The healthcare IT field is rapidly developing and changing. Emerging technology and updated regulations put pressure on healthcare providers and health plans to stay ahead of the curve. Perficient creates a monthly list that explores some of the current topics and issues in health IT. This list examines the most talked about issues and technologies that are currently affecting the industry.
Predictive Analytics
Predictive analytics are able to help healthcare organizations manage clinical issues in a timely manner and analyze statistical data to identify potentially preventable conditions. Doing so can not only help organizations meet accountable care objectives, it is also able to reduce costs, waste and fraud. Providers are able to proactively provide better care, reduce costs, and more effectively meet industry standards.
- Leveraging Advanced Analytics to Successfully Reduce Hospital Readmissions
- A Healthy Dose of BI And Analytics Makes For Smarter Medicine
- Global Healthcare Analytics/Medical Analytics Market worth $10.8 Billion by 2017
Social Media
Social networking and collaboration tools provide one-to-one streams of interactive communication which enable patients to seek out information about diseases and treatment options. Social tools can also be used to facilitate collaboration within the enterprise between clinicians, researchers, and partners.
- Hospitals check into social media
- 9 ways to strengthen your hospital’s social media plan
- Hospital Social Media Use Infographic
- Should Your Doctor Be Following You On Twitter?
Accountable Care Organizations
An ACO is a group of healthcare providers that partner under a payment and delivery reform model. These partners become collectively accountable for the full continuum of care for a population of patients. This reform model ultimately ties reimbursement to quality metrics and reductions in the total cost of care for the patient population.
- Report: 31 million patients in US receive care from an ACO
- What doctors should ask insurers before joining ACOs or medical homes
- More on Why Prognosis of ACOs Is Guarded and How Should Population Health Management Providers Position Themselves
Portals
Having social networking access to providers, via secure portals, patients have the ability to be more engaged in their care and make better decisions about the care they receive. Portals provide near instantaneous access to patient and clinical information, streamline core business processes, referrals and claims, and improve communications with patients/members, physicians, administrators and partners. Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements are helping to spur the growth of portals.
- The Impact of Electronic Patient Portals on Patient Care
- Patients’ e-records access tied with increased healthcare use: study
- Centralize health and wellness with an employer-branded portal
EHR/Meaningful Use Stage 2
Meaningful Use is a set of standards that ensures Electronic Health Record systems are being used meaningfully, in order to improve the quality of care. Stage 2 of meaningful use has a primary theme of interoperability between EHR systems and engaging patients in their own care.
