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Project to Help 3.6 Million Consumers Reap Benefits of Electronic Health Records |
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From HHS News and Events: In a move that will improve health care for millions of Americans, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced a five-year demonstration project that will encourage small to medium-sized physician practices to adopt electronic health records (EHRs). By linking higher payment to use of EHRs to meet quality measures, we will encourage adoption of health information technology at the community level, where 60 percent of patients receive care," Secretary Leavitt said. Conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the demonstration would be open to participation by up to 1,200 physician practices beginning in the spring. Over a five-year period, the program will provide financial incentives to physician groups using certified EHRs to meet certain clinical quality measures. The Department is working to effect change through its Value-Driven Health Care initiative, which is based on Four Cornerstones: interoperable electronic health records, public reporting of provider quality information, public reporting of cost information, and incentives for value comparison. "This project will appropriately align incentives to reward doctors in small physician practices who use certified EHRs as tools to deliver higher quality care. Through this, HHS will recognize local organizations that have convened purchasers, health plans, providers, and consumers to advance value-driven health care. In 2004, President Bush recognized the need for the federal government to promote development of a secure, nationwide, interoperable health information technology infrastructure that would improve the quality and efficiency of health care in America. The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) is currently the only certification body recognized by the Secretary of HHS.
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