Medicare spending could be reduced by $3.1 billion annually through enhanced care coordination and effective population health management from a nationwide, integrated health information exchange (HIE).
The study, published in Information Systems Research, found regional integrations of HIEs had already accrued savings of $139 per Medicare beneficiary per year, a 1.4 percent decrease.
"Our results focusing on the interplay between HIE value and financial incentives in health care are highly relevant to an active debate on how to best design payment models to incentivize high-quality and cost-effective care," said study author Idris Adjerid of University of Notre Dame. "This research is also important because it highlights the conditions under which HIEs can have the largest impact. Policymakers and health care entities need to ensure that financial incentives align with the goals of HIEs and give them sufficient time to mature before expecting promised value."
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John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.