Unclogging Data in Health IT

There has been much controversy in the Health IT world over the issue of “data blocking” – to what extent it truly exists and, if so, what to do about it.

It’s worth noting first that the magnitude of this problem may be exaggerated. As recently reported by ONC, an analysis of a nationwide survey of hospitals showed some heartening results:

(N)ear universal adoption of EHRs by hospitals and significant increases in hospitals’ electronically exchanging health information with outside providers compared to past years.In addition, there are a number of technologies available – including DIRECT protocol – that are widely available, easy to implement, but simply underused.

However, even if the extent to which systems are actively obstructing the flow is overblown, there is much work to be done. In testimony before the Senate’s HELP Committee on the subject of health IT “data blocking,” Dr. David C Kendrick – who leads MyHealth Access Network (a non‐profit health information exchange organization in Oklahoma) – provided some helpful guideposts.

Dr. Kendrick first gave a succinct and workable definition of interoperability, in which patients “have their complete, longitudinal medical record available wherever and whenever decisions are made about their health.”

Dr. David C. Kendrick offers testimony before
Senate HELP Committee on Thursday, July 23, 2015.

Kendrick went on to list drivers of data obstruction culled from his experience. Some specific examples include:

• Excessive interface and maintenance costs 
• “Hotel California” problem: vendors do not offer data portability as intended by ONC, so customers “can check out other EHR products any time they like, but their data can never leave” 
• "Garbage in Garbage Out”: Poor data quality and standardization
• EHR-centered development that extends interoperability only to EHR+its partners
• Vendors achieving certification with one feature set, but features are not fully delivered post-certification

In one of the most striking moments in the testimony, Kendrick declared that MyHealth has “never seen a completely correct Patient Care Summary despite processing millions of them.” 

Where data blocking persists, incentives are lacking for collaboration. In Kendrick’s experience, provider-based blocking was a challenge early in the existence of MyHealth, but the problem has “quickly receded as value‐based payment models take hold.” “Data blocking,” on the whole, may simply be a more loaded term for the obstacles that exist in pursuit of the Holy Grail of interoperability.

It’s not easy developing a universal secondary language for health care. But it is up to health IT developers not to settle for “just good enough to pass." As an industry, we now know the ideal to which we are striving and the major barriers.

And while software developers are not policymakers, we can offer our own set of incentives for interoperability through ease of use, affordability and functionality that goes beyond mere compliance.  A good place to start is putting data-sharing front-and-center in our applications.

How “Toxic” Work Environments Hurt Employee Health

The relationship between employees and the company they work for can be a delicate one, with both parties needing to balance their own needs with what the other expects from them. When the right balance is met between the demands of an employer and the emotional wellbeing of their workers, the relationship is fulfilling and profitable for everyone. But when employees feel like they are in a “toxic” work environment, it can have a negative impact not just on their mental health, but their physical health as well.

It’s no secret that stress, anger, and other negative emotions can have physical effects on the body, including increased blood pressure and depression. This extends to the workplace as well. In a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, it was found that employees who feel like they have little control over their work environment, or who feel they are not supported by coworkers or employers, are four times more likely to die from heart disease, and twice as likely to suffer from depression.

More than that, though, it was found that employees who feel they work in a toxic environment feel little connection to their employer: 72% of highly stressed employees report having a low connection to work. On the other hand, employees who feel a high level of connection between themselves and their employer report feeling committed to achieving company goals, and are 70% less likely to feel stressed out by their jobs.

In other words, workplace wellness doesn’t stop at exercise incentives and lessons in nutrition. Creating a space where employees feel valued by their employer and supported by their coworkers improves not only the health of the people who work for your company, but the health of the company itself.

Sign up with Wellsource today by calling 800-533-9355.

Sources

1. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=381339
2. http://fortune.com/2015/08/25/toxic-workplace-could-destroy-health/

Work Safety Tips for Summer

Summer is in full swing, and that means it’s time for summer health tips for the workplace! As part of your corporate wellness program, integrate these great summer health tips into your company’s daily work routine:

• Make sure everyone drinks plenty of fluids – Think that people won’t get dehydrated sitting at a desk all day? Think again. Many people don’t drink the recommended 8 cups of water per day to begin with. Combine that with the summer heat, and you have a situation where people can easily become dehydrated, even indoors. Employees should have easy access to water and other fluids to keep themselves hydrated and healthy for work.
• Avoid caffeine and sugar – As a supplementary note to making sure employees are drinking enough fluids, it should also be remembered that caffeine and sugary drinks should be avoided or kept to a minimum. Sugar and caffeine make people more dehydrated. Encourage people to stick to water or juice instead.
• Check the ventilation – A proper workplace should have plenty of ventilation to allow air to circulate. Good air circulation keeps the temperature down, even if the building doesn’t have an air conditioner unit. If the building needs better circulation, open the windows and use fans to keep the air moving as much as possible (as long as it doesn’t distract people from their work).
• Remember the sunscreen – Depending on where you live, even a little bit of exposure to the summer sun can result in sunburn and other negative health effects. Encourage employees to wear sunscreen before they leave for work and before they go home.

