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eHealthBeat: ONC Releases Agenda for 2016 Annual Meeting

Vol.17 Issue: 17

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Thursday, May 12, 2016
EHR Data Exchange on Immunization Boosts Vaccination Rates

 
Exchanging immunization data with a centralized registry by physicians leads to significant improvements in pediatric immunizations, a reduction for adolescents, and more complete medical records, according to a new study. The study published in the Journal of Pediatrics and conducted at Columbia University and the New York Department of Health, was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. It compared the percentage of children that were up-to-date on their immunizations and those who received extra, unnecessary ones before and after implementation of two-way data transfers. Up-to-date records jumped from 75 percent to 82 percent and over-immunization dropped among adolescents. “Our findings demonstrated that data exchange can improve child and adolescent immunization status, allowing scarce resources to be targeted to those who are truly under-immunized,” said Melissa Stockwell, MD, one of the researchers and Associate Professor at Columbia.

 
Healthcare Executives Praise HIT for Improving Care

 
According to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the plethora of wearable devices has yet to prove useful in changing behavior regarding physical activity. Researchers say that the increase in mHealth wearables could help mitigate that issue. The team was made up of researchers in the United Kingdom and Australia and measured 82 self-monitoring devices. A good majority of them track motion; very few measured sedentary behavior. They indicate that more research into effectiveness is needed.

 
Increased Telemedicine Use Does Not Translate to Increased Reimbursement - JAMA

 
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently published a research letter that analyzed the minute number of Medicare claims that exist for telemedicine. They found that while telemedicine visits have increased each year for over a decade that has not translated into widespread utilization. In fact, according to the data, less than one percent of rural beneficiaries were treated using telemedicine. Half of the visits were made by disabled patients. In addition, approximately 80 percent were behavioral mental health visits.

 
Cell Phones Can Help Monitor Lung Function

 
Researchers at the University of Washington found that mobile phones may prove to be of equal value as spirometers, and may also be a more cost-effective option for many. Use of traditional spirometers in areas with low economic status can be a challenge due to cost and availability, the researchers found. Smartphones may be able to fill that gap. In the study, researchers evaluated SpiroCall, an application, for ease of use and validity of the tool against top-of-the-line spirometers. The app requires users to dial a toll-free number and breathe into the phone. Read the release here.


Humana to Exit Exchanges in Two States


Health insurer Humana, will not sell plans through the healthcare exchanges set up by the Affordable Care Act in Alabama and Virginia beginning in 2017. Due to financial losses, the insurer is backing out of both states. In Alabama, due to the departure of UnitedHealthcare earlier this year, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama will be the only plan available in the state.
 
UPCOMING EVENTS



Thursday, May 12, 4:30-5:30 pm ET, Webinar: Making Sense of MACRA. Hear from CMS on Proposed Payment Regs. Featuring Robert Anthony, Deputy Director, Quality Measurement and Value-Based Incentives Group, Center for Clinical Standards & Quality. Sponsored by United Healthcare. Register here.



Wednesday, May 18, 2-3 pm ET, Advisory Board on Business & Clinical Motivators



Wednesday, May 25, 2-3 pm ET, 2016 Population Health Survey Webinar. Sponsored by Medicity. Register here.



Thursday, May 26, 2-3 pm ET, Council of Data Analytics Experts



October 4-5, 2016 Innovation Showcase at House of Sweden in Washington, D.C.



To be included in any of the upcoming events email claudia.ellison@ehidc.org.




 
Nirmal (Nim) Patel, MD, MPH

Chief Medical Information Officer, Teladoc, Inc.
Welcome New Member, CommonWell Health Alliance!



eHI and CommonWell Health Alliance Partner to Promote Interoperability and Access to Health Data



“We’re looking forward to working closely again this year with CommonWell Health Alliance and its members in building a framework to improve the healthcare delivery system by the year 2020,” said Jennifer Covich Bordenick, Chief Executive Officer, for eHealth Initiative. “CommonWell and eHealth Initiative have similar goals when to comes to promoting interoperability and access to data. It only makes sense for us to partner together to solve these healthcare challenges.”

