Update
Check out my recent contribution to Hospital Impact. I discuss the possible contribution cable companies can make to Health IT adoption.
http://www.hospitalimpact.org/index.php/2010/07/22/how_cable_companies_could_help_providers
Broadband and Medicine
I realize that alot has been going on at the Office of the National Coordinator such as the final ruling on Meaningful Use Certification. But I wanted to talk a little about broadband, subject that I discussed earlier. Anyway, we are starting to see yet more initiatives come to fruition. Now, grants have been given for rural broadband, some of which include to assist healthcare systems (http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/broadband-investments-boost-900-healthcare-facilities).
I think this is a great but it brings to the forefront an issue that may be confronting providers. Do they have enough bandwidth? Each provider will be different depending on the nature of their practice. There is the possibility that providers will install their meaningful-use EHR and realize they must upgrade their bandwidth.
I actually spoke with a practice that is encountering this problem. The practice is part of a larger provider network. The network is handling the selection and purchase of the EHR. But the EHR requires more bandwidth than the practice has and as a result, the practice must upgrade.
As meaningful use requirements increase year to year, so may bandwidth. So the lesson learned is that there are many hidden costs in healthcare IT implementation. Planners should be aware of these costs and try to quantify them.
Health IT from every direction
Again, let me apologize for not writing as much as I want. There is alot happening in the world of Health IT and I have only so much mental bandwidth to process the data. But that leads me to what I wanted to discuss.
The federal government is moving vigorously from all directions to ensure the adoption of Health IT. I wanted to review some of the initiatives.
First, there is the stimulus dollars to medicare providers to adopt and become meaningful users of Electronic Healthcare Records. If you recall, this was the $25,000 per provider to adopt an EHR. Of course, coupled with this is the requirement for ONC to define meaningful use which it has done so.
The second initiative closely related to the first and also part of the stimulus is Health IT Regional Extension Centers (RECs). There purpose is to provide technical assistance to providers to adopt EHR. Recs are beginning to be established and each region is adapting to the needs of its providers.
The third initiative is not really new but has just gotten some added resources through the stimulus: state Health Information Exchanges. Some of them are working closely with the RECs.
There also is the Beacon Community program funded through the stimulus. The program currently underway requires participating communities to demonstrate improvements through Health IT and delivery re-enigneering.
Additionally, Health and Human Services last week announced grants to safety-net providers to adopt EHR.
The NHIN also continues to progress. Started under the previous administration and codified into law under the stimulus, the NHIN is developing standards among federal agencies and the private sector that aligns with meaningful use. The end-state would be a “network of networks.”
Federal agencies also are harnessing Health IT through individual programs. VA, DOD and Social Security Administration are examples.
The Healthcare Reform also pushes Health IT. In addition to demands for greater accountability and metrics that Health IT facilitates, the legislation specifically requires private insurance companies to encourage the meaningful use of Health IT.
A year later, we are seeing the effects of the stimulus. In years to come, we also will see the effects on Health IT from the reform legislation.
The question is whether Health IT will become the norm or are we subsidizing a bubble? I think all of us have a role in shaping the answer.
Politico Article
Check out the News and opinion section. I review a Politico article by Sarah Kniff.
