A very cool tool that lets us organize our health options into a decision tree, a method for factoring in our inputs, mapping out our options, and guiding us along the best possible path. The idea is instead of checking in on our health when we visit the doctor or get lab test results, we can now tap into a constant stream of information and opportunity. We can minimize our uncertainty and maximize our control. By monitoring and tweaking our inputs, we can influence and even determine our well-being. Taken all at once, our health may seem inscrutable; laid out in a sequence, it becomes a series of decisions, each with risks, benefits, and trade-offs. For more information and a demo of the tool visit: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/01/ff_decisiontree/

Source: Wired Magazine

On December 30, 2009, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to implement provisions of the Recovery Act that provide incentive payments for the meaningful use of certified EHR technology. 

Meaningful use criteria focuses on electronically capturing health information in a coded format, using that information to track key clinical conditions and communicating that information for care coordination purposes. It also calls for implementing clinical decision support tools to facilitate disease and medication management and reporting clinical quality measures and public health information.

Tim O’Reilly snagged a great interview with Aneesh Chopra at the Gov 2.0 Expo. They started off with a strong focus on the intersection of healthcare and gov 2.0 principles. Aneesh gives an overview of the incentive program for meaningful use of EHRs, reveals an interesting perspective of the genesis of the NHIN Direct project, and also talks about the criteria that patients are entitled to an electronic copy of their medical record. From a policy standpoint he wants to create the conditions for data liquidity and provide a platform for innovation.  Listen to their discussion by clicking on the following URL: http://ahier.blogspot.com/2010/05/healthcare-and-government-20-with.html