Healthcare

Many of you will find it surprising that I am not putting together a status report but rather blogging about my observations from the Infosys booth at HIMSS. Well for starters the blogs are easier to write and are just my own opinions. This time the HIMSS was all about complex ideas about making  healthcare simpler, cheaper and better. But looking at the X-ray machines which some of our co exhibitors were presenting and the cost of the same for so little additional benefit was kind of counter intuitive – in the name of connectivity and at the cost of adding a chip to the machine we are probably going to end up making the diagnostic process so complex that it would be hard to counter argue about the cost reduction and at the end of the day can even end blaming the machine or the user for a wrong decision. This I believe the providers are learning well from the Payers and the politicians!

Continue reading "Observations from our Booth at HIMSS" »

Posted by Anirban Majumder at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs) gained limelight in 2004 when President Bush called for Electronic Health Records for every American by 2014. The primary objective of RHIOs was to create an interoperability and information sharing infrastructure so that 360 degree view or complete medical history of patient’s health records can be made available for healthcare decision making. The desired outcomes were improved quality of care, prevention of clinical errors, elimination of redundant tests or care, prevention of adverse reactions, better care coordination and reduction in healthcare costs. The concept of Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs), also called Medical Homes, goes back to its introduction by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1967. However this primary care model has gained popularity over last one year as President Obama rolled out healthcare reforms. Patient Centered Medical Home is a care model where primary care physician is responsible for complete care coordination of the patient. Primary care physician collaborates with other physicians and care organizations based on the care needs of the patient and also educate the patient on self-health management. PCMHs share the same goals as RHIOs in terms of improved quality of care, better care coordination, better clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.

Continue reading "Patient Centered Medical Homes: RHIO déjà vu" »

Posted by Seema Pandey at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The debate on Healthcare reform is going on at full throttle in Washington DC as well as the rest of the country. No one knows where this is headed to or can confirm what the outcome will be. It looks more likely that we will see Healthcare exchanges will get setup. Most probably not at the national level, but instead at the state level.

Continue reading "Healthcare Reform and its impact on individual market" »

Posted by Shinju Damodaran at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, that’s where the provider community finds itself right now. I have been talking to quite a few providers (large and small, specialized and generic) and eventually I have formulated an opinion (You will never find me short of opinions). The hypothesis goes such…

Continue reading "Ever heard of getting caught between a rock and a hard place…" »

Posted by Rajiv Sabharwal at 07:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "ICD 10 – Crosswalk Strategies" »

Posted by Vijay Kumar B at 04:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

CMS has used the opportunity brought in by the increased specificity of ICD-10 codes to increase the granularity of DRG codes. This will help CMS streamline Medicare payments. Since significant number of Medicare and commercial claims is paid based on DRG codes, the added granularity is bound to cause uncertainty around provider reimbursements. This uncertainty combined with the payment reductions under SGR (Sustainable Growth Rate) has the potential to significantly impact providers’ bottom-line. Payers are not immune to the impact either. It’s crucial that payers and providers simulate claim payments, compare the payouts between I9 and I10, and be better prepared for the change.

Continue reading "ICD 10 – uncertainty around provider reimbursement" »

Posted by Vijay Kumar B at 04:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Physicians, nurses and case managers spend time with patients to educate them on self-health management; however, technology is increasingly playing an important role in enabling patients lead a better quality of life. Two key dimensions of patient enablement are:
• Access to care at the right level and the right time
• Access to information that helps them manage their health
Technology is addressing both the dimensions of patient enablement. E-Consultation is enabled via internet, IP TV, kiosks and mobile devices which gives patients anytime, anywhere access to care for certain conditions that do not require physician office visit.  E-Consultation can happen in synchronous mode over video/web chat or in an asynchronous mode over email. Some payors are reimbursing for eConsultation making this form of care a viable option for their members.

Continue reading "Patient enablement via technology" »

Posted by Seema Pandey at 08:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

To begin diving deeper into interoperability within healthcare, let’s talk about interoperability within the healthcare provider sector.  The healthcare provider industry is suffering from, what a colleague has very eloquently described as, ‘extreme heterogeneity’ of IT systems even within a single provider.

Continue reading "Interoperability Trends within the Healthcare Provider Sector" »

Posted by Dr. R Balaji at 08:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)