Where are the Treatment Providers and State Agencies in the Health Information Technology Planning Process?

From Join Together blog:

One of the major goals of health reform is to improve the quality of care through better use of clinically relevant information. To be compliant with emerging reimbursement incentives, providers will have to demonstrate that they are managing the health of their patients through the meaningful use of data available through Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems.

The definitions and rules for this major innovation are being worked out now, and final decisions about what patient information will and will not be in standardized data depositories called health information exchanges (HIE) and in the Medicaid Management Information Systems will be made in every state in a matter of months. These decisions and the enormous systems that will be built based on them will dominate virtually all aspects of health care delivery, finance and research for a long time.

These two system transformation initiatives will result in healthcare reimbursement systems moving toward integration with certified, standards-based electronic health records. This will require the transmission of both claims and qualitative patient information. Those providers unable to do so will become increasingly marginalized.

For more on this story click HERE.