healthcare reform Archives

Raison d’Être

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Jan 7, 2010 | Archives

What is the purpose of health information technology? Why are we spending all these billions of dollars on this “thing” we struggle to understand, implement, and use? Is it achieving the goals of its purpose? The French elaborated on the concept of “raison d’être,”...

Looking Back…and Looking Ahead…on the Progress of EHR Implementation

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Dec 29, 2009 | Archives

In the December 2010 issue of the HIMSS Digital Office, leaders in health information technology share their perspective on the progress of EMR adoption in 2009…and their vision for implementation of electronic health records in 2010. Barry P. Chaiken, MD, FHIMSS,...

Making Meaningful Use Meaningful

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Nov 23, 2009 | Archives

Note: This article was written before the implementation of the Meaningful Use rule that was a gate to obtaining funding for EHRs through the HITECH Act. It provides some contextual background on the evolution in our use of EHRs. A short three years ago, the Office of...

Is There Any Doubt It’s Broken?

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Aug 19, 2009 | Archives

What have we learned from the Massachusetts healthcare reform effort? Although costs to the state are running higher than anticipated – a problem in a recession – about 97% of MA residents enjoy some type of healthcare insurance. Considering the national...

Healthcare IT: Slogan or Solution?

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Jan 21, 2008 | Archives

In 1980 a Stanford University School of Business professor Alain Enthoven authored a book titled Health Plan: The Only Practical Solution to the Soaring Cost of Medical Care. Dr. Enthoven provided the theoretical underpinnings of managed competition, an approach to...