Interoperability
Charles Jaffe, MD, CEO of standards organization HL7, came away from the joint meeting of the federal Health IT Policy and Health IT Standards committees earlier this week, thinking that the industry could move faster on interoperability. And HL7 has just the thing to change the game.
In a bid to drive better quality, wider access and improved care coordination through health information technology, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has launched a new investment initiative for accountable care organizations taking part in the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
The overarching message delivered to joint HIT Policy and Standards Committees by the JASON task force on Oct. 15: The government should "act with urgency" to encourage and motivate the healthcare industry, using whatever mechanisms available, to fuel interoperability through meaningful use.
ONC's work to drive interoperability is under perhaps more intense scrutiny than ever. Yet, a sense emerged on Wednesday morning during a meeting of the joint HIT Policy and Standards Committees that, while much work remains, the notion that there is no interoperability in America is wrong.
A coalition of healthcare associations today called on HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell to revamp the meaningful use program. "Without changes to the MU program and a new emphasis for interoperable EHRs/EMRs systems and HIT infrastructure, we believe that the opportunity to leverage these technologies will not be realized," the organizations wrote.
Providers have begun to make targeted use of leading-edge technologies to optimize their electronic medical records, but the vast majority don't yet have the IT capacity to make full use of advancements such as big data and the cloud.
The Federal Trade Commission has some news for health IT vendors whose zeal for competitive marketshare outweighs their willingness to share data: They're watching, and will step in where necessary.
Health IT infrastructure has made significant progress in recent years, with EHR adoption among hospitals and physicians growing. However, the development of health information exchanges and interoperability - needed to provide more effective care - still has a long way to go.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is exporting its knowledge and management services around the world, to countries like China and Lithuania expanding healthcare for emerging middle class populations.
It's official. The Louisiana-based health system has become the first Epic EHR shop to integrate its electronic health record with Apple's HealthKit, making for seamless data exchange between clinicians and their patients.