The digital health space refers to the integration of technology and health care services to improve the overall quality of health care delivery. It encompasses a wide range of innovative and emerging technologies such as wearables, telehealth, artificial intelligence, mobile health, and electronic health records (EHRs). The digital health space offers numerous benefits such as improved patient outcomes, increased access to health care, reduced costs, and improved communication and collaboration between patients and health care providers. For example, patients can now monitor their vital signs such as blood pressure and glucose levels from home using wearable devices and share the data with their doctors in real-time. Telehealth technology allows patients to consult with their health care providers remotely without having to travel to the hospital, making health care more accessible, particularly in remote or rural areas. Artificial intelligence can be used to analyze vast amounts of patient data to identify patterns, predict outcomes, and provide personalized treatment recommendations. Overall, the digital health space is rapidly evolving, and the integration of technology in health

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

When It Comes to Health Care IT, How Much Progress Is Being Made in Each of the Following Areas?

 

 

EHR and Data Exchange Study by Farzad Mostashari and ONC Researchers

Posted: 05 Aug 2013 04:26 PM PDT

It’s always good to know who’s behind a study that you’re reading. In this case, it is a study by ONC and they are putting National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Farzad Mostashari’s name on it along with ONC researchers. In one respect, we know that ONC has a bias towards use of health IT. On the other hand they are also the organization with the most information on what’s happening with EHR and exchange of healthcare data. So, take those biases and check out some of the highlights of the study:
· 58 percent of hospitals exchanged data with providers outside their organization in 2012 and hospitals’ exchanges with other hospitals outside their organization more than doubled during the study period.

· Hospitals with basic EHR systems and participating in HIOs (health information organizations) had the highest rates of hospital exchange activity in 2012, regardless of the organizational affiliation of the provider exchanging data or the type of clinical information exchanged.

· The proportion of hospitals that adopted at least a basic EHR and participated in an HIO grew more than five-fold from 2008 to 2012.

· Between 2008 and 2012, there were significant increases in the percent of hospitals exchanging radiology reports, laboratory results, clinical care summaries, and medication lists with hospitals and providers outside of their organization.

· 84 percent of hospitals that adopted an EHR and participated in a regional HIO exchanged information with providers outside their organization.

Mostashari: We need a better marketplace  (2011)

Why are EMRs failing ?  

Even doctors who have purchased and successfully implemented electronic health records (EHRs) do not always know what they’re buying until the system is up and running.  Sound familiar ? It is what Nancy Pelosi told us about the Affordable Care Act. “You won’t know what is in it until it passes”  It reminds me of the “Cracker Jack” box, with the   surprise inside. The problem:

 

ONC director Farzad Mostashari made that point to a room full of chuckles on Wednesday while giving the closing keynote address at the Government Health IT Conference.

The problem: While there are nearly 750 EHR products certified for meaningful use stage 1, adequate apples-to-apples comparisons of features and prices do not exist today.

The Growth of Hospital Electronic Health Information Exchange

In 2012 nearly six in ten hospitals actively exchanged electronic health information with providers and hospitals outside their organization, an increase of 41 percent since 2008. EHR adoption and HIO participation were associated with significantly greater hospital exchange activity, but exchanges with providers outside the organization and exchanges of clinical care summaries and medication lists remained limited.

 

 

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