Healthcare reform in Colorado prompts implementation of care management technology

Date:  July 30, 2010
Categories:  Healthcare Reform News

The national healthcare reform has prompted the implementation of health information exchange, as states across the country increase their use of technology to provide high quality care and qualify for government incentives.

Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT released guidelines for funding healthcare providers who adopt electronic health records (EHR). Care professionals and hospitals alike may qualify for inventive payments with the meaningful use of medical software, offsetting the cost of this technology by next summer.

Robyn Leone, director of the Colorado Regional Extension Center, stressed the importance of "all healthcare providers in Colorado to advance the rapid adoption and use of health IT."

According to Gazette.com, a growing number of Colorado hospitals and healthcare organizations have joined the state's Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) in order to develop a shared electronic medical record program. Implementing this technology will place the CRHIO in a position to receive federal funding.

Healthcare management technology will enable providers to offer quality care. Properly certified software can help place comprehensive patient data at physicians' fingertips, outlining important information such as medical history.