Learn more about improving your workplace health practices by calling Wellsource today at 800-533-9355.

Bad Workplace Habits That Affect Mental Health

Most of the time, worksite wellness initiatives focus on physical health and the benefits of encouraging people to take better care of their bodies. Mental health, however, is just as important to living a full, happy life, and to maintaining a productive, efficient workplace. Many employees are engaged in bad habits in the workplace that are harming them mentally, leading to anxiety, depression, and other stressful conditions that can hurt people at home and at work.

Lack of Exercise

Everyone knows that not getting enough exercise is bad for your body, but it can be just as bad for your mind. According to a study in JAMA Psychiatry, depression and physical activity were found to be linked: those who exercised were less likely to be depressed, and those who were depressed were much less likely to be physically active. In fact, physical activity at least three times a week was found to decrease the risk of suffering from depression by 19%.

Doing Too Much at Once

Multitasking is usually seen as a good skill to have at work, but appearances can be deceiving. When people perform multiple kinds of activities at once – even something as simple as continuing to work on your lunch break – they are most likely hurting their productivity rather than helping it. Doing too much at once increases stress level, harms a person’s ability to focus on what they’re doing, and drastically reduces their ability to communicate with others. In other words, too much multitasking is as likely to slow things down (and burn people out) as it is to get things done faster.

Want more great health tips for the workplace? Contact a Wellsource corporate health specialist today by calling 800-533-9355.

Sources

1. http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20866947_5,00.html

Is Sedentary Behavior America’s Biggest Health Risk?

Most people know that sitting for long periods of time probably isn’t good for their health, but few people really understand just what a widespread health risk, long-term sedentary behavior really is. According to University of South Carolina research scientist Steven Blair, physical inactivity is almost certainly “the biggest health problem we have in [this] country.”

Just how big a problem is sedentary behavior? According to some research, four hours of sedentary behavior in a row is enough to undo all the benefits of one hour of exercise. Considering that many working Americans sit at their desk all day long only to go home and watch TV on the couch, the long-term effects of sedentary behavior are a pressing issue that is having a big impact on the U.S. workforce.

So, what can be done? While care for an individual’s health ultimately rests with that individual, workplaces can help encourage healthy behavior, and modify their policies so that employees aren’t sitting for long periods without a short break. Some of the steps businesses can take to discourage sedentary behavior include:

• Holding stand-up meetings and allowing employees to use stand-up desks
• Providing exercise machines or creating space for employees to get physical activity
• Allowing employees to take short “walking breaks” once every one or two hours to stretch their legs
• Instituting a workplace health program.

Company wellness programs like those offered by Wellsource help businesses and their employees improve their lives and save money on health costs. For more information, contact Wellsource today at 800-533-9355.

Sources

1. http://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/news/14049773/tips-for-better-workplace-health-get-off-your-butt-more

The Benefits of Having A Wellness Program At Your Company

There are many ways for a company to make their employees healthy and happy. One cost-effective way to do this is to make a wellness program available for all employees. By implementing a wellness program, an employer is more likely to retain employees, as well as to increase productivity. This saves employers time and money. If you’re interested in implementing a wellness program in your company, the following infographic shows you how beneficial it can be. Continue reading to discover why you should have a wellness program at your company.

Click below to embed this infographic into your website:

<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iELL00LO_qmJS2x8G81vR_cS46QjkdFwLwUn7Z5RcCrncz5XVBU345l9uelW-spAzCCJutAG7H6dSq2-1LBuBuZdir1V8gBjZ3LNeFXod1Aekh_IP82QOncZQHC_oNmCD-EySbjEie0H/s1600/infographic_wellsource_june2015_lrg.jpg" alt="ALT TEXT" title="IMAGE TITLE" /><br /><a href="http://wellsourceinc.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-benefits-of-having-wellness-program.html" title="The Benefits of Having A Wellness Plan" >Benefits of A Wellness Plan at Work</a>

Workplace Wellness Programs Pay Off for Businesses in the Long Term

Businesses often struggle to balance the needs of their employees with keeping costs low enough to maintain profitability. As such, some organizations forgo implementing workplace wellness programs out of fear that the cost will outweigh the benefit. If you’re one of those businesses that wants to help improve its employees’ overall health and performance, but are afraid that a workplace health program is too expensive, it’s time to stop worrying: research shows that workplace wellness programs save their businesses money within two to three years, by a margin of three dollars saved for every one dollar spent.

According to a report in the American Journal of Health Promotion, which studied the expenditures and savings of a large financial services company’s workplace health program, businesses can expect to start seeing a three to one return on investment in an employee wellness program within two to three years. By comparing the medical costs associated with employees who took part in one or more of the health initiative programs offered by their employer, with those employees who did not, the study found that those employees who took advantage of the health programs cost their employer significantly less than those who did not. Even without every employee taking part in the program, the savings generated by those that did more than justified the initial expenditure.

In other words, employee health programs don’t just improve people’s lives – they help businesses make money, too. If your business is ready to start seeing savings by improving employee health, contact Wellsource today at 800-533-9355.


Sources

1. http://www.cfah.org/hbns/2012/employee-wellness-programs-provide-significant-savings-over-time