Dive Brief:
- CMS presented a webinar Thursday to explain the IT requirements for participants in the agency's recently launched Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) initiative, FierceHealthIT reported.
- Track 2 of the program, which aims to use IT to make healthcare more comprehensive, has six health IT requirements, which are noted in the program application form.
- Patrice Holtz of the CMS Innovation Center told viewers the agency "definitely" wants more than just EHR vendors to participate in the program.
Dive Insight:
CMS announced its was launching its largest multi-payer initiative yet - CPC+ - earlier this month, which could include more than 200,000 providers in up to 20 regions, Healthcare Dive reported.
A cornerstone of the program will be the participation of both practices and vendors as well as the demonstration of "two-way communication" between them.
"We believe [IT vendors] will gain an accelerated understanding of the health IT needs of primary care practices that are on the forefront of delivering advanced primary care," Holtz was quoted by FierceHealthIT.
While practices participating in either track need to get certified EHR technology in place, Track 2 will also require participants to implement the 2015 Edition CEHRT for care plan and social behavioral and psychological data during the program.
Vendors can elect to support only Track 1, and CMS will publish a list of participating vendors online.
The six health IT requirements for Track 2:
- Systematically assess patients' psychosocial needs and inventory resources and supports to meet those needs;
- Document and track patient reported outcomes;
- Empanel patients to the practice site care team;
- Establish a patient focused care plan to guide care management;
- Identify and flag "patients with complex needs"; and
- Produce and display eCQM results at the practice level to support continuous feedback.