Clinical Decision Support: No Longer Just a Nice-to-Have
by Value-based reimbursement means quality improvement is now imperative; smart CDS is essential
By:Mike Miliard – HealthcareITNews
Since Hippocrates first brandished a pair of bronze forceps, care providers have aimed for quality. It’s always been the goal to deliver safe and effective care to best extent possible.
But there’s always room to improve. And nowadays, with the shift from volume to value finally taking hold, moving toward better clinical care is no longer optional.
This past fall, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services announced it will invest $840 million over four years to help 150,000 clinicians improve patient outcomes, reduce unneeded tests and avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations. One of the central pillars of its Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative is to help providers regularly use electronic health records to examine data on quality and efficiency.
A few months later, in January of this year, HHS upped the ante ‘ making an ‘historic’ announcement of ambitious new timelines toward value-based care. Furthering its embrace of alternative reimbursement models such as accountable care organizations and bundled payments, HHS set a goal of tying 85 percent of all traditional Medicare payments to quality or value by 2016.
“We believe these goals can drive transformative change, help us manage and track progress, and create accountability for measurable improvement,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell.
The clock is ticking on clinical quality improvement. If hospitals and practices want to be paid in the years to come, it’s incumbent on them to show they’re delivering better care.
About the Trenton Health Team
Trenton Health Team (THT) is an alliance of the city’s major providers of healthcare services including Capital Health, St. Francis Medical Center, Henry J. Austin Health Center and the city’s Health Department. In collaboration with residents and the city’s active social services network, THT is developing an integrated healthcare delivery system to transform the city’s fragmented primary care system and restore health to the city. THT aims to make Trenton the healthiest city in the state. Support for the Trenton Health Team was provided in part by a grant from The Nicholson Foundation. For more information, visit www.trentonhealthteam.org.
###
