Healthcare IT News - August 2007 - (Page 24)

24 Healthcare IT News ■ August 2007 www.HealthcareITNews.com hree summers ago at the Secretary's network”, “partnership for health and care” Summit, the new National Coordinator and “AHIC II with revenue.” However, no for Health Information Technology, business case was proposed. David Brailer, MD, PhD, introduced a strategic There is an elephant in this room: AHIC framework for HIT and offers no obvious value proposiSecretary of Health and Human there are concerns STANDARDS tion. Whileabout inclusiveness, Services Tommy Thompson expressed lined up private and public sector openness, fair representation chieftains in support. We have and stakeholder participation, reflected on this in the past– the there are no valued work prodenergy, the excitement and the ucts for which someone will pay. by Ed Larsen commitment. There are many None of the consulting presenaccomplishments over the last three years that tations dealt with the underlying economics, had they been announced at that first summit cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness of AHIC, would have been met with astonishment, but which also seems to be the case with all AHIC there remain serious challenges to ultimate activities to date. success. The administration has not been able Even if AHIC could only point to future to institutionalize the Office of the National value, financing would not be an issue. Coordinator and its initiatives into statute or Somehow we in the HIT industry have sold define a sustaining business model. ourselves and evidently those in HHS that The American Health Information interoperable and widespread HIT is valuable Community is a case study illustrating the chal- in itself. HIT does not provide care, promote lenges faced by the ONC initiatives. AHIC is a wellness, reduce costs, provide access or federal advisory body set up by HHS Secretary ensure quality healthcare. Healthcare providers Michael Leavitt to make recommendations to the and their organizations deliver care, control Secretary on “how to accelerate the development costs, provide access and maintain quality and adoption of health information technology.” processes. HIT is merely their tool. The focus HHS commissioned three consulting firms of AHIC on HIT “breakthroughs” independto come up with a business plan for an inde- ent of healthcare industry transformation is pendent AHIC. So far, they have reported on doomed to fail. principles and, by late July, their proposed Why is there such reluctance by politicians business plans. During presentations on the and payors, our fiduciary representatives, to principles, the three consulting firms offered increase funding to providers for HIT? If in vision and conceptual models: “the diffusion fact, there are tens of thousands of unneces- Sustaining the ONC Initiatives T INSIGHT sary deaths each year and billions of dollars in waste that could be eliminated with widespread use of electronic health record systems and health information exchanges, why is there such a reluctance to fund HIT? Two possibilities come to mind: no one really believes the projections or no one believes that the investment in HIT alone will realize the benefits. I would argue that it is the latter case. Without restructuring of healthcare generally and a commitment to realize the benefits of change by providers and payors, HIT investment is irrelevant. AHIC is not where healthcare priorities should be set. Ultimately we, the people, through our representatives and institutions, must decide on a healthcare policy for the 21st century. Whether it is characterized as universal coverage, single payor, insurance reform, consumerdriven, managed care or free markets, the decision must be made. This decision in the context of the clinical possibilities will set priorities and strategies for HIT. Without these priorities and strategy, HIT is shooting in the dark. For AHIC or any of the ONC initiatives to achieve a sustaining business model, they must tap into the value of transforming healthcare. ■ Ed Larsen is an independent strategy consultant who tracks interoperability standards for HIMSS. For the full article go Standards Insight on the HIMSS Member start page. Comments or questions can be sent to erlarsen@erlinc.com. PUBLICATIONS STAFF VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS Fran Perveiler MANAGER, PUBLICATIONS Nancy Vitucci CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGERS Joyce Lofstrom Sharolyn Rosier Hyson SENIOR EDITOR Matt Schlossberg COORDINATOR, COMMUNICATIONS Cari McLean BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR John Wade, FCHIME, FHIMSS Vice President/Chief Information Officer Saint Luke’s Health System VICE CHAIR Victoria Bradley, DNP, RN, FHIMSS Director of Patient Information University of Kentucky HealthCare CHAIR ELECT Charles E. Christian, FCHIME, FHIMSS Director, Information Systems/Chief Information Officer Good Samaritan Hospital VICE CHAIR ELECT Liz Johnson, FHIMSS Vice President, Applied Clinical Informatics Tenet