Sadie, Kyle, Ali, Johanna,
I believe that technology has definitely improved since the 1980s and 90s. In fact, in my opinion, should no longer be an issue, especially given the successes that are occurring around the nation. However, there are still many factors that can lead to failure of a health information exchange (HIE) and one is operating the HIE like part of the ‘good ole boy’ network in government.
I was very disappointed when I researched the North Carolina’s HIE. In 2009, North Carolina received $12.9 million as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and in 2011 launched the NCHIE (Way, 2013). Even stakeholders who were involved in the development of the NCHIE are critical of the exchange, citing poor business model, not having the best interest of providers, and cost prohibitive to providers (Way, 2013). However, the exchange spokesperson stands by the NCHIE and essentially states it’s providers and hospitals that are holding back the NCHIE.
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2). However, the NCHIE was placed under the purview of Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC), this organization manages the NC Medicaid patients. According to Way (2013), the director of communications at CCNC was less than helpful in answering questions, even though the spokesperson from the NCHIE referred the reporter to
Some alcohol and drug abuse records were inadvertently left accessible via the internet. Fifty patients were affected.
The CIN infrastructure serves as FCHA’s collaboration vehicle for improving care and delivering value, as well as positions the organization to enter into accountable care organization (ACO) contractual arrangements. The FCHA ACO, which fosters greater collaboration by using a value-based compensation model to reward providers for improved outcomes and reduced costs, was selected to participate in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to share in cost savings they achieve for Medicare
The potential for growth in the field of Health Information Management (HIM) is undeniable. With the diversification of the HIM profession, the implementation of new technology, and with an ever growing population, the HIM profession will undoubtedly continue to grow. The HIM professional is experiencing an expanded role in the development of standards on both the national and international levels (AHIMA, 2014). A key component of the HIM profession is the acquisition of new technology. As the current infrastructure of the hospital ages and becomes obsolete, HIM professionals must actively seek technology which is compatible with their organization’s current equipment but also able to support future equipment. Another cornerstone of
According to the North Carolina Institute of Medicine(NCIOM), the Health Benefit Exchange (HBE) created by States or federal government provides standardized information on quality, cost, and network providers, which helps people and small business to select the health plan of choice (2013). Since North Carolina did not meet the deadlines for HBE for 2014, the state created partnership arrangement with North Carolina Department of Insurance for consumer assistance and plan management (Silberman, 2013).
According to Sebelius, (2013) article, Affordable Care Act Incudes steps to improve the quality of health care and lower cost for you and the nation as a whole. This means avoiding costly mistakes and readmissions, keeping patients’ healthy, rewarding quality instead quantity, and creating the health information technology infrastructure that enables new payment of models to work. North Carolina foundation for Advance Health Programs is a model to create and maintain a centralized tracking system to monitor and disseminate new model of payments and delivery of reimbursements. This
The Health Information exchange really took off with the advent of computers and their ability to engage in communicating with one another. In 2006 the
HIE face a range of challenges as they try to get hundreds and even thousands of participants in sharing data. Getting data in front of doctors and other clinicians is one of the biggest challenges HIEs face. Ideally, it would be delivered directly to a providers' EMR system, so when a patient goes to an outside lab for blood tests, the results would show up in the electronic record at the doctor's office, and the doctor would be notified that the results are there. However, with limited EMR use across the country, HIEs have had to provide alternative delivery methods. HIE is considered to be one of the key components of the national health IT infrastructure being established by the HITECH Act. Policymakers and health care providers believe this health IT infrastructure will produce a number of benefits, many of which are directly related to HIE.
Advances in modern technology surrounds us in our day to day lives, allowing conveniences and efficiency at our fingertips. Great strides have been made over the years with technology, and the healthcare industry along with many other industries have adopted this new way of functioning; electronically. The effects of technology have come to the forefront in where our government has acknowledged the benefits and opportunities. “The promise of Health Information Technology for improving quality and safety of health care while reducing costs has caught the eye of policy makers and other leaders in health care” (Hersh, 2006). It deeply affects how we connect, interact, and communicate internally and externally, but also gives us a sense of control on how we engage ourselves to the innovative software and systems.
