Joseph Coughlin, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, uses the term “disruptive demographics” to describe the aging of the nation’s population. Our aging society is challenging business and government, he says. And it will demand new thinking in aging services.
Coughlin, who delivered a keynote address at the 2012 Annual Meeting in Denver, believes that LeadingAge members are on the cutting edge of that new thinking. He describes our members as “the backbone of the nation’s careforce,” with 6,000 organizations that touch 4 million individuals, families, employees and volunteers every day. He also categorizes our members as organizations that are “preparing and seeking innovations in caring for the next generation of older Americans as they provide care to today’s.”
That sense of preparation and innovation was on prominent display in Denver. During 6 education sessions – and our second Idea Exchange – LeadingAge members demonstrated the great progress they are making in implementing electronic health records (EHR) and other health information technology. Those members were also extremely generous in sharing with others the lessons they have learned along the way.
In addition to these networking opportunities, the Annual Meeting gave LeadingAge and CAST the opportunity to share with a wider audience the ways in which technology can improve the health and independence of older Americans.
During interviews with McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, LeadingAge Chair Audrey Weiner and I stressed the important role that technology can play in care transitions. Audrey touted telehealth as a key care transitions tool.
CAST Case Study
Each month, Tech Time highlights one case study from Preparing For The Future: Developing Technology-Enabled Long-Term Services and Supports for a New Population of Older Adults. This month’s case study is about Metropolitan Jewish Health System (MJHS), a LeadingAge member and CAST Supporter in New York. I hope you will read this case study to discover how you might integrate some of its lessons into your own planning.
I hope you have enjoyed reading our case studies about pioneering providers of technology-enabled services and supports. I also hope you have found our EHR Portfolio to be a useful tool in selecting the right EHR for your organization. If you liked these products, you’ll be pleased to know that CAST is considering a new project to develop tools for providers interested in implementing telehealth and remote patient monitoring solutions.
LeadingAge members and CAST affiliates can help with these efforts by taking a short survey (less than 3 minutes) to provide feedback on CAST’s current EHR Tool and to help CAST choose the next set of tools that it will develop. The survey will remain open until Dec. 5, 2012. We hope to hear from you before then!
Issue Highlights
I hope you enjoy this issue of Tech Time. In particular, I urge you to read about the great things that CAST Supporters and Business Associates are doing in their own communities and markets.
In addition, I’m proud to report that LeadingAge, CAST and other industry experts were successful in convincing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to delay until Nov. 1, 2014 a new requirement that long-term care providers and dispensers use NCPDP SCRIPT 10.6 for e-prescribing transactions.
Finally, all of your friends at CAST wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! As always, please contact me with any comments or questions.