An important bi-partisan report was released today that includes a set of recommendations for the most effective use of health information technology (IT) dollars to support coordinated, accountable, patient-centered models of care. We were fortunate enough to have our President and CEO, Scott Armstrong, contribute to this work through the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Task Force on Delivery System Reform and Health Information Technology. Over the last six months, the Task Force, headed by Senators Daschle and Frist, has collaborated across industries and party lines to develop a set of recommendations for the most effective use of health IT dollars to support new models of care that improve quality and health, and reduce costs.
The two primary goals of the Task Force were: 1) Identify real-world examples and best practices that facilitate coordinated, accountable, patient-centered care; and, 2) Make recommendations for ensuring that current health information technology efforts support delivery system and payment models shown to improve quality and reduce costs in health care, in ways that best utilize scarce public and private resources.
The report discusses the common attributes of high-performing organizations that align with emerging delivery system reforms and health IT capabilities needed to support them. Group Health is considered to be a high-performing organization by the Task Force, and our successes are captured throughout the report. The report also addresses gaps in health IT capabilities, the barriers to their achievement, and recommendations for accelerating the creation of a health IT foundation that will drive improvements in the quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of care in the U.S.
Health IT plays a critical and foundational role in these new models of care. When well designed and effectively used, health IT saves lives, improves quality, and reduces costs. This report takes a very necessary step in the right direction to help meet the triple aim of improving health, improving the experience of care for patients and families, and reducing the cost of care.
However, much more future work is needed in this field to further drive innovation in health IT, and we hope this report will help encourage policy makers to promote health organizations who are investing and innovating through health IT. Amidst the national and state discussion on furthering health IT capabilities, Group Health continues to forge the way for other organizations in the use and development of health IT for the benefit of our members.
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