“eHealth Initiative has been a long-standing advocate for improving the quality, safety, and efficiency of care through information and technology, and we are pleased to formally have mutual membership,” said Jitin Asnaani, Executive Director of CommonWell Health Alliance. “Our organizations are both promoting patient-centric care, where providers can make informed decisions by secure and authorized access to data. Together, with the collective experience of our members, we are making a difference in breaking down the barriers that have long stood in the way of health data exchange.”


 
 
eHI Launches 2016 Population Health Survey

 
eHealth Initiative is conducting a survey of population health measures. To complete the survey click here.  Results of the survey will be announced at a webinar, in association with Medicity, on May 25. To register for the webinar, click here. For more information or to be included in the survey, email info@ehidc.org.
GAO Announces Three New HIT Policy Committee Members

 
The Government Accountability Office appointed three new members in a press release this week to the Health Information Technology Policy Committee. James Ferguson, fellow of the Institute for Health Policy and Vice President of HIT Strategy and Policy with Kaiser Permanente, will represent payers. Carolyn Petersen, Senior Editor for Mayoclinic.org, will serve as a patient and consumer advocate. Karen van Caulil, PhD, President and CEO of the Florida Health Coalition, will represent employers.  


ONC Releases Agenda for 2016 Annual Meeting

 
The 2016 Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Annual Meeting agenda has been released. ONC’s Annual Conference will convene key stakeholders across the public and private sector to discuss advancing the seamless and secure flow of health information to enhance care, improve health and support science and research,” according to the announcement email. They are organizing the conference around improving consumer access to their health information, combat information blocking, and implement federally recognized, national standards. The 2016 meeting will take place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, May 31 – June 2. Follow this link to register.

 


New York Hospital Telemedicine Program Expands

 
The University of Rochester Medical Center’s recently launched Parkinson’s Disease Program will now utilize a virtual network to offer complementary care to patients across the Empire State. Participating patients will never have to leave their homes to receive care. URMC physicians will work entirely through a teleconference system. iPhone users can utilize the mPower application to track symptoms and share with their provider. 

 
Indian Health Service Seeks to Expand Telehealth

 
The Indian Health Service (IHS) announced that they are looking to expand telehealth options in the Great Plains states. IHS serves Native American and Native Alaskan populations. In a request for proposals, IHS asked providers to offer remote care at the seven facilities in Iowa, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. “This RFP supports IHS patients and providers in accessing many areas of health care, including emergency medical services at the seven hospitals in the Great Plains as well as appointments with specialists in behavioral health; cardiology; maternal and child health; nephrology; pain management; pediatric behavioral health; rheumatology; wound care; ear, nose and throat care; and dermatology,” according to the release.
Member Spotlight:



American College of Emergency Physicians Releases New Poll of ER Docs

 
A recently released poll conducted by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) found that insurers have misled patients by offering “affordable” premium plans that in actuality cover very little. The poll was conducted nationwide and surveyed 1,924 physicians during April 2016. Ninety-six percent of those surveyed responded that ER patients do not understand what their policies actually cover regarding emergency use. "Each day, emergency physicians are seeing patients who have significant co-pays, up to $400 or more, for emergency care," said Jay Kaplan, MD, FACEP, President of ACEP, in a press release." He further added, “Patients should not be punished financially for having emergencies or discouraged from seeking medical attention when they are sick or injured. No plan is affordable if it abandons you when you need it most."
Cybersecurity:


Brookings Report Reveals Lessons from Major Healthcare Breaches

 
Researchers at the Brookings Institution conducted a series of 22 in-depth interviews that revealed many interesting revelations. The interviews provide the following:
  • Healthcare data are richer and more valuable for hackers;
  • Too many people have access to medical data;
  • Medical data are stored in large volumes and for a long time;
  • The healthcare industry embraced information technology too late and too fast;
  • The healthcare industry did not have strong economic incentives to prevent privacy breaches.
In addition to their revelations, the team led by Niam Yaraghi, made several recommendations, including: healthcare organizations prioritizing patient privacy and using the available resources to protect it, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) more effectively communicating the details of its audits, and that OCR establish a universal HIPAA certification system. These interviews have been compiled into a report and are available here.
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