The Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed) recently penned a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) advocating for the advancement and adoption of interoperable health information technology (health IT).

PALTmed explained that the health care providers — especially post-acute and long-term care settings — are dealing with a worsening clinician shortage. It’s a pain point that greater access to health IT could help solve, according to the organization.

“To maintain continuity of care and reduce avoidable hospitalizations, clinicians must be empowered with digital tools that enable them to manage patients across settings efficiently,” PALTmed wrote. “Interoperable, user-friendly systems can help offset workforce limitations by reducing administrative burdens, streamlining communication and ensuring timely access to clinical data.”

In the letter, PALTmed also detailed the various challenges that providers face when operating in rural communities.

“Rural areas face a dual challenge: workforce shortages and inadequate broadband infrastructure,” the organization wrote. “Without robust connectivity, clinicians cannot access critical EHR systems, engage in telehealth, or exchange information during transitions of care, putting rural patients at significant risk. Addressing broadband and IT infrastructure gaps in these areas is not optional; it is foundational to ensuring equity and access in modern health care delivery for our most high-risk and complex patients.” 

PALTmed also noted that for value-based care to prosper, silos across the care continuum must be broken down. This means stronger health IT strategies and national interoperability goals.

Overall, PALTmed urged CMS to develop and fund targeted initiatives, prioritize broadband expansion and support post-acute and long-term care settings-specific EHR functionality.

Additionally, the organization asked CMS to include post-acute and long-term care clinicians, leaders and stakeholders when they’re developing interoperability standards and policy proposals.

PALTmed also called for CMS to incentivize infrastructure investment in skilled nursing facilities and other long-term care providers.

“We are guided by our vision of empowered clinicians providing optimal health care excellence, and our mission to lead the way in empowering compassionate and skilled clinicians to deliver person-centered care in the post-acute, and long-term care continuum,” PALTmed wrote.