader’s Media Intelligence last month released its annual hospital survey, Forging Healthcare’s New Financial Foundation. (www.healthleadersmedia.com/intellligence). Overwhelmingly, improving patient experience topped the list where hospitals expect to be increasing their investments within the next three years. Before I get back … Continue reading
Posted in electronic patient records, health IT
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