How EHRs and integration can lower costs, improve outcomes
The world – and health care – are increasingly going digital. This was true even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, and the shift has only accelerated with the growth in services such as telehealth. And yet, the health care system also continues to be fragmented with information housed in silos. This can not only pose risks for patients by creating gaps in care, or the potential for adverse events, but it also raises costs. When all providers, or members of a patient’s care team do not have access to the same, up-to-date information about the patient’s medical records, that can lead to duplication of services, or higher downstream costs from avoidable hospitalizations resulting from gaps in care.
For many years, CVS Health has been focused on breaking down the silos in health care and increasing integration and interoperability through the use of electronic health records (EHRs). We began our interoperability initiative with MinuteClinic. Today MinuteClinic, Accordant, and Coram are fully integrated with these interoperability solutions with CVS Kidney Care and Active Health coming online soon. In this video interview, James Murray, Vice President, Informatics and Interoperability, CVS Health, shares his thoughts on the importance of interoperability and EHRs, and highlights the company’s investments in improving connectivity across the health care system.
