How Does the ONC Define HIE, Value-Based Care, Population Health?

The ONC Health IT Playbook gives insight into key industry terms, including population health management, value-based care, and patient engagement.

The new ONC Health IT Playbook contains a wealth of resources and information for healthcare organizations in various stages of reform. From the very beginning stages of negotiating an EHR purchase to the complex integration of multiple care sites into a risk-based financial arrangement, there’s something for everyone at every level in this interactive, online compendium of knowledge.

One of the Playbook’s most important contributions may also be one of its most basic. Throughout the website, the ONC provides straightforward definitions and clear explanations for some terms that have generated discussion and debate across the industry, including population health management, patient engagement, and value-based care. Organizations need to be on the same page with these concepts as the financial pressures to work collaboratively start to ramp up.

As 2016 starts to wind down and the January 1, 2017 start date for MACRA looms large in the industry’s consciousness, it is critical to have a firm grasp on the key concepts that will help providers succeed in this new regulatory era. Here are some of the important definitions included in the Playbook, which may help guide providers towards the products, services, and improvement projects that best meet their needs...