In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into law. Approximately $19.2B of those monies were targeted specifically to drive adoption of electronic health records (EHR). This has resulted in significant adoption of EHR, although gaps remain especially for behavioral health and small/rural providers. Standards-based health information exchange (HIE) also remains a challenge. As of 2018, the program was evolving into the Promoting Interoperability (PI) program.
In 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law, with requirements to develop Accountable Care Organizations (ACO). Providers organized as ACO that voluntarily meet quality thresholds can share in the cost savings they achieve for the Medicare program. To qualify as an ACO, organizations must agree to be accountable for the overall care of their Medicare beneficiaries, have adequate participation of primary care physicians, support evidence-based medicine, report on quality and costs and coordinate care. These have since expanded into broader Accountable Care Networks (ACN).
Electronic health records, digital health solutions, other clinical technology and robust health information exchange will be key success factors for organizations to optimize opportunities under health care reform provisions. They will need to manage both clinical and financial risk. Efficient exchange of information, as well as integration of various data sets such as social determinant of health (housing, food and utility security, transportation) and behavioral health components, will spell success in the future. Service organizations should identify the information needs of all stakeholders, analyze how data is utilized, apply an effective planning process and implement systems with the active involvement of key constituencies.
Consulting Services
Envision Consulting assists organizations as they plan for sustainable change via deployment of clinical technology, including electronic health records.
Provider services
- Strategic clinical technology/digital health planning
- Requirements definition
- Business process redesign
- RFP development and system selection
- Project management, implementation, optimization and change management
- EPIC implementation and optimization
- Benefits realization/ROI analysis
- Project quality assurance/oversight
- Informatics, reporting and data use strategies
Vendor and Academic services
- Marketplace analysis
- Functional requirement definition/product strategy
- Marketing and business development
- US market localization
- Informatics curriculum development
Customized presentations are also available for healthcare and human service providers, non-profits, corporations and small businesses, public sector agencies, associations, health plans, managed care organizations, clinical technology vendors and other audiences.