EMR HIT Trends for 2011-2014 - What Will This Mean for Job Growth?
By: Jonena Relth
From: HealthCareTalentTransformation
Cari McLean from HIMSS posted a question on LinkedIn asking: "What are your greatest takeaways from HIMSS11?" While the answers were varied, of course, it was fairly easy to pick up on which trends are floating to the top for the next couple of years.
Most people I talk to would most likely agree with the priorities chosen by the respondents which are dwindled down to the short list below. This is an exciting time in our country's history. We're in the midst of undertaking the biggest changes to healthcare that our citizens have ever seen. And while it's taking a coordinated effort by both medical and non-medical professionals to make this a reality, I am certain that we are up to the task!
While all of the tasks need to be accomplished/mastered, I've listed them in "my" order of importance from an Organizational Development/Training perspective.
1. "Interoperability and the problems stemming from the lack thereof will have to be addressed for overall success."
My take: I've been pounding this drum until my colleagues finish my sentences for me. This is crucial folks. What good are systems that don't communicate with each other? What good are systems that are not accessible? Interoperability is going to be key to long-term success of EMR/EHR. As human beings, we learn best and become proficient quicker when things work together. Having to work in an environment where systems don't work together is counter-productive and frustrating.
2. "Meaningful use - the rush to and the resulting effects of pushing the process is negatively impacting many smaller players which may ultimately change the playing field."
My take: It's a good thing the dates have been pushed, and I think that we're going to need additional time to get this right. It's not just about what needs to be done. Determining best practice processes is going to be vital to MU success. Our heads are already full of all the new things we're learning to do our jobs. Let's get best practices down so we don't have to frustrate people with changing rules and regulations.
3."ACOs' delivery model(s) will be instrumental in driving health IT."
My take: I Googled ACO Delivery Models. Oh my gosh...the entries are too many to even count. One thing we do know is that ACOs are supposed to be a new model for delivering healthcare services at reduced costs. To get buy-in from our medical staff, we need to know what we should be teaching teaching them and not be changing the rules as we go. And of course, unless ACOs can actually save money (yet to be demonstrated), the future of ACOs is likely to be short-lived.
4. "Training and learning assessment will be a key component to ensuring user acceptance and adoption."
My take: Yep, this is a no-brainer. What's missing in much of the planning process; however, it is the importance to involve HRD professionals from the beginning of each implementation. It should be the responsibility of the learning professionals to give guidance into the workflows of the systems, etc., so we can ensure our people can learn what they need to do to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively with the added component of EMR/EHR. We need to train and assess our people on only what they need to know, which takes planning and designing training based on user groups.
5. "Business growth and acquisitions are going to continue shaping the landscape."
My take: With any "new" major shift in any industry, we see this take place. We now have several hundred EMRs and a few "big boys" rising to the top of the pack. The same is happening with hospital systems as we continue to consolidate to achieve economies of scale and improved ROI with health delivery.
6. "The impact of social media in healthcare & health IT will be a key factor in the shift to participatory medicine."
My take: Social media is here and hospitals and providers are joining at a record pace. We need to continually be asking the question, "Do we know where our customers are and what they want to hear from us?" If our answer is "no," believe me, our competition does! If we don't communicating with our patients, investors, etc., in the way they want to receive it, they will go elsewhere to get what they need. It's a simple fact of today's world.
7. "Leveraging mobile technologies - mHealth apps and devices will be crucial to getting information/ data out in a timely manner."
My take: Physicians and hospitals are buying smart phones by the thousands. It used to only be the "cool" docs that had smart phones. Now it's the norm seeing physicians working on their mobile devices, using them to communicate with their peers, researching the Internet/Intranet and EMR/EHR systems. mHealth is here to stay. What we don't know is what the tools will look like a year from now!