Providing enhanced access to a better quality health care system is reliant upon the identification and modification of various barriers, which must be addressed. Complex health care systems and politics generate barriers to the delivery of high-quality access to care through knowledge deficits. Consumers are tasked with understanding what services are needed as well as their abilities comprehend their diagnoses are challenged. They must also over come barriers to communication to converse effectively with caregivers. Most importantly, they must understand their role in the process as patients and citizens when accessing health care services. (Ricketts, 2013) Comprehensive provisions built into the ACA help to energize endeavors aimed towards developing ways to ensured enhancements to the quality and access to health care provided in North Carolina. Accountable care organizations (ACO) were
Health information exchange and information technology are essential tools that healthcare providers and consumers often utilize to assist in improving health care. An electronic health information exchange promises potential benefits for health care systems through improved clinical care, reduced cost and the needed elements for a national health information network. As with any other industry, the exchange of such information has its many benefit, but it
Health Information Exchange is the electronic movement of healthcare information amongst organizations according to the national standards. HIE as it is widely known, serves the purpose of providing a safe, timely, and efficient way of accessing or retrieving patient clinical data. Health Information Exchange allows for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other vital healthcare professionals to have appropriate access and securely share vital medical information regarding patient care. Health Information Exchange has been in efforts of developing for over 20 years in the United States. In 1990 the Community Health Management Information Systems (CHMIS) program was formed by the Hartford Foundation to foster a development of a centralized data repository in seven different geographically defined communities. Many of the communities struggled in securing a cost-effective technology with interoperable data sources and gaining political support. In the mid-1990s a similar initiative began known as the Community Health Information Networks (CHINs) with the intention of sharing data between providers in a more cost-effective manner. In 2004, the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research Health Information Technology Portfolio was funded $166 million in grants and contracts to improve the quality and safety to support more patient-centered care. This was the beginning of the progress we have seen in HIE today. Health Information Exchange devolvement serves the purpose of improving
As a healthcare system which includes 8 acute care hospitals (one being an academic medical center,) 6 urgent care centers and 2 surgery centers, it is crucial that we stay abreast of current policy and changes to policy as they occur, in an effort to stay competitive in the marketplace. This is the most current research as it relates to the development of ACOs in New Jersey and an overview of how this activity may impact our health system. I am providing this to the board of trustees for review.
In my hometown state of Colorado, one of the piloting states who are implementing a new method of delivering and paying for Medicaid beneficiaries’ care to coordinate a broad range of health and social serves by shifting some of the financial risk for the costs and quality of care to providers. Colorado’s Accountable Care Collaborative Program is providing Medicaid beneficiaries care through an accountable care organization (ACO) delivery model. Medicaid contracts with one regional care collaborative organization (RCCO) that works with providers that are part of the Primary Care Medical Providers (PCMP). “Medicaid oversees that the regions get the medical management, admin support, while they seek to ensure care coordination to the Medicaid enrollees and integrate smoothly with the care in hospitals, with social services and specialist” (Ellis, Gifford, & Smith, 2014). Many of the ACA’s provisions affecting Medicaid eligibility and enrollment went into effect during 2014, most significantly the Medicaid expansion implemented as an option for states. All states were required to streamline Medicaid enrollment and renewal processes, transition to a uniform income eligibility standard and coordinate with the new marketplaces (Ellis, Gifford, & Smith, 2014). Colorado has also set out to integrate behavioral and clinical health care through incentives to providers. Colorado’s first annual report indicated progress and success for what the ACO set out to
The best health care systems in the world offer integrated care. Systems like the Mayo Clinic and Geisinger Health System own hospitals and labs and employ all the physicians and nurses a patient is likely to see, so they can easily integrate a patient’s care. In contrast, patients in North Carolina and throughout America typically obtain their care from a variety of independent providers. Health care expenses are paid by a variety of sources including private insurers, employers, the government and patients themselves. But unlike any other state, or even any large geographic area, North Carolina has the capacity to create a “virtually” integrated system, one that can provide the same integrated care but across an entire state. When patients’ transition between providers and health care settings, the result is often poor health outcomes, medical errors and costly duplication of tests and procedures. Through partnerships with other organizations and providers, NCHQA is seeking ways to better coordinate care and address systemic problems that cause dangerous and costly gaps in care. (NCHQA, 2014)
Free markets which would allow patients more choices for health care coverage could also lower cost. Free market health care is a term used to define the choice a person has to buy insurance from anyone they please, regardless of state or employment . It is sold without government regulations, control, oversight or licensing. If you are paying for a service, shouldn’t you have the right to choose who you are purchasing that service from ? Why should government have a say in where and who you can buy your insurance from? In the State of North Carolina, we operate under a regulatory committee called the Certificate of Need (CON). According to the National Conference of State Legislature, the CON , is a program aimed at restraining health care facility cost and allowing coordinated planning of new services and construction. In North Carolina the state can’t dictate where you can build, what services you can offer and if they are valid. These services have already been researched by the organizations applying for the CON,