Task Force on Delivery System Reform and Health IT

The Bipartisan Policy Center announced the launch of the Task Force on Delivery System Reform and Health IT during a policy briefing held at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. on June 2, 2011.

Led by Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Health Project Co-Leaders and Former Senate Majority Leaders Tom Daschle and Bill Frist, the Task Force is comprised of a range of health system experts and leaders across many sectors of health care. The Task Force is the primary focus of the BPC’s Health IT Initiative, chaired by Janet Marchibroda, which resides within the BPC’s Health Project.

Publications

• Accelerating Electronic Information Sharing to Improve Quality and Reduce Costs in Health Care October 3, 2012
• Clinician Perspectives on Electronic Health Information Sharing for Transitions of Care October 3, 2012
• Challenges and Strategies for Accurately Matching Patients to Their Health Data June 21, 2012
• Transforming Health Care: The Role of Health IT January 27, 2012
• Delivery System Reform and the Role of Health IT: An Interim Report October 27, 2011

With the implementation of HITECH, nearly $30 billion is being invested in health information technology (IT) across the U.S. At the same time, a number of efforts focused on delivery system and payment reform are rapidly moving forward, fueled in part by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, along with other federal, state, and private sector efforts. New models of care that promote affordable, accountable and high quality care that are centered around the patient will require a strong health IT foundation to be successful.

While this truth is non-controversial, more must be done to align these fast-moving, intensive efforts that will have a significant impact on the quality and efficiency of care. There is an urgency to bring this focus and alignment to the many IT initiatives underway.

Beginning its work in June 2011, the Task Force on Delivery System Reform and Health IT will identify ongoing efforts and best practices for encouraging coordination, patient engagement, and accountability in care in health care delivery. The Task Force will also make recommendations for aligning current health IT efforts to best utilize scarce public and private sector resources in support of new care delivery models that will improve the quality of care for all Americans. The Task Force is expected to tackle the following key issues:

1. Identification of examples of and best practices for promoting coordinated, accountable, patient-centered care
2. Assessment of key opportunities for leveraging health IT to support new capabilities required for innovative, new models of care
3. Identification of primary barriers to the use of health IT to support new models of care, and development of recommendations for overcoming those barriers