IHS Achieves High Rating in Annual HHS Performance Review
Electronic Health Record Begins Implementation and Use Later This Year
The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has received an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rating placing it among the top 20 programs in the U.S. Federal Government. The IHS rating was also the second highest reviewed program in the HHS. The OMB rated the IHS computerized Resource Patient Management System (RPMS) using the Performance Assessment Rating Tool ( PART). The PART is an OMB tool that is used to assess program effectiveness and management.
“The high ratings that the RPMS received reflect the excellent work and dedication of IHS staff,” said Dr. Charles W. Grim, IHS Director. “Performance reviews assist in evaluating appropriate use of resources and the effectiveness of our programs so that we continue to provide the best services to the American Indian and Alaska Native population. These scores are well earned and well deserved.”
The RPMS is an electronic information system designed to provide clinical and administrative information, with additional functions such as a life-long medical record and population health query ability on demand, to health care providers and program managers at the local, regional, and national levels. The OMB determined the RPMS program has strong management and financial practices, as well as demonstrating ample progress in achieving two of its three long-term performance goals: derive all clinical quality indicators from RPMS, and develop and deploy an automated behavioral health system to all IHS, tribal, and urban facilities using RPMS. The third long-term performance goal is a relatively new measure, which is to develop a comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) with clinical case management for five chronic diseases. The chronic disease case management includes the diabetes case management system, which was developed in 1998, as well as software applications that will support case management for coronary vascular disease, asthma, HIV, and obesity. The EHR is scheduled for completion of development and beginning deployment later this year and full implementation in all IHS facilities by 2008.
NOTICE TO EDITORS: For additional information on this subject, please contact the IHS Public Affairs Office at 301-443-3593. Additional information about the IHS is available at http://www.ihs.gov and http://info.ihs.gov.
