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heathcare reform
Entrepreneurs Aim to Capitalize on Healthcare Reform
THE NUMBERS: EMERGENCY CARE
- Last year, patients nationwide spent an average of 4 hours and 3 minutes in emergency departments before being either discharged or admitted to the hospital. In Florida, the average is 4 hours and 26 minutes.
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach led the nation in level of emergency room satisfaction in 2008.
THE NUMBERS: HEALTHCARE COSTS
- The per capita amount spent nationwide on personal healthcare expenses in 2004 was $5,283. In Florida, the amount was 4% higher, $5,483.
- 7.1% of Floridians did not seek medical care in 2005-06 because of cost, compared with 5.5% of Americans overall.
- 10% of Floridians delayed care because of cost, compared with 7.7% nationwide.
- 7.7% of Floridians did not purchase prescription drugs because of cost, compared with 7.1% nationwide.
- 20.3% of Floridians do not have health insurance. Nationwide, the figure is 15.3%. Only two other states, New Mexico (21%) and Texas (24.1%) have higher percentages of uninsured residents.
Electronic Medical Records
A number of Florida firms are among those entering the wide-open marketplace for electronic medical records — computerized systems that can keep track of all of a patient’s records, from tests performed to drugs prescribed.
To create standards that head off a proliferation of incompatible systems, a non-profit group, the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, certifies new electronic records products that meet industry standards.
Among the 200 firms with certified records products are Sage Health in Tampa, with a records system called Sage
Intergy EHR, along with Naples-based Allen Systems Group and Tampa-based NexTech Systems.
“The consumer is going to have to smarten up.” — Chuck O’Neill |
In Florida there are at least nine exchanges in various stages of development, with the Tallahassee-based Big Bend Regional healthcare Information Organization the furthest along in implementation.
Since last year, Melbourne-based Harris Corp. has been developing a National Health Information Exchange Gateway system that will let federal healthcare agencies and healthcare providers share information. The second phase of the project will create a more public system — something like a world wide web of healthcare information — that will let all types of healthcare providers participate.