The following appeared a few days ago:
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Person-Centered Health Data Management Systems: Key to Sustainable U.S. Health Care
The U.S. health care system is a $2.5 trillion industry comprising multiple powerful stakeholder groups, often with competing interests. It is therefore crucial to identify guiding principles and priorities by which all stakeholders may be held accountable. For example, there is broad consensus for the following two mandates:
- The U.S. health care system needs to function to provide the best possible quality of care and service for the patient (i.e. become more patient-centered).
- The U.S. health care system needs to deliver higher value care in order to improve long-term access and achieve financial sustainability.
Engaging individuals as informed and empowered participants in their health, as well as discerning consumers of health care is essential to achieving these goals.
Person-centered ("person" because we are not all patients) health information management systems -- IT solutions that put individuals in control of their health data, allow them to share their data and communicate with anyone who is involved in their health, and provide them with the information and tools they need to improve their health and health care -- will emerge as powerful solutions that will be critical to the long-term performance of the U.S. health care system.
In an era where clinical and non-clinical digital health information is proliferating, the only way to achieve a truly patient-centered health care system is to aggregate and exchange this information at the point of the patient. Doing so will accelerate efforts aimed at achieving comprehensive patient health records, health information exchange and coordinated care, thus improving care quality and eliminating waste.
Why Are Person-Centered Health Information Management Systems Needed?
The prevalence of largely preventable, lifestyle-related chronic conditions continues to soar, now accounting for an estimated three-quarters of health care spending. Americans need to become more informed, engaged and empowered to improve their daily health behaviors, and, in doing so, stem the rising tide of chronic disease-driven demand for care. Person-centered health information management systems that combine clinical and non-clinical data, mobile capabilities, devices that track behaviors and biometrics, and personalized incentives will become a cost-effective method to achieve population wide health behavioral change.
More here with links:
As I see it this article is talking about a rather different take on the personal involvement in their Health Information that the one outlined by the still secret (and outrageously so) Concept of Operations for the PCEHR.
I am told NEHTA might be about to issue some tenders for the other partners in implementing the PCEHR while the public still does not know what they are actually up to.
Bluntly this is just outrageous and unacceptable.
David.
1 comment:
While I agree whole heartily with Dr. More on many of the perspectives presented in this work there is one point that I think needs to be clarified a bit when applying his well structured position to the US health system. Technology cannot resolve human behavior, no more than legislation can resolve the health care systems challenges in the US. Successfully engaging a population in their health will require more than fancy acronyms for new technologies it will require a change in how health systems function and how the reimbursement systems works. So new "Person Centered" and "Collaborative Care" technologies will not engage any person unless fundamental changes are made to the way we engage individuals about their health.If you disagree please contact anyone of the health and wellness companies who struggle to gain 10% participation rates in their populations. Start with the basics, health systems change from an operations perspective engaging their communities actively at the same time focusing on the reimbursement system instead of the government paying for EMR software and then you have a platform for "Person Centered" anything you want. My hat is off to you Dr. More and Australia and the US could learn much from you.
Frank Avignone, ACHE
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