The concepts of the medical home require a team-based approach that utilizes health information technology to identify and assist with the management of patient populations while allowing for the measurement of clinical outcomes.
A new study authored by National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Farzad Mostashari, MD, and ONC researchers indicates that six in 10 hospitals actively exchanged electronic health information with providers and hospitals outside their organization in 2012.
The Health IT Regional Extension Center Cooperative Agreement Program is government-funded to provide technical assistance for EHR implementation to 100,000 primary care providers through 62 sites located nationwide. This slideshow shows the 10 RECs that have achieved the highest percentage to goal of PCPs demonstrating meaningful use.
Starting Aug. 1, pharmaceutical and medical device companies must begin tracking and preparing to publicly report payments and other transfers of value made to physicians under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act. Doctors should ask industry representatives for an opportunity to review and, if necessary, correct all information that will be submitted to the government.
At least 17 states now allow nurse practitioners to work without a supervising physician, and lawmakers in five big states are considering similar measures.
One tends to be more empowered when they recognize where in a particular machine their cog fits. For physicians, according to AMA President-elect Ardis Dee Hoven, MD, that sense of security and control can arise with considerable strength from organized medicine.
Daniel Newman, MD, chief medical information officer at technology integration firm MEDfx, recognizes health information exchange as "a laudable goal" in terms of everyday communications, but he emphasizes that it's really part of a bigger issue: making data useful to clinicians. PhysBizTech recently caught up with Newman for further discussion of HIE as it applies to the small-practice environment.
A project that will help patients and providers access health information in the event of a hurricane or other widespread disaster involves collaboration between HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and the health information exchange programs in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
