- Review the National Quality Forum measures that can be accessed and used in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) to ensure quality metrics from an Centers for Medicare and Medicaid endorsed EHR.
- Review the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Identfiy the massive innovation funded by the Affordable Care Act and discuss a model that relies on technology to promote optimal patient centered outcomes.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
In the field of medicine, the use of technology and innovation plays a crucial role in ensuring the provision of optimal patient-centered care. As a medical professor, it is essential to equip medical college students with knowledge and skills required in accessing and implementing healthcare technology to improve the quality of care provided. In this context, this paper seeks to discuss two topics; National Quality Forum measures accessible in EHR to ensure quality metrics and the use of technology to promote optimal patient-centered outcomes.
Answer:
National Quality Forum (NQF) measures available for use in Electronic Health Records (EHR) are essential in ensuring the delivery of high-quality patient care. NQF has endorsed numerous measures on healthcare performance that can be integrated into EHR systems. These metrics help to capture and report performance and quality improvement by providing data from the use of EHR records. In the US, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has placed a significant emphasis on quality metrics, using them as a basis to incentivize health systems by issuing pay-for-performance bonuses. By integrating NQF measures in EHR, health systems can gather and report data on quality metrics, enabling them to improve and optimize care delivery. Furthermore, it ensures the provision of quality care, fulfills regulatory requirements, and improves patient safety.
Answer:
The Affordable Care Act has provided significant funding to promote innovation in healthcare. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMS Innovation Center) aims to identify and fund innovative models that promote the delivery of optimal patient-centered care. One such innovation model is the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model. This model relies on technology, care-management, and data collection enhancements to improve patient outcomes. It incentivizes primary care providers to provide high-quality primary care services by implementing flexible payment methods, data sharing, and health IT technology to support care coordination. By integrating technology in the CPC+ model, primary care providers can provide seamless, coordinated care that improves quality, access, and efficiency to their patients. Therefore, reliance on technology provides an excellent opportunity for enhancing healthcare delivery, and it’s crucial to equip medical students with relevant technology skills.
