Sustainability is part of the plan

Mary Stevens, Editor

The issue of sustainability with the Beacon Community Program was raised at the end of CMIO Jeff Byers’ interview with ONC's Aaron McKethan, who said that ONC does not expect Congress to extend the life of the three-year program, which is funding health IT initiatives to measurably improve patient care in 17 locations. That said, “we would be delighted for more communities across the country to take similar steps. We are prepared for other communities to receive benefits from the program even if we don’t expand from the formal program,” he added.

McKethan’s observation is prescient, as political winds change and even the most effective federal programs come and go, with little more than final reports when all is said and done. However, the saying and doing for the Beacon Community Program recipients will be publicly disseminated on a regular basis, increasing the chances that other healthcare facilities—as well as the federal government and possibly insurance providers—can see what works and thus benefit from it.

Even though many regional extension Ccnters are still on the runway, according to a survey from the eHealth Initiative, they’re planning for a future beyond federal funding.

As more facilities build or join HIEs, the sustainability question will increasingly play a part in the services that HIEs offer: What will data will organizations and physicians be willing to pay to exchange when initial start-up grants have been used? And how will they assess fees or be charged?

Sustaining patient engagement—a component of meaningful use of health information—could be as simple as a “download” option in an electronic record, according to a Markle workgroup release.

“Delivering personal health information to an individual’s desktop or device is only a small step. But this initial step represents a big change in current practice and it can enable a whole host of innovations and services that can add significant value for individuals over time,” the paper states.

The Markle workgroup also urges the ONC to make the download option a must-have for EMR certification. The download option is a good fit for the requirement that patient information be made available to patients in a timely manner.

Finally, the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems (AMDIS) and Maestro Strategies are aiming to sustain CMIOs. AMDIS and Maestro have joined forces to create CMIO Advisors, which seeks to assist CMIOs in embracing their roles in various provider settings. CMIO Advisors will offer services including physician and organization education, CMIO Needs Assessments and Organizational Design and Development, as well as a CMIO Coaching Program.

These services may come in handy as the need for sustainability touches ever more aspects of health IT.

Mary Stevens, editor
mstevens@trimedmedia.com