Question: What areas should the ONC focus on for the development of a nationwide infrastructure to support the growth of HIT? Research the ONC and its various programs. Provide a strategic plan for carrying out the mission of the program of your choice that is aligned with the bigger ONC mission. Your plan should address how your program will affect the other programs. How does your plan affect the caregiver community? Your strategic plan should also include barriers and how you plan to address the barriers to achieve success.
1. Encourage on-boarding for diverse small practices who may lack capital (even with the stimulus) to fully implement and transition to an EHR. Leverage their role coordinating high uptake of EHRs to negotiate reduced rates on behalf of private practice physicians, partnerships, and small group practices. Benefits for using a common IT system could come in the form of price subsidies, tax rebates, or ongoing, centrally-funded help desks and support services. This will enable greater diffusion of a standard format of service platforms, and increase uptake by minimizing the cost barrier.
2. Vendor access could be maximized by coordinating nation-wide CME (continuing medical education) classes featuring demonstrations by multiple IT groups. To incentivize participation the government could assist in educational efforts, increase access and participation, and foster greater understanding of how to demonstrate meaningful use.
3. The federal government can offer a contract for technology companies to bid on. The contract will be for creating a standard EMR system that will be subsidized (possibly paid in full) by the government for those physician practices and hospitals who voluntarily wish to participate, thereby paving the way for a universal EMR system. Recognizing, however, that many hospitals may not wish to join based on the potential to lose clients to larger or higher rated hospitals, HITECH should target large regional hospitals which have the most to gain from a standardized process. Once these hospitals implement a standard system, the added value of their services through EMRs would entice other hospitals to join the roster as well.
1. Encourage on-boarding for diverse small practices who may lack capital (even with the stimulus) to fully implement and transition to an EHR. Leverage their role coordinating high uptake of EHRs to negotiate reduced rates on behalf of private practice physicians, partnerships, and small group practices. Benefits for using a common IT system could come in the form of price subsidies, tax rebates, or ongoing, centrally-funded help desks and support services. This will enable greater diffusion of a standard format of service platforms, and increase uptake by minimizing the cost barrier.
2. Vendor access could be maximized by coordinating nation-wide CME (continuing medical education) classes featuring demonstrations by multiple IT groups. To incentivize participation the government could assist in educational efforts, increase access and participation, and foster greater understanding of how to demonstrate meaningful use.
3. The federal government can offer a contract for technology companies to bid on. The contract will be for creating a standard EMR system that will be subsidized (possibly paid in full) by the government for those physician practices and hospitals who voluntarily wish to participate, thereby paving the way for a universal EMR system. Recognizing, however, that many hospitals may not wish to join based on the potential to lose clients to larger or higher rated hospitals, HITECH should target large regional hospitals which have the most to gain from a standardized process. Once these hospitals implement a standard system, the added value of their services through EMRs would entice other hospitals to join the roster as well.
Response drafted by Matthew Scally, Tara Vecchione, Anna Diller, Abhishek Raut.
Submitted to Lawrence Aronhime, discussed with ONC's Alan Traylor
Strategic Planning, Carey Business School.
No comments:
Post a Comment