Low-hanging fruit.

Coffee Brown, University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News

The Alliance for Health Reform presented findings of recent pilot studies showing that major improvements in healthcare are possible now, even in advance of new technologies and structures.

Ed Howard, Alliance for Health Reform, said that less than two percent of hospitals have “fully integrated” Health Information Technology (HIT). Even as hospitals invest in hardware, software, and training, the systems won’t work unless everyone uses them, he said. Where HIT is used effectively, he finished, quality and cost control are measurably improved. In other words, HIT does deliver better, faster, less expensive care.

But only when its use is coordinated among providers (often called “Care Teams”), according to Carolyn M. Clancy, MD, Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). When the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) merely recreates the chart as an electronic document, “it can actually allow us to make the same mistakes faster.”

She cited the Provnost Study showing that when computers helped to coordinate care among all of the caregivers, using checklists, prompts, and feedback, infected lines in the ICU were reduced nearly to zero.

Jon Rasmussen, Pharm. D., Chief of Clinical Pharmacy Cardiovascular Services, and Susan Kuca, RN, Cardiac Care Coordinator, described Kaiser Permanente’s intricately coordinated care. They said the program had reduced the risk of subsequent fatal heart attack by 88 percent if begun immediately after hospitalization, and by 73 percent even if started much later, such as when a patient with existing heart disease came into the system from elsewhere.

Greg Halvorson, Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente Health Plan, said we are the only industrialized country without universal health care. He said healthcare can and should be both better and more affordable. Halvorson described a RAND study covering 5 million patients over 2 years that found 25 percent of care was wrong or harmful, implying that U.S. savings in healthcare from efficiency alone could be one-half to one trillion dollars.

Diabetics account for 30 percent of Medicaid dollars, yet their carewas rated as “right only eight percent of the time.”

Big deductibles had the opposite of their intended effect by causing beneficiaries to delay care too long, he said.

In the case of chronic care, one percent of patients use 35 percent ofthe dollars, and ten percent use 80 percent of total dollars. “Chronic
care is a team sport,” Halvorson said.

The consensus of the panel was that, even without a single new treatment or device, coordination of ongoing care could save billions
or trillions of dollars, while improving outcomes.

Comments

[jacksmith]

Finally, the time has arrived to fix Americas Healthcare crisis, and Americas healthcare nightmare. Hundreds of thousands of you are killed needlessly every year by your healthcare delivery system in a rush to profit. And because of a rush to profit Hundreds of thousands more of you are needlessly dying from treatable illness that people in other developed and civilized countries don't DIE! from. Rich, middle class, and poor alike. Insured, and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies.

Additionally, thousands more of you are driven into financial ruin, and bankruptcy just because you, or one of your loved ones got sick or injured. And all of this is happening at a time when America spends twice as much of it's GDP (Gross Domestic Productivity) on health care than any other country in the developed world. Individual Americans spend about ten times as much on health care as any other people in the developed world. This is a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY. AND IT MUST END!

But before we can truly fix this healthcare crisis and disgrace, everyone needs to clearly understand what the problem is. And everyone needs to clearly understand the real enormity of the problem. The problem is that HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL DELIVERY IN AMERICA IS SEVERELY CORRUPTED AND COMPROMISED BY GREED! AND THE PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MOTIVE. And it is corrupted, and compromised IN EVERY ASPECT, AND EVERY PLACE OF HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL DELIVERY. Unfortunately for all Americans, compromised healthcare ALWAYS results in needless suffering, injury, disability, and or death. Which is exactly what is happening now in America in shocking numbers.

Health care is NOT! a private for profit business. Healthcare is an essential public service. Like police, and fire. And healthcare is also a human right! PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE IS AN OXYMORON, AND AN IMMORAL AND UNETHICAL PERVERSION OF HEALTHCARE AND HUMAN RIGHTS.

So how do we fix this healthcare disgrace? I believe the fix for Americas healthcare disaster is essentially the same thing that every other developed country in the World has essentially done. "NOT FOR PROFIT, TAX PAYER SUPPORTED, SINGLE PAYER, AUTOMATIC, FREE UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL". Essentially HR676 (enhanced, and improved medicare for all). Just like every other CIVILIZED! country in the developed World has. There is no other way to truly fix and reform our current disastrous healthcare delivery system.

All Universal health care systems work best when everyone participates. But I know that the healthcare lobby, and some politicians will try and undermine "Not For Profit, Tax payer supported, Single payer, Automatic, Free Universal Healthcare for all" by falsely claiming that it will limit your choice, and require you to participate.

So, I propose that everyone be included in the national plan unless they choose to opt out. If you opt out and need medical care the national plan will insure your provider that they will be reimbursed under the rules for members in the national plan. But those who opted out, and their insurer will be responsible for the FULL! cost to the national plan for providing your care if you or your private insurer fails to reimburse the provider or the national plan in a timely manor to at least the standards of the national plan.

Including reporting you to credit agencies, withholding of taxes, leans, and garnishment of wages for unpaid medical bills. Just like you have now under private for profit healthcare, and private for profit health insurance.

Further, people who opted out will be required to provide proof of financial responsibility for future illness or be required to participate in the national plan. And everyone with children will be required to participate in the national plan. Or provide proof of insurance coverage on each child to the standards of the national plan. It will be against the law to report anyone in the national plan to a credit agency for unpaid medical bills.

Frankly, only a dope would want to opt out of the national plan and opt to keep our current disastrous private for profit medical, and insurance plans. But they will be free to choose. The most important thing is that the vast majority of Americans that want the protection, benefits, and higher quality of a universal national plan have that choice.

You see, one of the most important aspects of a universal healthcare system is easy access, and patient protection. This is accomplished by having a single payer without a conflict of interest in patient care. And by having a payer who has the power to enforce minimum standards of excellence in healthcare delivery for everyone in the plan. This is much of what Medicare does now for senors. "Aeger Primo" (The patient comes first). Unfortunately in our healthcare system the patient comes last. We are just a peace of meat to them. Cash cows to be slaughtered for profit.

So this is IT! my fellow Americans, My fellow human beings, My fellow World Citizens. And my fellow Cyber Warriors. :-) The time has come. D day. H hour. HEALTHCARE REFORM THIS YEAR! Let no one stand in our way. Contact your representative and tell them you want "Not For Profit, Tax Payer Supported, Single Payer, Automatic, Free Universal healthcare for all. And tell them you want that choice now. Tell them you want President Obama's budget passed without delay. President Obama's budget is brilliant. And exactly what is needed now.

President Obama, and his allies will need all the support you can give them. The healthcare lobby will try to take out his people if they can, like they did with Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer. And they will try to neutralize President Obama's popularity, and political power. Or they will try to take him down someway. Don't stand for it. If they attack him. Go after them ten times harder and remove them from office. We had an election. And you the people chose President Obama's leadership, and change agenda. Let no one in government disrespect the will of the American people and remain in office.

SPREAD THE WORD! And talk it up with your families, friends, and coworkers. Keep ratcheting up the pressure until there is a ROAR! across America for "NOT FOR PROFIT, TAX PAYER SUPPORTED, SINGLE PAYER, AUTOMATIC, FREE UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL".

Let's get this healthcare reform done now my fellow Americans. This year. Take no prisoners.

God Bless All Of You

Jack Smith — Working Class :-)

http://jacksmithworkingclass.blogspot.com/
(http://jacksmithworkingclass.blogspot.com/)

[NueMD]

Great article. "In other words, HIT does deliver better, faster, less expensive care." Visit http://www.nuemd.com/why_nuemd/case_studies/notaroberto.html for more for examples of how health information technology can save a practice time and money.