Different approaches to HIE priority issues
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| Mary Stevens, Editor |
The HHS’ finalized requirements for medical loss ratio, announced earlier this week and slated to become law Jan. 1, may represent an avenue for additional, non-governmental HIE funds. Karen Van Wagner, PhD, executive director of North Texas Specialty Physicians, whose wholly owned subsidiary Sandlot, operates the SandlotConnect HIE, explained: Insurance providers will be required to spend 80 to 85 percent of premiums on direct care for patients and efforts to improve care quality. To get to the required healthcare-to-administrative costs ratio, they could partner with HIEs. Dr. Van Wagner also advises CMIOs to weigh in on what should be considered a medical expense versus an administrative one.
As with funding, there are many ways to securely exchange information. Two-factor authentication adds a dimension of identity proofing for all who access an exchange. Even in a multi-organization, multi-stakeholder situation, as is the situation at the Santa Cruz HIE, it doesn’t have to be an expensive proposition, as Bill Beighe, CIO of the exchange, described in a recent webinar. SCHIE is piloting a two-factor system that taps cloud computing and physicians’ smart phones, with some positive results.
Federal agencies and HIEs aren’t the only ones looking for better information exchange. The AHRQ offered preliminary results for its Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture recently, which show that 50 percent or more of practices have encountered problems when exchanging accurate, complete and timely information with other entities during the past year. Fewer entities reported that results from a lab or imaging test were not available when needed than reported that a patient’s chart/medical record was not available when needed. Findings in the survey, prepared by Westat of Rockville, Md., are based on data from 10,567 staff from 470 medical offices in 33 states.
Overall, HIE participation seems to be on the rise, if survey respondents at the recent CMIO Summit: Key to Meaningful Use event are an indicator. At the Atlanta summit last week, 44 percent reported that they belong to an HIE or are developing one, although content in most of these exchanges is still under construction.
HIEs, security, EHRs, integration … you certainly have plenty of ways to earn your salary! Tell us about it. Take the second annual CMIO Compensation Survey and help us gauge the differences and emerging trends from last year’s stats to this year’s expectations. In return, you could win one of five Visa gift cards.
Here's wishing to you and yours a happy Thanksgiving holiday.
Mary Stevens
Editor of CMIO
mstevens@trimedmedia.com