Managed Care - May 2008 - (Page 11) Information Access Layer (HIAL), which is where end users begin their journey for data sharing. Watch and learn Let’s learn from Canada’s success and follow a business-model approach. First, of course, let’s have a blueprint. Second, let’s invest wisely and strategically — and measure results to monitor that investment. The Canadian government invested $1.6 billion in the initiative. Government entities knew they needed value from their investment, so they funded a few targeted areas rather than spreading their investment across a range of initiatives. Second, we must demand results. In Canada, Infoway must report status and success metrics each year. Again, this mirrors the way a business unit would operate. Third, there can be no churning. Period. We need to make decisions and start to move. Ron G. Parker, director of architecture in the solution architecture group at Infoway, adds this advice: “It is important to invest in a structured collaboration model that ensures all key stakeholder communities are represented in the process of standardization.” He explains that standardization of business processes in any industry requires a three-level simultaneous “sell.” The first sell is to the executive decision makers/sponsors, the second to the people with industry expertise who “live” the problem today, and the third to the people that implement the business processes directly. “Only if everybody in this stack knows the other groups are good to go can you have success,” Parker said. O Canada! I love Canada. It is just not convenient for me to move there. In fact, my personal goal is to retire in Montana. My hope is that we will have a nationwide health care IT system in place by that time. Needless to say, the clock is ticking. Can’t we follow someone else’s lead? MC Lorraine Fernandes is a vice president of Initiate Systems and is a recognized leader in the health care IT industry. She frequently speaks at domestic and international industry conferences on topics such as RHIOs, health data exchange, patient identification, and best practices for master person index (MPI) cleanup. She serves on committees and workgroups for HIMSS, AHIMA, and Health Initiatives. She can be reached at lfernandes@initiatesystems.com. MAY 2008 / MANAGED CARE 11
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