FHIR: The Building Blocks to Beat Data Silos

Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is a breakthrough tool that will significantly improve health information management professionals' ability to break down data silos and communication barriers with clinicians. Value-based care models demand better collaboration across the continuum of care, including data sharing from varied care locations, and in disparate formats. FHIR is a bridge that has the power to improve uptake by clinicians and in turn improve outcomes that are currently hindered by a lack of complete patient information at points of care delivery.

EHRs are just one piece of an increasingly complex patient data profile that includes many sources and formats. FHIR enhances the value of all these sources, bringing them together so clinicians can flag potential drug interactions, identify gaps in care, and deploy analytics to guide future decision making. FHIR improves access and visibility for the health information professional, for the clinician, and for the consumer. FHIR's focus on simplicity, extensibility, and interoperability promises to revolutionize the sharing of health care information - and improve the experience and outcomes across the health care continuum.

Is Your EHR "Social"?

by Melanie Meyer, MHA, RHIT, CCS, CPHQ

HIM professionals can play a significant role in working with social determinants of health (SDOH) as they understand not only the best way to capture data, but also to account for how that data will be used, whether at the individual level or for a population. It will be important to monitor industry trends for changes and other potential impacts to coding, workflows, quality measures, and billing as SDOH may be used to adjust payments in the future. In response to the need to improve quality outcomes and lower costs, capturing and using SDOH data will be required. Now is the time to make sure your EHR is "social" and consider how your systems might be used to support these efforts.

Empower Your HIM Career with the CHIA Convention

Join us for the 2017 CHIA Convention & Exhibit, California's premier HIM event. The Power of Health Information recognizes health information professionals as stewards of health care's greatest asset, health information. Advanced Registration closes May 10 , register early for best rates.

Register Today

CHIA Webinars on Demand

Are you a busy HIM professional looking for a convenient solution that allows you to stay connected to health information education and earn continuing education? CHIA has your solution with Webinars on Demand.

This e-learning resource is tailored to meet your needs and is available on your time. Hot topics include Ethical Coding Standards, PEPPER, POLST, IG, OSHPD Updates, P4P Initatives, CDI, and more. Recent additions include:

Medicare Advantage HCCs and RADV Audits
Why Patient Matching Is a Challenge
The 60-Day Rule: Reporting and Returning Overpayments

Learn Twitter with the CHIA Social Media Committee

New to Twitter? The CHIA Social Media Committee and member Rebecca Teleszky, RHIA want to help HIM professionals learn how to setup a profile and start using Twitter to connect with peers and the association. CHIA's Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn offer a great platform to stay connected to HIM news and peers.

What's Happening in HIM This Week

We Asked People How to Fix EHRs, and Boy Did They Have Answers

Healthcare IT News; April 24, 2017

Health systems have invested billions on electronic health records, and EHR vendors have kept pace in improving and enhancing their platforms. Yet, with all that, many in the healthcare field still hate them, especially physicians. So the question we placed to readers was simple: How can they be fixed?

Healthcare IT News received nearly 100 answers from insiders at provider organizations, technology vendors and consulting shops and many of them came back to one word: usability. As part of our survey, we asked readers to pick their top EHR concerns and the results were mixed. About 21 percent said confusing user interface was the top EHR issue, 21 percent cited "too many clicks," 20 percent pointed to interoperability issues and 18 percent picked workflow clashes with other clinical tasks.

The following gallery highlights some of the more detailed responses we got.

Final Rule to Increase Choices and Encourage Stability in Health Insurance Market for 2018

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; April 13, 2017

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the final Market Stabilization rule, to help lower premiums and stabilize individual and small group markets and increase choices for Americans. Individuals obtaining coverage in the Marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act have faced double-digit premium increases, fewer plans to choose from, and a market that continues to be threatened by insurance issuer exits. The CMS rule is designed to provide some relief for patients and issuers now.