Auburn, CA and Little Rock, AR / PRWeb / October 4, 2013 – A recent study focusing on health information technology (HIT) trends for health care professionals showcases how HIT systems are being used to support transition of care and readmission prevention programs. This is one of several findings in a new Trend Report published by 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 #4: Transitions of Care—Reducing Readmissions, one of a nine-part series, examines how software systems are supporting providers and their patients in creating a more seamless environment to transition from one care setting to the next without experiencing any unnecessary medical complications or other set-backs. The analysis is based upon a number of questions assessing provider attitudes and activities towards leveraging technology-enabled processes and tools to promote better transitions of care.
“The growth and evolution of health IT systems to support patient-centric care management is a welcome development,” says Rob Pock, TCS Founder and CEO and one of the study sponsors. “With more commercial and governmental payers supporting payment for transitional care and efforts to decrease readmissions and unnecessary services, we believe interoperability to support care coordination between payers and multiple practice sites will be the next frontier.”
Among several questions, respondents provided a snapshot of how HIT systems are supporting transitions of care programs. The majority of survey respondents (51%) report using one or more electronic software resources to support transitions of care, while only a third (31%) responded that they were not using software resources to promote this initiative. The remaining 18% reported that this was not applicable to their line of work.
Trend Report #4 also summarizes respondents’ attitudes about whether existing care management IT systems support transitions of care as defined by certain practice settings; different actions and services that may comprise a readmission prevention program to support transitions of care; and breaks down how software systems are supporting transitions of care goals.
Cheri Lattimer, Executive Director of CMSA, notes, “as transitions of care and readmission prevention programs expand over the next few years, new technologies will be needed to continue meeting the needs of the health care industry.” She adds too that “emerging technology and software solutions must address several critical steps including standardized processes, good communication, performance measures, patient portals, established transparency and accountability, and strong care management support program.”
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.
“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.”
“The three surveys conducted over the past five years represent the largest research effort to assess the opportunities and challenges associated with IT innovations in the care management arena and reveal the tremendous potential,” says Joel Brill, MD, AGAF, CHCQM, ABQAURP board member. “If you are involved in the practice of care management or health information technology, this is a must-read series.”
Trend Report #1: Introduction & Methodology Overview provides a background on the survey methodology, participants and sampling technique. The first three Trend Reports can be viewed or downloaded on a complementary basis at http://www.tcshealthcare.com/ in the News section, or by visiting http://www.cmsa.org/.
Trend Reports #5-9 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 http://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
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; http://www.tcshealthcare.com/.
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; http://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: http://www.cmsa.org;/ Twitter @CMSANational.