Electronic Health Records
Public Documents
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October 22, 2012
WALTER MCCLURE, who worked with Paul Ellwood to create the HMO, was interviewed in August 2012. Minnesota's health care system is close to where he wants health care to be with outside analysis of patients and doctors. From the Interview: "When [McClure's] team started on [cost and quality] assessment in the 1980's, the idea that someone would be looking over a physician's shoulder was considered communism. Physicians were convinced of their right to autonomy. However, by 2008 Minnesota's private and voluntary sector had accomplished a sea change in this culture with 85 percent of providers in the state participating in having their outcomes measured." [our emphasis]
Public Documents
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October 18, 2012
Four U.S. Senators, including Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) sent a letter to HHS asking several questions about "the final rule fo rthe Stage 2 of Meaningful Use for the adoption of electronic health records." Doctors and hospitals can receive taxpayer funds for adopting EMRs. Penalties for failure to adopt EMRs begin in 2015. In their fourth and final bullet, the Senators cited an article, "More voices raised against EHR incentives," discussing CCHF's concerns about EHRs and MU.
The government exchanges (state or federal) all follow the same regulatory structure. They are website portals through which data flows to the federal government for purposes of regulatory control and enforcement. Five federal agencies receive the data: IRS, Treasury, HHS, Homeland Security, and Social Security Administration.
Issues
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February 21, 2012
More than 6 of 10 physicians state that EHR use has not improved diagnosis accuracy or treatment planning. Meanwhile, despite much public discussion regarding liability, only 22% of physicians in groups of 10 or more feel that the use of EHRs is too risky, compared with 48% of solo practitioners who voice this concern.