By Andy Slavitt – Over the last two plus years, more than 13.5 million new people gained the security of Medicaid or CHIP coverage, solidifying its role as the foundation of the nation’s health system providing insurance to almost 72 million people nationally.
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Now that the holidays are behind us and the new year is upon us, we can settle in to what’s in store. Healthcare costs, interoperability, EHRs, and patient engagement are not going anywhere and will continue to be in the spotlight. Here are what some of the the leaders in the industry are expecting this year.
By Dr. David Butler – When you think about the future of healthcare, you may not picture roaring engines and screaming crowds. How can a sport that involves stock-car sprints around an oval track have anything in common with how we deliver healthcare in the United States?
By Matt Patterson MD – With a new year just getting started, most realists recognize that for all intents and purposes ACA is here to stay. No matter what discourse has transpired or how the next presidential election turns out, we are down a path of value-based care with no turning back.
By Robert Rowley, MD – Medicine is often described as both an art and a science. One might think that the “science of medicine” should be fairly straightforward, driven by findings from clinical studies and evidence-based protocols derived from such findings.
By Matt Fisher – Every industry, whether it be healthcare, financial, or anything else, is under constant attack or threat to digital information. This is not news, especially in light of the numerous stories about breaches from Target to Hyatt Hotels to voter databases to health insurers and more.
By Paula Braun – Not long ago, health records were paper files locked away in cabinets. Thanks to advancements in technology and national incentives, these records are largely digitized and their roles have evolved beyond a means of documenting care. Now, people look to data captured in electronic health records (EHRs) to create a deeper understanding of wellness and diseases, identify threats to public health, and determine what interventions work best for whom.
By William Hersh – As regular readers of this blog know, I traditionally end each year with a posting reflecting back on the past year. While this year has been another great success for myself and our informatics program at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), it has been somewhat of a transitional year for the informatics field. Many of the new and exciting initiatives in the informatics field from recent years are no longer novel, with some now settling into “midlife” and others being called out for retirement.
By Eric Nilsson – Whether they were highlights or lowlights, healthcare stories dominated the news in 2015. The skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs, expanded medical coverage, the meltdown of blood-testing startup Theranos and the arrest of pharmaceutical industry entrepreneur Martin Shkreli, criticized for raising the price of life-saving drugs, were some of the stories that took center stage.