Healthcare IT made Easy

HIMSS recently published a report on the adoption of Electronic Healthcare Records in various countries around the world.

200808_ehrglobalperspective_whitepaper

Today, after 20 years of health IT development, virtually every person in the State of Israel, whether they are a citizen or a resident, has an electronic healthcare record (EHR).

Israel has a population of more than seven million people, which is larger than 38 of the States in the United States.  The life expectancy in Israel is 82 years of age for women and 78 years of age for men. Israel spends 8 percent of its GDP on healthcare.  Everyone has basic coverage, which is offered through one of four HMO’s.  People can also purchase additional coverage.

In Israel, all healthcare providers utilize Electronic Medical Record Systems (EMRs) that are tied into the main record keeping systems of the HMO’s. A doctor may work on behalf of any, or all, of the HMO’s. Every person in Israel can access their complete healthcare record over the Internet; and in many cases, through free-standing kiosks.  Traditional telemedicine; such is teleradiology, is in wide-spread use and telemonitoring is being rapidly deployed for such applications as “Virtual Nursing Homes”.

The Israeli people are particularly mindful of the security and safety of their healthcare information.  Medical privacy has evolved in a multitude of ways; i.e., knowledge gained by participating in the Israeli defense forces,  the cumulative knowledge of process development over the past 20 years and a culture attuned to safety and security.

The USA, as well as other countries throughout the world, can easily adopt the IT knowledge gained from Israel’s healthcare system for improving the level of care and for reducing redundant expenditures.

The prowess of Israeli information technologies is denoted by extensive research facilities of such companies as Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard.  Additionally, firewall technology and AOL instant messaging were developed in Israel.

Attached is a short clip regarding Israel’s High-Tech industry.  The video clip can be downloaded from: http://www.export.gov.il/NewsHTML/life%20science/Invest-in-Israel.wmv

During the past 2 years, hospital acquired infections have become an important focus of Medicare, which is impacting hospital payments on an increasing basis.  The simple truth is that physicians are spreading infectious diseases through their clothing; especially their NECKTIES!  Changing this behavior can be as simple as a doctor washing his or her hands between patient visits.

In the attached article from the NY Times / IHT compelling data is cited from a study at a Connecticut hospital and a 2004 study from the New York Hospital Medical Center in Queens.  Finally, in Denmark, fewer than 1 percent of staph infections involve resistant strains of the bacteria; while in the United States in some hospitals, the number has surged to 50 percent.

The Doctor’s Hands Are Germ-Free. The Scrubs Too?

This post contains a list of various Medical Specialty Societies who published information about PQRI to their members.

Click the organization name to learn about their activities. Click the PQRI icon on the right for direct access to the organization PQRI page.

Medical Societies	PQRI Contact Person	Supported Quality Measures	Link to PQRI Page
American Academy of Audiology	Debbie Abel, AuD, Director of Reimbursement
American Academy of Dermatology	Peggy Eiden, Coding and Reimbursement Specialist	136, 137, 138
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Hospice & Palliative Medicine
American Academy of Neurology	James C. Stevens, Chair of AAN P4P Work Group	4, 9, 10, 11, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 46, 47, 106, 107, 114, 115, 124, 125, 126, 128, 130, 133, 134
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists		20, 30
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons		20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 39, 40, 41, 124, 125, 126, 127
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery		4, 20, 21, 22, 23, 46, 53, 64, 65, 66, 77, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 110, 111, 124, 125,
American Academy of Pain Medicine
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists		1, 2, 3, 18, 19, 39, 40, 41
American Association of Neurological Surgeons		20, 21, 22, 23, 30, 10, 11, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons		20, 22, 30, 124, 125
American Chiropractic Organization		124, 131
American College of Cardiology	Eileen Hagan, Associate Director, Payer Advocacy	5, 6, 7, 8, 118
American College of Emergency Physicians		28, 31, 34, 47, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 76
American College of Gastroenterology		60, 61, 62, 63
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists		20, 21, 22, 23, 39, 41, 42, 48, 49, 50
American College of Physicians		1, 2, 3, 4, 39, 47, 48
American College of Radiation Oncology	Mitzi Wilson, Vice President of Revenue Cycle Inc.–a management support company	71, 74, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105
American College of Radiology	Judy McKenzie,	10, 11, 71, 74
American College of Rheumatology		4, 24, 39, 40, 41, 108, 109, 124, 125, 131
American College of Surgeons
American Dietetic Association		1, 2, 3, 124, 128, 129, 130, 132
American Gastroenterological Association		61, 62, 63
American Geriatrics Society
American Occupational Therapy Association		4, 130, 132, 131, 128, 134, 133, 124
American Osteopatic Association
American Physical Therapy Association		4, 124, 126, 127, 128, 130, 131, 132
American Psychiatric Association		9, 106, 107, 124, 125
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy		77, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88, 89, 113, 124, 125
American Society for Therapeutic Radiology And Oncology		101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 74, 71
American Society of Anesthesiologists		30, 75, 76
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery		12, 14, 18, 19, 117
American Society of Clinical Oncology		Medical Oncology, hematology: 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73; Radiation Oncology: 74, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105; Pathology: 99, 100; General Measures: 47, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 124, 125, 129, 130, 131, 132
American Socitey of Hematology	Carol Schwartz, Senior Manager, Policy & Practice/ She authored a letter to Kerry Weems in regard to PQRI	67, 68, 69, 70, 124, 125
American Thoracic Society	Diane Krier-Morrow, Coding and Billing Consultant	51, 52, 53, 56,57, 58, 59, 64, 75, 76, 114, 115, 4, 46, 47, 110, 111, 129, 124, 125
American Urological Association		13, 15, 16, 17, 25, 26, 27, 29, 37, 38, 42, 60, 61, 62, 63
College of American Pathologists		99, 100
National Association of Social Workers
North American Spine Society		128, 130, 114, 115, 131, 132, 46, 124, 125, 109, 4, 24, 39, 40, 41, 20, 21, 30, 22, 23
Society for Vascular Surgery		11, 20, 21, 22, 124, 125
Society of Critical Care Medicine		5, 6, 7, 8, 20, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36; 43, 44, 45, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 75, 76, 111, 114, 115
Society of Hospital Medicine		5, 6, 7, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 47, 75
Society of Nuclear Medicine
Society of Thoracic Surgeons		20, 21, 22 43, 44, 45
The Endocrine Society

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