1. SOLUTION BRIEF
Stimulus Funding
Healthcare
Improving Health and Healthcare
with Technology
Stimulus funding will speed adoption of new digital technologies for more proactive, patient-focused
care and improvements in healthcare quality, cost, and accessibility.
Achieving Better Outcomes efficiency and quality of patient care. About
with Technology 25 percent of all healthcare costs are spent
Containing costs while improving health and on preparing, submitting, calculating, paying,
delivery of services is critical to patients, and collecting medical bills.3 One medical
administrators, and healthcare providers transaction can cost USD 25, while one banking
at every level. Healthcare costs consume transaction costs less than a penny.4
more than one of every six dollars we earn.1
Healthcare costs will continue to increase
unless we find better methods for reducing
administrative costs and delivering care. By AMERICAN RECOVERY AND
2015, it’s estimated that healthcare costs will REINVESTMENT ACT (ARRA)
reach USD 4 trillion per year and account for HEALTHCARE FUNDING
PROGRAMS
nearly 20 percent of the U.S. economy.2
USD 48.8 Billion
In addition to unsustainably high costs, the Seeks to help physicians purchase and
implement Medicare and Medicaid health
healthcare system faces challenges that IT systems.
include an aging population, epidemics in
USD 1.2 billion
chronic conditions like diabetes, inferior patient Supports the deployment of broadband
outcomes in comparison to many countries, infrastructure in rural areas.
limited access due to lack of insurance, and Up to USD 44,000 or USD 64,000
inefficiencies throughout the system. Incentive payments over a five-year
period to physicians who demonstrate
meaningful use of electronic health
Paradoxically, the U.S. healthcare industry, one records (EHRs). Starts in 2011.
of the world’s most technologically advanced
For more information, see:
in medical equipment, has been slow to adopt http://healthit.hhs.gov
IT solutions that could improve both overall
2. Effective reform requires a new healthcare and report meaningful use of electronic health
IT infrastructure that enables efficiency, records (EHRs) will be eligible for an initial
collaboration, and improved care. It requires incentive payment of up to USD 18,000.
standards-based interoperable systems
Incentives under the Medicaid program are
designed to provide timely, accurate information
available for physicians, hospitals, federally
delivery and electronic record keeping across
qualified health centers, rural health clinics,
the continuum of care. It requires IT systems
and other providers. Physicians cannot take
that improve quality of patient care by enabling
advantage of the incentive payment programs
improved healthcare delivery, workflow, patient
under both Medicare and Medicaid programs;
safety, clinical decision making, and cost
they must choose one. Eligible pediatricians
performance.
(non-hospital based), with at least 20 percent
Intel innovation will play a major role in Medicaid patient volume, could receive up to
enabling IT systems for improving the future USD 44,000, and other physicians (non-hospital
INTEL HEALTH GUIDE
of healthcare. Through our leadership and based), with at least 30 percent Medicaid patient
A remote patient monitoring (RPM) solution
combines an in-home patient device and unique market position, Intel offers the volume, could receive up to USD 64,000 over a
the Intel Health Guide PHS6000 with the foundational IT architecture, a standards- five-year period.5
Intel® Health Care Management Suite—an based approach, and corporate leadership to
online interface that allows clinicians to According to Radiology Business Journal, the
transform healthcare to an affordable model
monitor patients and remotely manage Medicare and Medicaid health IT incentives
care. See: www.intel.com/healthcare/ps/ focused on efficient collaboration across all
could add up significantly for hospitals. Using
healthguide/index.htm points of the system with more effective
a tool on the Healthcare Information and
patient care and improved outcomes.
Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Web
site, one hospital CIO calculated potential
Healthcare and Stimulus Funding
awards over a four-year period. He found that a
Enacted in February 2009, the American
75-bed hospital could get up to USD 3.5 million,
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
a 250-bed hospital would have the potential
provides a unique opportunity to apply IT
to earn almost USD 6 million, and a 750-bed
technology more effectively to improve
hospital could qualify for nearly USD 12 million.6
healthcare systems. ARRA specifically
allocates USD 19 billion in Medicare and Stimulus funding presents a tremendous
Medicaid incentives over five years to help opportunity to transform healthcare and
physicians purchase and implement health ignite innovation. The window of opportunity,
IT systems. A key element in the program is however, is brief: five years. Consequently,
the widespread adoption and use of uniform providers should move fast to take advantage
electronic standards that will enable various of this once-in-a-lifetime funding. Remember,
health IT systems to communicate with each too, that this is not just a matter of installing
other. ARRA required the Department of Health new technology. Accountability is key, and
and Human Services (HHS) to develop such the task will require a great deal of process
standards by December 31, 2009. Beginning re-engineering. Providers will be responsible
in 2011, Medicare physicians who implement for demonstrating outcomes that meet ARRA
2
3. BUILDING THE INTELLIGENT
HEALTH NETWORK
A major reason for the slow adoption of
patient information sharing is the high cost Health Information Network Core Intel® Certified Ecosystem
of proprietary data and integration services. Record Locator Services Medical Terminology Services
To address this, Intel worked with hundreds
of healthcare leaders around the world on
Patient Portal Master-Person Index Services
ways to significantly improve and streamline
information flow, while enhancing the
quality, cost, and efficiency of patient care.
The result is the Intel® Service-Oriented
Intel® SOA
Architecture Expressway for Healthcare Expressway
for Healthcare
(Intel® SOAE-H).
Clinic Intel® SOA Intel® SOA Hospital
Expressway Expressway
This supplier-neutral platform provides a for Healthcare for Healthcare
high-performance solution for translating, Clinical Systems Intelligent Clinical Systems
processing, and connecting multiple data
Health Network
Lab Intel® SOA
Common Information Model
Intel® SOA
Pharmaceutical
formats across a healthcare environment. Expressway Expressway Network
for Healthcare for Healthcare
It can be used to construct large multi-site
Clinical Systems Intel® SOA Clinical Systems
health networks using its unique healthcare Expressway
for Healthcare
environment developer kit (HDK), or it can
be a base platform to augment healthcare
supplier product offerings. In either case,
it helps accelerate computable healthcare Clinical Systems
Payer
information across disparate health
environments such as hospitals, integrated
delivery networks, clinics, payer networks,
labs, and pharmaceutical networks.
objectives. A good first step is to contact infrastructure that enables electronic medical to market across a breadth of industries. Our
your nearest Health Information Technology records, electronic prescriptions and information status as a foundational technology supplier
Extension Program Regional Center for guidance, exchanges, as well as mobile point-of-care results in a neutral approach that enables us
once they are in place sometime in 2010. solutions that deliver patient histories, diagnostic to collaborate with manufacturers, software
information, and decision support in real time. What developers, and healthcare providers to create
Taking a Collaborative Approach the healthcare industry needs now are partners. mutually beneficial standards and solutions.
to Health
As a global technology innovator, Intel is in a For healthcare IT, Intel is collaborating with
The healthcare industry now has the financial
unique position to help. We have a long record healthcare leaders to accelerate the shift to a
incentive to invest in an interoperable healthcare
of bringing technologies, systems, and solutions more cost-efficient, proactive wellness model
3