On Thursday, the eHealth Initiative released health IT recommendations for accountable care organizations, Healthcare IT News reports.
Recommendations
The report -- titled, "Support for Accountable Care: Recommended Health IT Infrastructure" -- recommends that ACO infrastructures:
- Be patient-centered;
- Support changing priorities;
- Sustain secure collection, storage and exchange of personal medical data; and
- Boost care coordination between providers and patients.
Comments
Jennifer Covich-Bordenick, CEO of eHealth Initiative, said the recommendations are based on the statuses of 20 ACOs around the country. She said the report was compiled with particular attention to current ACOs' health IT infrastructures, implementation goals and participation in the Medicare Shared Savings program.
She said, "It may be difficult for ACOs to accomplish all of their objectives without a strong technology base that facilitates care coordination and gives doctors the tools they need to provide quality and affordable care."
However, she noted, "With the right technology in place, these organizations have the potential to improve the health and well-being of their patient populations" (Manos, Healthcare IT News, 2/10).