Healthcare Corp. Margret Amatayakul, RHIA, CHPS, FHIMSS President Margaret A. Consulting, LLC Barry Chaiken, MD, FHIMSS Associate Chief Medical Officer BearingPoint Inc. Maj. John H. Daniels, FACHE, CPHIMS, CHPS, FHIMSS Chief Information Officer U.S. Air Force Academy Hospital John Hansmann, FHIMSS Regional Manager, Management Engineering Intermountain Health Care C. Martin Harris, MD, MBA, FHIMSS Chief Information Officer and Chairman Information Technology Division Executive Director eCleveland Clinic The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Joy G. Keeler, MBA Principal Health Information Technology The MITRE Corp. Jay Srini, FHIMSS Vice President, Emerging Technologies University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Jonathan M. Teich, MD, PhD, FHIMSS Chief Medical Informatics Officer Elsevier Health Sciences PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER JHIM Redesign Unveiled Members asked to opt-in to continue receiving print edition Save the Date Don’t Miss the 2007 HIMSS Public Policy Forum T he Summer 2007 issue of the Journal log in to the HIMSS Member Center at of Healthcare Information Management www.himss.org/membercenter, and click on the JHIM button. (JHIM) features a Then, sit back and fresh look, including enjoy JHIM's new a new, easier-to-read look, which includes design and graphics. easier-to-read text And stay tuned for and improved navithe enhanced digital gation to get to the version of the JHIM articles you want to that will launch later Journal of HealtHcare InformatIon management read. this year. With either the Beginning with print or digital verthe Fall 2007 issue, sions of JHIM, HIMSS will mail the members will conprint version of tinue to receive the JHIM only to best in healthcare IT HIMSS members research, case studies who have opted-in and analysis. All for print. All memmembers will have bers will have access Focus: RHIOs and the NHIN access to the online to the Web version version of JHIM, of JHIM, including which features every the new digital verarticle and column sion to be launched published in its this fall. “For HIMSS, this 'opt in' campaign is an paper-based counterpart. Look for the October 2007 issue of the ideal way to demonstrate responsible, environmental stewardship by avoiding unnec- HIMSS Insider for more details on the new essary paper consumption,” says Erica digital JHIM, including a preview of the Pantuso, vice president of membership. exclusive features of the digital version. ■ “Many of our members prefer to do their reading and research online already, so this For any questions about the “opt-in,” please contact Matt Schlossberg, senior editor, HIMSS, at change offers options for everyone.” Volume 21, Number 3 / summer 2007 “Campaign 2008: IT and the Healthcare Debate” Thursday, September 25 8:00 am – 5:30 pm National Press Club— Washington, DC For details and to register, visit www.himss.org/advocacy. A HIMSS Publication e-AUTHENTICATION [continued from page 23] Plus: Patient information Usability and accessibility of health information Web sites 12 management issues How health care systems can exist and persist in a continual state of change 22 PoPulation study Determinants of Personal Health Record Use 45 for information exchanged was learned and understood by the participants. GSA's e-Authentication method enables secure and interoperable electronic healthcare transactions locally, regionally and nationally. This level of security does not exist today at a national level because state and federal healthcare agencies are unable to mutually authenticate user credentials. The outcomes of the HIMSS/GSA pilot project demonstrate that strong security measures can be put in place to ensure only authorized personnel with a valid purpose have access to patient information. ■ For further information about this project or the white paper, contact Mary Griskewicz, director of ambulatory information systems, HIMSS, at mgriskewicz@himss.org. H. Stephen Lieber, CAE HIMSS ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Steve Fox Partner Pepper Hamilton LLP Miriam Paramore Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Business Development Integra Professional Services HIMSS08 [continued from page 23] To “opt-in” for the print version, simply 312-915-9282 or e-mail mschlossberg@himss.org. reservations early. Hotel reservations can be made through Ambassadors, HIMSS' official housing and travel bureau, at www.himss.org/himss08travel or by calling 877-517-3038. Beginning next month, details about HIMSS08 will be featured in the HIMSS Insider. ■ http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.himss.org/membercenter http://www.himss.org/advocacy http://www.himss.org/himss08travel

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare IT News - August 2007

Contents AHIC Redux IT Saving Lives IT, Wal-Mart Style OR Workflow Counting on Quality PHR Position Tapping Talent Slimming Down E-Prescribing Claims Processing

Healthcare IT News - August 2007

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