While many public health officials talk about the importance of primary care, New York City is actually doing something about it, putting EMRs at the center of a plan to improve population health. This may not be news in the insular universe of health IT, but it sure is for government policymakers looking at ways to reform their own healthcare systems, which is why Government Technology has chosen to feature the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Primary Care Information Project.
More than 1,100 physicians currently participate in the project, and hundreds more are looking to get in, seeking financial and technical assistance for adopting EMRs. Practices must purchase their own hardware and contribute $4,000 to a quality-improvement fund, but the program picks up the tab for eClinicalWorks EMR software. Doctors in three "high-priority" areas, however, can get the fee waived and receive hardware subsidies as well. The only catch is that participants must agree to share de-identified outcomes data and be willing to work with the health department on quality improvement.
To learn more about the Primary Care Improvement Project:
- check out this Government Technology story