You're no stranger to acronyms. They pervade every area of your life and mine. That doesn't mean it isn't hard to keep up with them all. Our health care reform world is no exception. I think most of us, by now, know what EHRs are. You may even be convinced by now that having certified EHRs in your practice is more than just a necessary evil.
While you may or may not still be wrestling that one through, it's time to keep pushing the envelope. I'm convinced that our lack of urgency in joining the transformation of health care stems from a lack of seeing where it's all going. If we look outside eye care, we don't need that infamous crystal ball.
We've heard it said that 2012 will be the year of the HIEs - Health Information Exchanges. Simply put, HIEs are about getting those of us who have embraced EHRs "talking". Communicating is a better word. Communicating electronically. Remember terms like "portability"? It's the P in HIPAA. So for years already, the feds have been telling us that sharing protected health information securely and electronically is important. And that's what HIEs are being designed to do. The end goal, of course, is to do this nationally but, since that's such a big undertaking, it's starting at the state level. That'll give us a chance to see which models work best before we commit nationwide.
If I may suggest a takeaway for today, it'd be for you to find out what's happening in your state? The best case scenario is that your local professional association has all the answers already. Unfortunately, that's still rare, so be prepared to dig a little deeper. You may find that a Google search gets you well launched.
A word to the wise: after you've loved on your Valentine, understand the difference between your state HIE and an in-state REC. That's our next topic. Come back and learn how some professional organizations, sadly, are feeling really good about being led down the wrong path.
Alistair Jackson, M.Ed.
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