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As defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), meaningful use is the implementation and adoption of EHR systems to increase the delivery of high-quality care while ensuring patient safety. However, this hasn't been the experience of many physicians whose EHR systems are viewed as encumbrances in the way of their clinical workflows.

Accountability will continue to be a key element in the future of healthcare reform. Whether in accountable care organizations, patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), or other innovative programs for coordinating care-finding a way to drive quality-focused care is essential.

In a study of older men who had died from causes other than prostate cancer, almost half were found to have prostate tumors. And up to half of those tumors detected on autopsy would have qualified for treatment had doctors known about them while the men lived, though none had been the cause of death.

Medicare is accelerating plans to peg a portion of doctors' pay to the quality of their care. The changes would affect nearly 500,000 physicians working in groups.

Community health centers in California are seeing a large disparity in patients' quality of care. The noted variation is cited as a result of the amount of time certain centers have put into improving quality measures, and attributed to their adaptation of electronic health records to monitor patients wellness.

Under healthcare overhaul, federal payments to hospitals are tied to patient satisfaction. Customer service efforts are underway.

In her keynote address Anne Peters, MD, CDE, Director, Clinical Diabetes Program, University of Southern California, opened the meeting by defining what patient-centered care is. Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, values, and ensuring that patients are involved in all clinical decisions, said Dr. Peters. She emphasizes the importance of looking to the needs of the individual patient and make decisions.

Despite concerns that some providers are lagging in the adoption of electronic health records, federal officials plan to stay on schedule in requiring hospitals to meet Stage 2 meaningful-use requirements, the officials said Wednesday

Using low-dose CT scans to screen high-risk patients for lung tumors is far more effective at preventing lung cancer deaths than scanning those at low risk, according to a new analysis of over 53,000 volunteers.

Ratcheting up the campaign to sell the health law, President Barack Obama delivered a speech Thursday touting how millions of individuals are already benefiting from its insurance rebates, and others who buy coverage online in states such as California, New York and Oregon will pay lower-than-projected premiums next year because of increased competition.

Debate recently surfaced following controversial news that the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would be delayed. However, welcome relief for employers has had little effect on individuals, who must still abide to the ACA's individual mandate or face tax penalties.

In light of news that nine of CMS' 32 Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations will exit the program, Paul Levy, former CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, wrote a blog post about the 10 obstacles to achieving mass-scale cost savings.

Most primary care doctors are still waiting for that Medicaid pay raise that was scheduled to begin in January under the Affordable Care Act, but a federal official says the government has now approved applications from 48 states to begin paying the higher rates.

Financial incentives can drive providers' adoption of health information technology, including e-prescribing.

The cost rates of insurance in the New York healthcare exchange are expected to be drastically reduced for most consumers in the state.

Medication adherence service provider HealthPrize, run by former Yale Medical School professor and neurosurgeon Katrina Firlik and lawyer Tom Kottler, hopes to raise the bar for patients' medication adherence. HealthPrize web and mobile platforms will utilize various incentives and technology to award patients for proper adherence

Hospitalizations for to pneumococcal disease have been reduced since the introduction of the 7-valent vaccine (PCV7). The PCV7 vaccine has no only helped children, but the elderly as well.

Use of electronic health records (EHRs) saved only an average of 3% in ambulatory health costs 18 months after adoption and did little to reduce overall inpatient costs. Larger savings may be possible if providers are better incentivized to deliver more efficient care.

First year results are in - all 32 participants in the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) initiative showed success in improving quality. However, not as much success was made in cost savings.

States like Texas, Florida, and North Carolina are all seeing a large growth in freestanding emergency room centers. These Standalone ERs target private insurer holders with their convenient locations, but risk affecting insurance premiums.

In a push for value-based care, UnitedHealth is pledging to double its provider payment in relation to quality and cost efficiency by up to $50 billion within the next 5 years.

Many physicians who treat Medicare patients may see an end to unreimbursed evaluation-and-management (E&M)

Patient aligned care team model linked to increased access and continuity, telephone and Internet care, patient use of e-records, and post-hospital follow-up

Pharmaceuticals companies continue to weigh options for their role in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).

Come 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) may push bundling of some outpatient procedures.

A new bill, Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2013 (HR 1416), is aiming to restore Medicare reimbursements for anti-cancer drugs and biologicals to pre-sequester levels

While American Urological Association and American College of Physician guidelines suggest shared-decision making in prostate specific antigen (PSA) screen testing, most patients have not had part in discussing those decisions.

In light of the delay on employer penalties for not offering healthcare insurance, some federal officials are demanding the same delay be made for the individual mandate.

Insurer UnitedHealth Group recently noted it will more than double payments made to physicians who participate in accountable care contacts. ACOs have already demonstrated an immense positive growth in quality care, and a reduction in medical costs.

With new models of care delivery, reformation of outdated fee-for-service payment systems, and collaboration of groundbreaking provider-payer partnerships, the changing landscape of the healthcare industry is irrefutable. Yet, the integration of health information technology (HIT) continues to be an area of deliberation for many managed care professionals.