TCR’s Center for Advanced Research on Emerging Healthcare Technologies Presents Invited Systems Track Presentation

“Impacts of Meaningful Use and What’s Next: The Next Generation Accountable Care Organization Model”

Abstract–In 2009, with the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), the federal government authorized twenty-one billion dollars to launch the Meaningful Use program. The goal was to encourage healthcare providers to use electronic health record systems, and thereby facilitate electronic information sharing among healthcare providers, patients, and clinical data registries. The Meaningful Use program succeeded in promoting adoption of electronic health record systems – at considerable cost and with mixed results. In April 2015, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) was signed into law by President Obama. Under provisions of MACRA, Medicare reimbursements to health care providers will be based on demonstrable improvements in patient outcomes and reduced health costs, and not for the use of electronic health record systems per se. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced the Meaningful Use program will end in 2016 and will be supplanted by other initiatives, such as the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model. Accountable Care Organizations are composed of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers and suppliers that voluntarily collaborate to offer coordinated, quality care at lower cost to Medicare patients. This paper discusses impacts of Meaningful Use and why meeting its goals presents formidable challenges. To comply with Meaningful Use, Medicare providers must use a certified EHR system. However, the certification process omits many key considerations critical to operational success, and does not suffice as evidence the EHR system is suitable for a particular clinical setting. Innovative, holistic solutions are needed to improve EHR interoperability, usability, and support for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance.

This paper is available in its entirety on IEEE Xplore.

TCR’s Center for Advanced Research on Educational Assessment Technologies presented an invited paper on “Lessons Learned Using Health Information Technology to Foster Student Interest in STEM Majors and Careers”

Abstract– In this paper, the authors describe their efforts to create a high school/post-secondary extracurricular program to encourage students to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) studies and careers. The program, Best We Can Be, uses Health Information Technology (HIT) as a foundation from which students can explore diverse topics and interdisciplinary connections. It gives students opportunities to participate in collaborative team efforts. Specific topics are selected based on input from subject matter experts, suggestions from the students’ teachers, and self-reported student interests. Best We Can Be sharpens the focus of students’ view of their opportunities. The oft-given advice, “Just follow your passion!” does not help students make optimal, rational college and career choices. Students are often unaware of their options and lack the skills to capitalize on them. Best We Can Be uses an online data collection platform to examine the feasibility and usefulness of different criteria to measure student needs and best teaching practices.

Calls for educational reform and revolutionary approaches to teaching STEM have been ongoing for decades. Recently, this has translated into action—as reflected in the explosion of new STEM programs within and outside traditional school structures. The need for effective programs that engage students in STEM learning is clear and urgent. However, as more programs are developed, we see increased competition for funds and students’ attention. Better yardsticks are needed to enable informed choices. Evaluating program impacts and quality requires universal metrics and data collection that enable a consistent and holistic perspective. Ultimately, evaluation and assessment of STEM teaching programs contributes to greater understanding of the complexities and interdependences found in educational settings. This understanding is indispensable to creating a workforce with the requisite STEM skills needed to succeed in today’s society.

This paper is available in its entirety on IEEE Xplore.