STEPS to Value Podcast

A major component of MACRA’s proposed rule is the Alternative Payment Models, otherwise known as APMs. This episode will provide an overview of that section of the proposed rule.

A major component of MACRA’s proposed rule is the Merit-based Incentive Payment System, otherwise known as MIPS. This episode will provide an overview of that section of the proposed rule.

With the proposed rule comes a whole new set of acronyms, terms & definitions that you need to learn to better understand the actions proposed in the regulation. This episode will help you learn the new language of MACRA.

This episode reviews the structure of the proposed rule, including its Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) component & its Alternative Payment Models (APM) component. We will also discuss the current programs rolled into the new regulation, and implications in the proposed rule for hospitals as well as clinicians.

The conversation between clinicians and designers is integral when developing effective digital clinical technologies.  A health IT super user and key voice in that conversation is the nurse.  What technologies & processes are helping them perform their duties?  What effects do the usability & user experience of current health IT products have on nurses’ daily workflow?  In this episode we hear directly from thought leaders across the nursing field on the state of user experience for nurses today.

In This Episode

Nancy Staggers, PhD, RN, FAAN and Ellen Makar, MSN, RN-BC, CCM, CPHIMS, CENP provide an overview on the UX issues facing today’s nurses.  They also discuss recently completed research conducted by the HIMSS HIT UX Committee regarding the nursing user experience.  Nancy is Professor, Informatics at University of Utah and Ellen is a Senior Policy Advisor at the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) 

Micah Sonderman discusses how developers interact with clinicians as they work to build usability health IT technologies.  Micah is User Experience Team Lead at the Cerner Corporation. 

Finally, Joyce Sensmeier, RN-BC, MS, CPHIMS, FHIMSS, FAAN joins us to share her perspective on paths forward for better health IT user experiences for nurses.  Joyce is Vice President, Informatics here at HIMSS.

We’ve all seen stories of hospital operations impacted by ransomware over the past few months, and in this episode of STEPS to Value we examine this particularly troublesome variant of malware and identify some approaches to combat its growing threat.

Electronic Secure Data is one of the five categories of value in the HIMSS Health IT Value STEPS™ framework. As we’ve shown through the framework, when data is available in electronic form, it adds value in many ways. But if we don’t maintain its confidentiality, integrity and availability, the value could become an unexpected liability. The costs related to a data breach can be crippling and, in the case of ransomware, there are additional costs that come with restoring systems, paying the ransom, or both, depending on the situation.

In This Episode

We talk with Frederick Cox, director of information security for Varian Medical Systems. Fred designs information security architecture and HIPAA and HITECH compliance programs. He’s worked in a variety of industries and has over 30 years’ experience in securing information. Fred also serves on the HIMSS Risk Assessment workgroup.

Over the course of this conversation, Fred shares his insights and offers advice to healthcare professionals looking for a more secure environment. Some solutions involve people, while others are purely technical. All of it is focused on malware, specifically, ransomware.

Share your thoughts in the comments section or send us an email at [email protected].

Since 1994, the HIMSS Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence has recognized outstanding achievement of organizations who have utilized health information technology to substantially improve patient outcomes while achieving return on investment.  But in addition to the award, the process of applying for the Davies award yielded great internal insights about the organizations applying. 

In This Episode

Hear from the following 2015 Davies Award winners:

Centura Health, a health system that provides accessible and affordable healthcare in Colorado and western Kansas, who was recently named a 2015 Davies Award winner.  Joining us are Louise Schottstaedt, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Information Officer, Steve Milligan, MD, Medical Director, Accountable Care, Will McConnell, PhD, MBA, MS VP Operations and Outreach Strategy and Tamra Lavengood, RN, BSN, MSN, Clinical Performance Coordinator.

HealthNet, Inc., Indiana’s largest federally qualified health center.  We hear from Lauren Borgmann, Clinical Information Systems/EMR Program Manager  & Carlos Guevara, BA, MEd, EMR Clinical Analyst

Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores),  a public hospital providing a range of specialized assessment and treatment services to those living with complex and serious mental illness.  Joining us is Sanaz Riahi, BScN, MSN, Director, Professional Practice, Clinical Information & Interim Admin Director, Adolescent Services.

The Wright Center, a patient-centered medical home  & cutting-edge medical residency training for primary care physicians in Northeastern Pennsylvania.   Hear from Jignesh Sheth, MD, Senior Vice President of Mission Accountability & Courtney Dempsey, BS, Clinical Innovation Specialist.

Find more information about the Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence here.

The shift from a fee-for-service to a value-based reimbursement model represents as big of a change for the healthcare industry as the shift from paper to electronic medical records.  As policy & the marketplace adjusts to this new reality, this week’s episode brings insights from the field on how alternative payment models are transforming the care experience.

In This Episode

Rene Cabral-Daniels, JD, MPH, Chief Executive Officer at Community Care Network of Virginia, Inc. discusses how alternative payment models are going to revolutionize the role of the patient in their own care team.    Learn more about Rene here. Learn more about the Community Care Network of Virginia here.

Douglas J. Van Daele, MD, FACS, Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs, Roy J & Lucille A Carver College of Medicine and Executive Director, University of Iowa Physicians describes how the University of Iowa Medicine achieved sustainable clinician buy-in on its journey to accountable care.  Learn more about Douglas here  Learn more about the University of Iowa Physicians here.

Ian Hoffberg, Manager, Applied Innovation at HIMSS North America chats about a new Accountable Care Organization (ACO) resource in the HIMSS Value of Health IT Suite.  Learn more about Ian here.  Learn more about the HIMSS ACO Navigator here.

In this short episode of STEPS to Value, Jennifer Horowitz, MA, CPHIMS, FHIMSS Senior Director, Research at HIMSS describes the findings of the 2016 HIMSS Value of health IT Survey. All respondents to the survey worked for an organization that has achieved Stage 6 or Stage 7 on the HIMSS Analytics EMRAMSM Model, or has won a Davies Award.

The HIMSS Annual Conference connects, educates and informs 40,000+ health IT professionals, clinicians, executives and vendors from around the world each year.  With hundreds of education sessions, miles of exhibition halls, and a wide range of individuals to talk to, knowing how best leverage your coverage of the event can be overwhelming when considering your plans.  In this episode of STEPS to Value, hear tips & tricks directly from HIMSS staff on how you can get the most out of your HIMSS Annual Conference reporting experience.