MEDecision CEO Urges House Subcommittee to Support Federal Agencies' Deployment of Health Plan Information Systems; Cites Patient Data Exchange Program as Real-World Proof Inexpensive Low-Tech Arrangement Can Improve Care and Reduce Costs.

WAYNE, Pa. -- MEDecision Inc., the leader in collaborative care management, this morning announced the testimony yesterday of Founder and CEO David St.Clair at a hearing on using information technology to improve healthcare conducted by the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce and Agency Organization of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Acknowledging the Subcommittee's commitment to the future of health information technology, St.Clair asserted that the next generation healthcare goals of improved patient care and lower costs could be achieved today by better use of currently available technology with existing data sources and need not wait until a next generation of information technology is developed.

"The long sought goal of making both government and private sector health plan members' health records immediately available to healthcare providers will improve patient care, reduce healthcare costs and make healthcare more affordable for all," said St.Clair. "We can achieve this high standard of collaborative healthcare in months, not years."

St.Clair urged the Subcommittee to support deployment by the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan of an electronic health record dissemination program for its 8 1/2 million government employee members at a cost of between 50 cents and $1.00 per plan member per month. At less than 1/4 percent of the cost of an individual's health plan, the benefits are expected to far exceed the cost.

Contending that the electronic availability of patient medical records need not require substantial capital investment on the part of health plans or healthcare providers, St.Clair cited a current data exchange using MEDecision's Patient Clinical Summary (PCS) between a health benefits company and a major health system as a low cost example.

Requiring only standard PCs, printers and Internet connections in a provider's office, the Patient Clinical Summary analyzes, updates and summarizes data available to the patient's insurer to construct the broadest picture available of an individual's history across the continuum of care. Health plan member data and clinical best practices information will be made immediately available to attending physicians when and where they need it most, when treating patients.

St.Clair explained to the Subcommittee that the most obvious arena in which to start using the new health records is in Emergency Departments, where doctors are routinely required to treat patients about whom they no virtually nothing. The patients at highest risk -- in the highest cost treatment setting, where the doctors know the least -- are the most likely to see the greatest increase in the quality of care and decrease in medical errors when their clinical histories are made available to their physicians.

Anticipating interest in the benefits of expanding health record accessibility beyond the ER, St.Clair explained how the widespread dissemination of patient medical record data would eliminate an information deficiency that is impeding optimum health care delivery system-wide.

Every time a physician provides patient care, a pharmacy dispenses medication, a laboratory conducts tests, patient medical data available to these care givers at the point of care is often limited and sometimes non-existent, St.Clair explained.

He testified that extensive information that is routinely compiled by health plans about their members' medical histories can today, not at some time in the future, be provided electronically and in real time, to all health care providers. Given the capability of existing technology to provide physicians and other care providers with such a range of meaningful and relevant information, and given the fact that such information is already routinely gathered by health plans throughout the nation, St.Clair concluded by urging both the federal and state governments to support the meaningful exchange of this clinical information from health plans to patients and care providers explaining that the result will be improved patient care, lower healthcare costs and more affordable healthcare for all.

St.Clair was the only software vendor to address the Subcommittee. His full testimony is available at www.reform.house.gov/FWAO.

About the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce and Agency Organization

The Subcommittee on Federal Workforce and Agency Organization examines issues affecting active and retired civil service employees and such matters as accountability and efficiency of the federal workforce. The Subcommittee, part of the Committee on Government Reform, is chaired by Jon C. Porter (R NV). Its ranking member is Danny K. Davis (D-IL). The Subcommittee's web site is http://reform.house.gov/FWAO/

About MEDecision

MEDecision is the leader in collaborative care management. Founded in 1988, the company's Integrated Medical Management solutions create a seamless payer-based medical management system to analyze, apply, administer and automate the management of healthcare programs and provide a common patient view at the point of care. MEDecision's software solutions are being used to improve patient outcomes, reduce medical errors, and increase operational efficiencies for approximately one in every six Americans with health insurance. For more information about MEDecision and Integrated Medical Management, please call 610-540-0202, email [e-mail] or visit www.MEDecision.com.

MEDecision is a trademark of MEDecision, Inc. The MEDecision logo and product names are also trademarks or registered trademarks of MEDecision, Inc. Other products and brand names are trademarks of their respective owners.