By Karen B. DeSalvo & Jodi G. Daniel – The secure, appropriate, and efficient sharing of electronic health information is the foundation of an interoperable learning health system—one that uses information and technology to deliver better care, spend health dollars more wisely, and advance the health of everyone.
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By William Hersh MD – It is hard to believe that the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was passed into law five years ago, in 2009, and at the end of the year, the massive legislation was shaped into a program that has profoundly altered the informatics world, not to mention all of healthcare.
By Paul Bradley – The reasons claims are denied are so varied that managing denials can feel like chasing a thousand different tails. This situation is not surprising given that a hypothetical denial rate of just 5 percent translates to tens of thousands of denied claims per year for large hospitals—where real-world denial rates often range from 12 to 22 percent.
By Joy Rios – This year, as you may already know, both hospitals and physician practices participating in Meaningful Use must offer patients a way to access their health records electronically. The patient electronic access objective specifically calls for providing patients the ability to view online, download, and transmit their health information. Those familiar with this objective often call it VDT for short.
By Matt Fisher – Advisory Opinion 15-04 issued by the Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) on March 25, 2015 offers some warnings when entering into preferred provider agreements. The new Advisory Opinion arose in the context of laboratory services, but the principles discussed are easily applicable to any preferred provider arrangement. The advice and insight are important in light of the increasing desire among providers to identify and enter into preferred provider agreements.
By Nagaraja Srivatsan – The Affordable Care Act (ACA) introduced healthcare’s Triple Aim concept, with the objectives of reducing healthcare costs, increasing patient engagement, and improving health outcomes. To optimize the system’s performance, the ACA mandated a total redesign of the way healthcare is organized, managed, paid for, delivered, and consumed.
By Alan Portela – With the ONC’s recent release of their 10-year interoperability vision, it might seem like the industry is starting to make things easier for clinicians. In reality, 2015 is starting off to be one of the worst times ever to be a physician.
By Bennett Lauber – Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children. His theories of cognitive development helped pioneer the field of developmental psychology and influenced generations of elementary school curriculum.
By Paul Bradley – In the coming years, healthcare organizations’ success managing population health will hinge on capabilities that other sectors of the American economy have relied on for over a decade.