What Lies Ahead for Health IT

It’s a new year. Year nine of GW Bush’s 10 years to widespread health information technology. Year four of the HITECH Act. Year three of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive programs. So what does 2013 have in store for us in health IT and EHR adoption?

Becker’s Hospital Review says there are 2 Areas to Watch in 2013 when it comes to health IT. Reporting progress in EHR implementations in 2012, health information exchanges is what will be progressing in 2013. And watch population health management as one of the solutions to the health care industry’s spending.

CIO.com talked to CIOs and health IT experts about 2013 trends. Rich Hein reported 8 IT Trends for Tech Job Seekers in 2013. Mobile healthcare tops the list with no surprise. We will still be sorting out ICD-10 compliance and meaningful use reporting. More engaging patients with patient portals. And big data looks like it will only get bigger.

Not so much a list of what’s to come but what needs to be done. David Shaywitz in Forbes.com writes, Turning Information Into Impact: Digital Health’s Long Road Ahead.

Government Health IT has 4 health IT predictions for 2013. Patient engagement and meaningful use make the list. But will we get better EHR designs in this next go-around?

David Lee Scher, MD, Owner & Director, DLS Healthcare Consulting made his predictions on mHIMSS blog this week. He notes Five big developments for digital health in 2013.

Independent online Business 2 Community is predicting that Cloud Computing will disrupt Healthcare. With healthcare projected to be over a $5 billion business in the next four years, cloud computing will certainly have an impact.

And finally, Health economist and management consultant Jane Sarasohn-Kahn pens her 2013 Forecast: Managing HIT and Patient Engagement on the Edge of the Fiscal Cliff. Federal legislation, economic market realities and technology-supported patient-centered health care shape what 2013 will hold for health IT.

Happy New Year.