e-CareManagement blog

Chronic Disease Management • Technology • Strategy • Issues and Trends

Is HITECH Working? #4: While most attention has been focused on demand side incentives (will doctors and hospitals buy EHRs?), the supply (vendor) side of HIT is already transforming.

by Vince Kuraitis JD, MBA and David C. Kibbe MD, MBA
Most of the press coverage and attention to HITECH has been to the “buy” side of the market:  The central question here has been: “Will doctors and hospitals buy and use EHR technology?”
Meanwhile — and much more quietly — the sell (vendor) side of the EHR market [...]

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Is HITECH Working? #3: ONC got it right on the 3 major policy interpretations: Meaningful Use, Certification, Standards

We concluded our last post in this series with a blunt prediction that “key physicians will sit on the sidelines” and that clinician non-adoption of EHR technology is a potential “deal-breaker for the success of HITECH”.
While this might sound like a criticism of the way HITECH has been implemented, it’s not intended that way — it’s a commentary [...]

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Is HITECH Working? #2: Key physicians will sit on the sidelines (at least for now).

(click on any of the above graphics to be linked to the orginal source)
by Vince Kuraitis JD, MBA and David C. Kibbe MD, MBA
In the previous post in this series on “Is HITECH Working?”, we straightforwardly noted that hospitals are playing in the HITECH game. The issue of whether physicians will play is MUCH thornier.
As the [...]

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Is HITECH Working? #1: Hospitals are grumbling but are playing in the game; success is not guaranteed.

by Vince Kuraitis JD, MBA and David C. Kibbe MD, MBA 
The rationale for hospitals having to play in the HITECH game is straightforward: the financial carrots through 2015 are helpful, and the financial sticks after 2015 will be very painful.
We’ll discuss:

Financial Impacts on Hospitals
Survey Data Showing Hospitals Will Play
Why Success is Not Guaranteed

Financial Impacts on Hospitals
Even prior to HITECH, [...]

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Is HITECH Working? 7 Observations Mom Could Understand

“Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Albert Einstein
by Vince Kuraitis JD, MBA and David C. Kibbe MD, MBA
If you’re like many folks we talk with, you understand the importance of the HITECH Act legislation — yet feel overwhelmed by the complexity and details.
This series of blog posts is for you. We address [...]

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A Compendium of Perspectives on the HITECH Certification NPRM

Just the Facts 
Certification Programs NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking)
Health IT, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services; March 2, 2010
Certification NPRM
Facts-At-A-Glance
FAQ
 
Bookmarked version of Certification NPRM (much easier to navigate)
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services; March 2, 2010
Via OCCAM Practice Management blog, March 3, 2010
 
Commentary and Analysis
 
Proposed EHR Certification Rule Changes Game
HDM Breaking [...]

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A Compendium of Resources on the Federal HIT Meaningful Use NPRM and Standards IFR

* = highly recommended
 
Descriptive Summaries and Documents
 
 *Dissecting the Meaningful Use Proposed Rule PowerPoint
eHealth Initiative Policy Webinar; January 8, 2010
 
*What You Need to Know About the Meaningful Use Proposed Rule, Standards and Implementation Specification, and Interim Final Rule Certification Criteria PowerPoint
HIMSS Webinar; January 6, 2010
 
*Meaningful Use, Certification Criteria and Standards, and HHS Certification Process
HIMSS, frequently updated [...]

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John Halamka’s Stunning 180: “Dogs and Cats Should Live in Harmony”

The King of the Cats has just acknowledged that indeed cats and dogs should co-exist peacefully.
Dr. John Halamka — Vice Chair of the HIT Standards Committee of the ONC and one of the most vocal and influential figures in health IT — writes a blog post this morning entitled “The Genius of AND”. Halamka reasonably summarizes the [...]

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Medicare’s Biggest Change in 40 Years on the Horizon?

Earlier this week CMS issued a typically cryptic Announcement indicating that they were shelving the Medicare Medical Home Demonstration (MMHD) and instead would focus on the recently announced Multi-Payer Advanced Primary Care Initiative (MAPCI). My blog post from Tuesday provides details and asks the question “What does all this mean?”
Today’s blog post will tackle:

Medicare’s biggest change [...]

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