National Study Highlights the Expansion of Mobile Technology, Social Media and Other Communication Platforms in Health Care

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Auburn, CA and Little Rock, AR / PRWeb / February 21, 2013 – A recent study focusing on Health IT trends for case managers and other health care professionals indicates the use of text messaging to communicate with patients has doubled since 2010, and respondents predict the same growth in the next two years. This is one of several findings in a new Trend Report published by the sponsors of the 2012 Health IT Survey, TCS Healthcare Technologies (TCS), the Case Management Society of America (CMSA), and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians (ABQAURP).

Trend Report #2: Communications & Social Media is one section in a nine-part series that showcases the impact of various Health IT applications on the medical management field, examines the role of care management software applications in the larger arena of health information technology, and identifies primary trends in system functionality to support care management interventions and patient care.

“If you are involved in the practice of care management or involved with health information technology, this is a must-read series,” says Rob Pock, TCS founder and CEO. “The three surveys conducted over the past six years represent the largest research effort to assess the opportunities and challenges associated with IT innovations in the care management arena and unveil the tremendous potential.”

This is the third time TCS, CMSA and ABQAURP have joined forces to sponsor the bi-annual survey, with the first survey conducted in 2008.  By comparing data from all three surveys—2012, 2010 and 2008—the series of 2013 Trend Reports reveals several emerging patterns in Health IT use and perception.

Trend Report #2 assesses traditional, current and emerging communication avenues in health care based on respondents’ usage and predicted future use. The decrease in the use of traditional communication methods, such as letters and facsimile, come as no surprise considering the rising popularity of text messaging, smartphones and the use of email as a primary means of communication. Respondents also predict an increase in all areas of emerging communications, including the use of social media and blogging to connect with patients.

“Each of the three studies has been designed and supervised by a panel of leading experts in the field,” notes Garry Carneal, JD, MA, who has supervised the research project since 2008.  “What makes this study so helpful is the tracking and reporting of key health IT trends over a period of time.  This information should empower clinicians and others to make more informed decisions about how to adopt and implement new IT solutions in health care.”

Each segment of the 2013 Trend Report series targets a different aspect of Health IT as it applies to the care management industry:

1.            Introduction and Methodology Overview

2.            Communications and Social Media

3.            Case Management Functions

4.            Transitions of Care/Readmissions

5.            Patient Engagement Strategies

6.            Information Technology Infrastructure

7.            Caseloads

8.            Data Analytics/Return on Investment

9.            Satisfaction and the Adoption Curve

Trend Report #1: Introduction & Methodology Overview provides a background on the survey methodology, participants and sampling technique. The first two Trend Reports can be found at www.tcshealthcare.com in the News section, or by visiting www.cmsa.org.

Trend Reports #3-9 will be published over the next several months. Those interested in receiving copies of the remaining reports as they become available can sign up in the Events section of www.tcshealthcare.com. The TCS website also contains other valuable resources and information, including links to the webinar series showcasing the results of the survey.

 

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About the Co-Sponsors

American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians, Inc. (ABQAURP), is a non-profit education and certification board that has certified over 9,800 physicians, nurses and other health care professionals in Health Care Quality Management (HCQM) and Patient Safety. Established in 1977, ABQAURP is the nation’s largest organization of interdisciplinary healthcare professionals. ABQAURP is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) as a provider of Continuing Medical Education, and by the Florida Board of Nursing as a provider of Nursing Credit.

For more information: (800) 998-6030; www.abqaurp.org.

Case Management Society of America (CMSA), established in 1990, is the leading non-profit association dedicated to the support and development of the profession of case management. CMSA serves more than 11,000 members, 20,000 subscribers, and 75 chapters through educational forums, networking opportunities, legislative advocacy and establishing standards to advance the profession.

For more information: www.cmsa.org; Twitter @CMSANational.

TCS Healthcare Technologies (TCS) is a leading provider of software and clinical solutions that support and improve population health management strategies for health plans, insurers, providers, third-party administrators, medical management companies, and others. TCS is recognized as one of the premier health care software companies in the United States designing, offering, and hosting a number of products and services. The TCS Acuity Advanced Care® application provides a comprehensive and integrated care management software system for Utilization Management (UM), Case Management (CM), Disease Management (DM), and Prevention/Wellness (PW) services.

For more information: (530) 886-1700 ext. 211; www.tcshealthcare.com.

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