On this episode of Tell Me Where IT Hurts, Dr. Jay Anders welcomes welcomes Leigh Burchell, vice president of policy and public affairs at Altera Digital Health and current chair of the Electronic Health Record Association (EHRA).
Burchell took an unusual path to health IT. Graduating with a major in constitutional history, she worked in healthcare marketing early in her career, but her passion for government and policy soon led her to involvement in policymaking during the Meaningful Use era of electronic medical records.
Since then, Burchell has been at the center of healthcare IT policy, including membership in the EHRA and active in HIMSS, the eHealth Initiative, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. She was also a winner of the HIMSS Most Influential Women in Healthcare Award.
Burchell and Dr. Anders start their conversation discussing what is likely to change under the new administration and the probable emphasis on Medicare Advantage as a cost-control program. They also reflect on whether there will be a shift away from quality measures and toward true outcomes measurement.
The two also discuss the often unrealistic timeframes attached to new federal regulations on healthcare transparency and interoperability. Burchell explains why she believes there needs to be more clarity for providers around the value of many of the new requirements.
And on the topic of regulation, Burchell and Dr. Anders discuss the proliferation of new state laws impacting health IT, AI, and interoperability and the pressing need for federal frameworks to guide policies.
Show Notes
Among the topics covered…
- The future of Medicare Advantage
- Quality measures vs measuring outcomes
- Value-based care
- AI and prior authorization
- AI and fraud detection in Medicare and Medicaid
- Federal vs state regulation of healthcare
- Health policy goals of the new administration
- USCDI (United States Core Data for Interoperability) requirements
- The role of TEFCA (Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement) in interoperability
- Unrealistic timeframes in federal health IT regulations
- Collaboration and competition in EHRA
- Provider noncompliance with the 21st Century Cares Act
Show Links
- Leigh Burchell on LinkedIn
- Altera Digital Health
- EHRA
- Dr. Jay Anders on LinkedIn
- Tell Me Where IT Hurts on Healthcare NOW Radio