Hospitals & health networks / AHA
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Health care trails other fields in the application of information technology primarily because it lacks uniform standards and protocols. This month's gatefold looks at various initiatives now under way by the government and within the health care field.
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Insurers are using their purchasing power and their enormous stores of claims data to push hospitals to improve quality. Health plans are able to parse the data according to such quality indicators as cost, length of stay and outcomes. Hospitals are wary of the trend, but some welcome it, especially if insurers use the so-called pay-for-performance model.
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Once maligned for its health care system, the Veterans Administration in recent years has improved the quality of the care it offers, creating a sophisticated electronic medical record and streamlining business processes, such as bed use and prescription drug procurement. Civilian hospitals should take note.