My two previous posts (starting at this link) and this one discuss on how to bring high value to the healthcare consumer. I examined the two important models of healthcare delivery--the Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs) and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)--and explored meaningful financial incentives models. In this post, I discuss issues concerning health information technology (HIT).

This post follows up on my previous one about Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs), Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), and Meaningful financial incentives models. In this post I focus on the issue of how to incentivize healthcare providers in PMCH-ACOs who render high value care to their patients.

During my absence from the blog these past few months--while I focused on developing new software programs--many important things have been happening in healthcare. The country's increased recognition of three transformational models are most exciting:

In a series of posts, starting at this link, I discuss an interesting virtual discussion I've been involved in that focuses on the potential of personal health records (PHRs), the impediments to realizing that potential, and innovative solutions. A wide variety of issues were covered, including the following:

Over the past few weeks, I've been engaged in a conversation with an intelligent group of people about whether personal health information (PHI) should reside in disparate "silos" (repositories) that do not communicate with one another, or whether standards should be adopted that "bust" the silos by merging the information into a common warehouse (centralized database) that spans multiple unrelated healthcare organizations, agencies and practices.

What is the most sensible—i.e., the least costly and most effective—process by which to:

Patient health data are stored in disparate silos—separate islands of information residing in often incompatible EMR/EHR and PHR databases controlled by different hospitals, clinics and public health agencies, as well different group and solo practices. The question is: What is the best way for this personal health information to be shared securely between the people who need it to provide quality care to individual patients, protect populations, and perform research leading to valid evidence-based guidelines?

I recently received an anti-Obama e-mail with a link to a video that blamed the President for our country's current and future problems. This faulty/irrational way of thinking is a gross distortion of reality because no individual is responsible for our problems, not Obama, not Bush…no one!

Instead, our problems are systemic. They stem from a malfunctioning political-economic system and a misdirected culture. At its very core, our society is built on a foundation of beliefs and values that promotes much of the negative side of human nature.

I just started a Linkein group--Crafting the Future of Health IT with Novel Solutions--located at http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2697006&trk=anet_ug_hm&goback=%2Eanh_2697006. You are welcomed to join!

Here are four interlocking issues that must be addressed if we Americans are ever to fix healthcare:

1. Meaningful use of health IT vs. Minimally acceptable usefulness. I contend that health IT is used "meaningfully" only if it helps increase the effectiveness and efficiency of care (i.e., increases care value to the consumer).