25 Feb Health Data News Roundup: NSF Tackled HIT Interoperability; Employers Offering Packaged Benefits; and Population Health Study

Welcome to the Health Data Weekly News Round Up from IMAT Solutions. As the power of data continues to grow in the healthcare arena, today’s care organizations need to be on the forefront of all news and trends to help ensure that their data analytics efforts deliver accountable and informed care. Each week, we will provide you with the actionable news you need to meet these goals.

National Science Foundation Tackles Health IT Interoperability
The National Science Foundation has released a request for information (RFI) soliciting input from industry stakeholders including academic and non-governmental organizations about new approaches to improve health IT interoperability.

HHS Launches Emergency Services Payment Model for FFS Medicare
HHS and the CMS Innovation Center have announced a new payment model for emergency and ambulance services that will enable Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries to receive quality care with lower out-of-pocket costs.

70 Percent of Employers Offer Packaged Health, Dental, Pharmacy Benefits
Seventy-one percent of employers with 100 or more employees are either actively integrating or considering integrating their medical, dental, vision, and pharmacy benefits under their health and wellness programs in the next five years, according to a new study.

Population Health Management Program Growth Tied to Value-Based Care
As healthcare organizations lean toward value-based care, population health management programs will continue to grow as they give providers valuable data analytics, according to Frost & Sullivan.

EHR Use Satisfaction Higher at EMRAM Stage 7 Health Systems
Physicians at healthcare organizations that have achieved Stage 7 on the HIMSS electronic medical record adoption model (EMRAM) maturity model report higher levels of EHR use satisfaction, according to a recent KLAS report.

Kaiser’s Population Health Medical School Will Start Off Free
Kaiser Permanente’s new medical school will offer free tuition for the first five classes that enter the institution, the health system announced last week.

IBM Watson Health Teams Up with Hospitals for AI, EHR Research
IBM Watson Health has announced a ten-year, $50 million investment in artificial intelligence (AI) research partnerships with Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC).