All posts in category Public Policy and Health IT

New Certification Criteria for APMs–Is This the Right Approach?

CMS and ONC are considering tying the new Alternative Payment Models (APM) being designed per the MACRA legislation to prescriptive criteria for “use” of certified EHR technology, and considering development of new certification criteria specifically created for APMs.  In doing so, do they risk going beyond congressional intent for the APM program and stifling innovation by imposing requirements on health IT beyond what is sought in the market, perhaps pursuing a strategy that may not be the best way to accomplish their end-goals – the rapid shift to value-based reimbursement and more integrated care?

Read “Health IT, Value-Based Payment, and Innovation: Let’s Get it Right” by Mark Segal, PhD (EHRA Chair Emeritus and Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs for GE Healthcare IT) on the GE blog page.

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by ewest123 on December 16, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in Certification, General, Health IT Regulation, Public Policy and Health IT

Posted by ewest123 on December 16, 2015

https://ehrablog.org/2015/12/16/new-certification-criteria-for-apms-is-this-the-right-approach/

Privacy and Security, and Building Patient Trust

Earlier this year, ONC published an updated “Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information” to help healthcare providers and ambulatory practices understand existing federal law on protected health information (PHI).  It provides guidance on how providers can use certified electronic medical record technology (CEHRT) to provide secure communications with their patients and, via secure and interoperable health IT, share patient data with other care providers.

There is a great deal of practical information provided in this guide that helps explain who is and who is not a business associate (BA), per the HIPAA regulations.   It also provides clear guidance as to when it is permissible to disclose PHI, when patient authorizations are required, and how to provide patient access to their health information.  In addition, there is a useful section on general cybersecurity explaining the threat of cyber-attacks, the use of mobile devices, and email and texting among providers and their patients.

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by ewest123 on September 1, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in General, Privacy and Security, Public Policy and Health IT
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Posted by ewest123 on September 1, 2015

https://ehrablog.org/2015/09/01/privacy-and-security-and-building-patient-trust/

EHRA Launches Delivery System Reform Workgroup

As health IT professionals supporting hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals across the country, we are paying close attention to the significant efforts by both government and private sector stakeholders to shift the focus of our healthcare system away from volume-driven incentives and towards value-based reimbursement.  With that shift, we’re also seeing an increasing recognition for the important role that EHRs and other health information technology tools play in achieving our shared objectives of a more efficient, effective healthcare system.

In response, the EHR Association (EHRA) has launched the Delivery System Reform (DSR) Workgroup as a source of information and education for EHRA members, and to serve as a vehicle for providing input on related Congressional and regulatory initiatives and collaborating with other industry stakeholders.

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by ewest123 on August 5, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in Delivery System Reform, Public Policy and Health IT

Posted by ewest123 on August 5, 2015

https://ehrablog.org/2015/08/05/ehra-launches-delivery-system-reform-workgroup/

EHRA Responds to ONC’s Interoperability Roadmap

After many conference calls, and lots of “on the job training” using Google Docs to manage the edits of many contributors, we were pleased to submit our response to ONC’s Interoperability Roadmap. . . just in time to start working on the interoperability aspects of the proposed rule for Stage 3 of the EHR Incentive Program . . .and to get ready for HIMSS15!

Overall, we’re positive about the framework the draft Roadmap is starting to put in place, its identified principles, and the pragmatic review of well-established and emerging interoperability standards and technologies. We did express some concern that ONC seems to view the many active, and increasingly successful, interoperability initiatives as a problem to be solved rather than work to inform go-forward strategies with valuable experiences to be built upon. In doing so, we provided some positive suggestions on how to approach interoperability governance in ways that rely on and leverage private sector efforts in the context of an effective public/private partnership.

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by ewest123 on April 10, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in Health IT Regulation, Health IT Standards, Interoperability, Public Policy and Health IT
Tagged ,

Posted by ewest123 on April 10, 2015

https://ehrablog.org/2015/04/10/ehra-responds-to-oncs-interoperability-roadmap/

Meaningful Use Stage 3 Is Here and We’re Ready to Respond

We recently saw the release of the 732 pages of the CMS Stage 3 Meaningful Use Proposed Rule and ONC’s Proposed Rule on 2015 Edition Certification. The EHRA Meaningful Use and Certification Workgroups have been gearing up to review and comment on these rules for a while so we have already started looking at the eight proposed objectives and 68 proposed certification criteria.

The scope of what is proposed for certification in this NPRM goes beyond what is proposed to be part of the Meaningful Use program, so other EHRA workgroups are also focused on reviewing the material pertinent to their areas of expertise.  We’re committed to detailed review and developing EHRA’s responses for submission by the May 29th deadline.

Our work depends on the deep expertise of EHRA members and their users!  We strongly encourage your involvement. You’ll have the opportunity to learn from the insights of industry experts in our educational calls, discussions, and consensus based positioning. Participating in EHRA’s work will give you an advantage when working on your own company’s feedback.  Also, you’ll be well positioned to engage your users in what the new proposals might mean for their practices and to encourage them to participate in the public comment process.

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by ewest123 on March 30, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in Certification, Health IT Regulation, Meaningful Use, Public Policy and Health IT

Posted by ewest123 on March 30, 2015

https://ehrablog.org/2015/03/30/meaningful-use-stage-3-is-here-and-were-ready/

Federal Health IT Policy: Where is it heading and why should you care?

(November 4, 2014)  Mark Segal, EHRA Chair (GE Healthcare IT), comments on future directions in federal health IT policy that are taking shape.  We are starting to see clear, reinforcing themes from Congress, the Administration, policy experts, and key stakeholders.
See the full post at the GE Healthcare blog.
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by ewest123 on November 4, 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in Innovation, Interoperability, Patient Safety and Health IT, Public Policy and Health IT

Posted by ewest123 on November 4, 2014

https://ehrablog.org/2014/11/04/federal-health-it-policy-where-is-it-heading-and-why-should-you-care/

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