Question

Share a current example of a health care reform imitative being considered at the federal or state level. What does current peer-reviewed literature from the last three years say on this topic?

Answer 1

An example of the current health care reform initiative been considered at state level is fostering data exchange to support and drive change. The ability to share data across payers, providers, and state government is a key component of health system transformation. It allows for better care coordination, population management, integration of primary and behavioral health and patient engagement. With technology companies and government agencies working together, the healthcare industry has achieved important milestones toward improving the interoperability of healthcare IT systems. For example, thanks to near-universal implementation of electronic health records (EHR) systems and widespread use of other digital applications in healthcare practices, providers today have more access to actionable patient data than they ever have.

Reisman says HITECH Act has provided more than $35 billion in incentives to promote and expand the adoption and use of EHRs by eligible health care organizations and health professionals.However the HITECH success is unclear. Although the implementation of EHR has been wide since the legislation was passed and significant barriers remain, chief among them lack of cooperation among stakeholders, burdensome regulations, and physician burnout tied to the technology. On the positive side, the adoption of EHR has been perfect in the United States with 96% having federally tested and certified EHR programs. In addition, 80% of office-based physicians have certified EHR based systems in place.