Monday, January 30, 2012

Looking back, looking ahead.

As we near the end of January and the predictions for 2012 have subsided, I hope you'll pardon me if I remain so impressed with Dr. Farzad Mostashari that I want to direct you again to his blog. There are two posts in particular I deem must-reads for all kinds of us: the doubters, the latecomers, Eligible Professionals and would-be thought leaders for eye care EHRs. We can all benefit from taking stock of what's really happening in the health care reform world around us.


The first is Farzad's January 7 post, in which the National Coordinator looks back at "12 Months of Health Information Technology". Let me whet your appetite by just listing the top ten highlights of the year. If you want to read the full post, click here. (I hope you will.)
  1. January: Launch of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs
  2. February: Launch of DIRECT
  3. March: The National Quality Strategy
  4. April: Launch of the Standards “Summer Camp”
  5. June: Spurring Health Information Technology  Innovation
  6. July: Health Information Technology Workforce
  7. September: Breach Reporting and Increasing Security Awareness
  8. September: Consumer eHealth Comes to the Fore
  9. October: Regional Extension Centers Surpass their Goals
  10. November: Growth in the Adoption of EHRs


The second must-read post is from January 25, "Health IT Taking Flight". Again, click here to read the full article. In the meantime, here's a summary of the five big trends expected in 2012:
  1. Meaningful Use Takes Off. 
  2. Health Information Exchange Turns a Corner.
  3. Connecting the Dots on Health IT and Payment Reform. 
  4. Consumers Use eHealth to Get More Involved.
  5. Innovation Drives Improvement. 
We've said it, others have said it and it's worth repeating: health care reform is not "coming soon", it's here now and it's here to stay. Don't confuse health care reform with insurance reform (Obama Care). If for any reason you're still sitting on your laurels, it's time to leap into action. If they're low, forget about your current Medicare volume or Medicaid percentage and get involved with certified EHRs regardless. Remember that CMS was only the launchpad. Private payers are already on board the train too. All of healthcare is transforming. If you're in healthcare, you must morph in order to survive.

Alistair Jackson, M.Ed.

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