Membership-based Practices: Does It Have It’s Privileges or is it just for The Privileged?
Membership (mĕm’bər-shĭp) The state of being a member The total number of members in a group I have watched the meteoric rise of popular term “Medical Home”. While I personally dislike this phrase, it has caught on in the popular vernacular and looks like it is here to stay. In conjunction with the rise of […]
Speaking Circuit: Coming to a Conference Near You
Circuit (sûr’kĭt) n. A path or route the complete traversal of which without local change of direction requires returning to the starting point. An association of theaters in which plays, acts, or films move from theater to theater for presentation. A group of nightclubs, show halls, or resorts at which entertainers appear in turn. We […]
Healthcare Dysincentives: Who is left holding the bag?
Holding the Bag (hōl’dĭng thə băg) N. Abandon someone, force someone to bear the responsibility or blame. This idiom grew out of the earlier give one the bag (to hold), which dates from about 1600 and alludes to being left with an empty bag while others have taken the valuable contents. I grow weary of […]
GCPR Redux – The Call For Government EHR Unification
Unification (yū’nə-fĭ-kā’shən) n. To bring or come together into a united whole To combine and adapt in order to attain a particular effect: While on my VistA kick (here and here), I need to respond to several important errors of understanding in the recent press release hailed with a “Bravo!” from Fred Trotter. I also […]
Microcapitation: A Case Study
Case Study (kās stŭd’ē) n. A detailed analysis of a person or group, especially as a model of medical, psychiatric, psychological, or social phenomena. An exemplary or cautionary model; an instructive example I have received a couple of off-line questions regarding the concept of micro-capitation, and having responding publicly to one, I sought perm
Act III: VistA Will Find a Way
VistA (vĭs’tə) n. Abbreviation for “Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture” The integrated electronic health record that powers the largest health delivery organization in the United States (who still achieves the best clinical health outcomes of any care delivery organization in the US). The catalyst that allowed
Whatcha Want? Consumerism in Healthcare
Want (wŏnt) v. 1. To desire greatly; wish for; have an inclination towards 2. To request the presence or assistance of 3. To seek with intent to capture An interesting study was released today in the McKinsey Quarterly under the moniker, “What Consumers Want in Health Care“. The central theme of the publication was the […]
Mamma Mea (Culpa)! Ingenix Goes Open Source
Mea Culpa (mā‘ə kŭl‘pə) n. 1. An acknowledgment of a personal error or fault 2. A statement of acknowledgment expressing regret or asking pardon I have long been a big fan of Ingenix and their mission of using information analytics to help create value. They are an impressive organization with a plethora of technology, products, […]
Episodes of Care: You have got to be kidding
Episode (ĕp‘ĭ-sōd‘) n. 1. A portion of a narrative that relates an event or a series of connected events and forms a coherent story in itself. 2. One of a series of related events in the course of a continuous account; An incident that is part of a progression or a larger sequence. As I […]
Going off the Grid – The Rise of “Direct Practice” Medicine
Grid (grĭd) n. Something resembling a framework of crisscrossed parallel bars, as in rigidity or organization An interconnected system for the distribution of electricity or electromagnetic signals over a wide area, especially a network of high-tension cables and power stations. The interconnected system employed by the Medico-Industrial complex to create a