Increasing Interoperability in Health Information Systems for Medicaid, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment

摘要

Interoperable information systems communicate with each other on an ongoing basis, despite different purposes, structures, and underlying technologies. Such planned interoperability, which allows very different systems to work together, holds promise for U.S. healthcare. Interoperability in health information systems will make possible health information exchange, with appropriate safeguards, which ultimately will improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of treatments dimensions of U.S. healthcare in need of innovation and improvement. Research by McGlynn and colleagues assessed the quality of healthcare in the U.S. by examining how often consumers receive the most effective treatments available evidence-based medicine. They conclude that Americans receive quality healthcare about half of the time (55 percent). The story is worse for mental and substance-use disorders, as findings indicate that individuals with alcohol dependence receive evidence-based treatment only 10 percent of the time the lowest proportion for all of the conditions studied. Furthermore, every new investigation in the Institute of Medicines (IOM) Quality Chasm Series exposes more problems. A recent report examined treatment for mental and substance-use (M/SU) disorders, finding this healthcare sector to be seriously lacking. While treatments are effective, purchasers of healthcare seldom understand this and only a small proportion of those in need can access M/SU treatments.