Season of Flux
The kids are eager for school to end and summer break to begin, the plants and flowers are blooming and it seems the healthcare industry is in flux as well. While 2013 is supposed to be the year of implementation, it seems it is the year of protest and debate about Meaningful Use (MU) instead.
From calls for delays to outright demands for a halt to the entire program, there are several stakeholders trying to use their clout. Six Republican Senators issued a report critical of the progress of the MU program and called for a reboot as they question cost, privacy and security, and more. The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) has defended the program but called for an extension to Stage 2. Meanwhile, the EHR incentive program has now paid out more than $13 billion. Is the momentum too strong to apply the brakes now?
Speaking of delays, survey after survey indicates the healthcare industry is not approaching the ICD-10 transition at the recommended rate. With less than 18 months to go, my article covers thoughts from the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services, healthcare organizations and consultants on how to get started.
Yet another area of flux is the ongoing need to make big decisions about health IT and optimize the various tools once they are implemented. In this month’s roundtable on collaboration, three CMIOs discuss the challenges of getting the right people to make decisions so that everyone can move forward. No one wants to take the responsibility to move organizations past “analysis paralysis.”
Even with these challenges and roadblocks, health IT has had its successes. Being so close to Boston, we watched news of the horrific marathon bombings unfold. It didn’t take long to find out that quick thinking, connectivity, innovation and the kindness of complete strangers helped save the lives of many victims. Read the article here.
Lisa Fratt unveils numerous insights and innovations healthcare can borrow from other industries. Also not to miss: Laura Pedulli discusses the Veterans Affairs’ deep dive into data mining (page 14) and she covers how two organizations with progressive medication management practices are increasing patient engagement to improve adherence.
Here’s to hopes that you and yours get summer off to a safe and productive start. And get a little break to relax and unwind, too.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.