September 2007

Healthcare IT Timeout?

There is much sound and fury over healthcare IT adoption, but in the end is it signifying nothing? Some would say yes, including the president of the National Alliance for Health IT. This past summer Scott Wallace told his membership at their annual meeting that health IT advocates should focus their efforts on just a few areas in which policy and true operational changes can make an impact. "We are at a point where we have run out of adrenaline," said Wallace.

Wallace said the fact that the few models of successful health IT systems are big academic medical centers can be limiting to the overall effort. I agree, considering most healthcare is delivered by small and medium sized medical groups.

On the positive side, continued efforts at standards and interoperability are helping open up health IT to more doctors. If the various proposed government health IT bills actually get passed in '08 or '09, that could help move EMR adoption from hype to reality.

From the PR perspective, health IT and particular areas like EMR are going through the natural hype curve. Time and again, for topics in all industries, there is this slow build before the damn breaks and the firehouse of media coverage floods everyone. Then they get tired of being wet and it collapses to a small but steady stream, quenching the thirst of only the truly interested. For you healthcare IT marketers and PR folks, take full advantage of the current media thirst. But be prepared with powerful ROI case studies showing the value and affordability of your solutions for medical practices and small hospitals, not just the "wealthy" academic or large network hospitals.

I think that the new President, whoever he is, will bring focus and more funding to the issue, just in time to coincide with new levels of standards and ROI shown by small and medium sized practices. The hype will have moved to more thoughtful consideration.

Posted by Shawn Whalen on September 24, 2007 at 12:30 PM
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A Smart PHR Vision

Continuing the discussion of PHRs started on Aug. 28, this week brings a guest blog post from Dr. Lonny Reisman, CEO of client ActiveHealth Management. Dr. Reisman explores what to look for in a PHR solution.

Fulfilling the PHR Vision: Analytical Interactivity Empowering the Consumer

In today's fragmented healthcare system, patient data is scattered among physicians, hospitals, lab companies and pharmacies. This can lead to medical errors, adverse patient outcomes, costly hospitalizations and disabilities. Efforts are now underway by leading health plans and employers to aggregate patient information into personal health records (PHRs). This aggregation of data into a patient-centered and patient-controlled record can empower consumers of healthcare and enhance care optimization among physicians, other caregivers and patients.

PHRs can help enable the consumer-driven health movement, and support President Bush's federal priority to provide Americans with electronic health records by 2014. They are a centerpiece for public and private sector initiatives for healthcare IT connectivity to improve care, reduce medical errors and lower costs. PHRs also offer an opportunity to tailor information to the unique needs of the individual and support patients as they play an increasing role in managing their health.

The Model for an Ideal PHR: Analytical Interactivity is the Key

Continue reading "A Smart PHR Vision" »

Posted by Shawn Whalen on September 17, 2007 at 10:27 AM
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UnitedHealth Settles - The .005% Fine

UnitedHealth Group, the company doctors love to hate, rolled over in the lawsuit brought by 36 states for the insurer's claims processing practices, or lack thereof.

In the settlement, UnitedHealth will be pay $20 million to the 36 states. They will also start a three-year "process improvement" plan of quarterly reports and annual benchmarks to cut down on claims-payment errors, help speed payments and better field complaints. If the process improvement plan requirements aren't met, the managed care giant could pay up to $20 million more in fines.

In 2006, UnitedHealth made $4 billion in profit. I'm sure they'll feel the pain of that $20 million.

Continue reading "UnitedHealth Settles - The .005% Fine" »

Posted by Shawn Whalen on September 10, 2007 at 12:55 PM
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Crazy Like a Fox?

Yes, everyone knows that cost is barrier #1 for EMR adoption, especially for small and medium sized practices.  That's why the eClinicalWorks of the world are handing the large vendors their petards. Open source will inevitably change the landscape with free software and fee services.

Now RemedyMD is giving their technology away for free, while charging for tech support and additional analytic tools. Good PR, bad business practice in my opinion. Earlier this year, Practice Fusion announced free EMR software supported by Google ads, another winner strategy.  If I were a doctor, I'd be skeptical of the long term viability of companies making such moves. And of course you get what you pay for, and a free EMR may end up being worth every penny.

Posted by Shawn Whalen on September 4, 2007 at 4:34 PM
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