HHS Recommends EHR Demonstration Project
According to a recent article published by The Kansas City Star, U.S. Department Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt has recommended to healthcare organizations in both Missouri and Kansas that they should pursue a federal electronic health records (EHRs) demonstration project. He made the statement at a meeting of hospital officials, clinicians, and others at the University of Kansas Medical Center, supporting his ongoing commitment to deployment of electronic medical records across the country, which has previously been described on HospitalBuyer.
Secretary Leavitt, once again, noted that EHRs are a first reasonable step to decrease healthcare costs and will also help increase patient involvement in their own care. He cited the projected increases in healthcare spending over the next years, approximately 20 percent of GDP, and the need to control these costs rapidly.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is planning to identify 12 different communities in June that will participate in a demonstration project. One goal of the project is to develop a system guided by national standards, but still controlled at the local level. In parallel, the effort is a demonstration project to collect data intended to validate the benefits of these software systems.
Leavitt, according to a report in Forbes, stated that planning for another pilot project is underway to assist small- and medium-sized facilities implement EHRs. These groups have been less likely to adopt the tools because of the significant associated costs, noted to be at least $40,000 for installation.
Leavitt noted the shortfalls in technology adoption across healthcare, particularly compared to the banking and airline industries. In particular, the lack of IT use limits the amount of information that patients can access to support comparison of providers. He notes that access to information can empower patients to make better choices about their own healthcare.
February 29, 2008 Related topics: Trends, Partnerships & Consortia