"True functional medical device interoperability improves patient care, increases efficiency and results in more than $30 billion a year in healthcare savings."
So said Joseph M. Smith, MD, PhD, chief medical and science office of West Health Institute, a nonprofit medical research organization, in a testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health during hearings concerning potential regulation of healthcare apps by the Food and Drug Administration.
Dr. Smith was citing a report recently released by the West Health Institute, which arrives at the $30 billion figure by combining cost savings from avoiding issues from 'safety interlocks' triggered when an EHR system senses a security issue ($2 billion) and savings from reduced costs of providing care ($3 billion) and accounting for revenue from increased provider efficiency ($12.3 billion) and revenue from more patients seen as a result of shorter hospital stays ($17.8 billion).
"To realize these benefits, providers, payers, medical device manufacturers, and the government will need to collaborate to promote the development, testing, certification, labeling and adoption of seamlessly interoperable devices. Industry trends are already driving providers and payers to converge and share risk through care coordination, clinical integration and improved population health management. Stakeholder collaboration will provide a strong platform for accelerating adoption of medical device interoperability and realizing its associated benefits," said Dr. Smith.
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