HIT

Health Information Technology (HIT)

Health Information Technology (HIT) supports care coordination between providers and is essential to primary and behavioral health integration. CIHS’ HIT activities support the infrastructure development and adaptation of electronic health information exchange systems needed for the timely, efficient, and confidential sharing of health information among behavioral health and general health providers. The efforts directly support several of the goals in the SAMHSA Strategic Initiative #6: Health Information Technology; CIHS’ efforts will also align and remain consistent with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) strategic plan.

Resources

Health IT and Quality webinars features experts with hands-on experience from within the safety net community, as well as speakers with various grantee experiences and federal expertise.These webinars focus on health IT and quality topics based on feedback from HRSA grantees that includes becoming meaningful users of health IT.

The Legal Action Center in conjunction with SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) conducted a four-part webinar on Alcohol and Drug Confidentiality Regulations. In 2010 and 2011, SAMHSA released 2 sets of FAQs addressing how alcohol/drug treatment records can be incorporated into HIT environment without violating federal alcohol/drug confidentiality regulations. Even after their release, questions about how to integrate alcohol/drug treatment records into HIT systems remain, and these webinars aim to advance understanding of how to do this.

A Guide to Privacy and Security of Health Information from the Office of the National Coordinator helps healthcare professionals better understand the important role privacy and security play in the use of electronic health records and meaningful use. Comprehensive and easy-to-understand, this tool can help all types of healthcare professionals integrate privacy and security into their clinical practice and includes a variety of sections, including a privacy and security 10-step plan and tips to manage security risk. Find more on privacy and security visit www.HealthIT.gov.

The Community College Consortia to Educate Health IT Professionals Program funds community colleges to train mid-career healthcare or IT professionals on HIT. The program aims to create a skilled workforce that can implement electronic healthcare systems and connects provider organizations with graduates to hire.

The HRSA Health IT Toolbox compiles planning, implementation, and evaluation resources to help community health centers, other safety net providers, and ambulatory care providers implement HIT applications in their facilities.

National Association of Community Health Centers provides a variety of tools and resources to assist health centers selecting and implementing HIT.

Learn the HIT Acronyms.

Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Between 2001 and 2011, the number of doctors using an EHR system grew about 57%, making it easier for doctors to coordinate care, and often reducing the chance of medical errors. Where are electronic health records headed? In this HealthIT infographic you can see how EHRS evolved and how it can impact healthcare in the future.

This report on the Use and Characteristics of Electronic Health Record Systems
Among Office-based Physician Practices:United States, 2001–2012 describes trends in adoption of electronic medical record or electronic health record (EMR/EHR) systems from 2001 to 2012. The adoption of EMR/EHR systems varied greatly by state.

The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services EHR Incentive Programs provides incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals as they adopt, implement, upgrade, or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

What is the electronic health record? explains EHRs, as well as provides a variety of information and resources. The organization also provides information on e-prescribing, the use of electronic tools to prescribe drug prescriptions.

A beginning resource operated by the American College of Physicians, American EHR Partners provides tools to identify, implement, and effectively use EHRs and other healthcare technologies. The site contains comparisons of EHRs and the systems reviews are provided by actual technology users.

Meaningful Use

The Medicaid EHR Incentive Program is a voluntary program established by Congress and administered by each state. Every state will have an incentive program in the future and has an estimated launched date on which it intends to begin accepting registrations for their Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.

CMS’ Meaningful Use Medicaid Registration provides a step-by-step guide for the Medicaid Eligible Professionals HER Incentive Program.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act aims to improve healthcare delivery and patient care. HITECH’s provisions are designed to work together to provide the necessary assistance and technical support to providers, enable coordination and alignment within and among states, establish connectivity to the public health community in case of emergencies, and assure the workforce is properly trained and equipped to be meaningful users of EHRs. HITECH authorizes a Health Information Technology Extension Program that consists of Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers (RECs) that offer providers with technical assistance and a national Health Information Technology Research Center.
 

Health Information Exchange (HIE)

Learn about approved state strategic or operational plans and activities from the State Health Information Exchange Programs.

Arizona’s Bayless Behavioral Health Solutions launched the first health information exchange, a web portal to share information with its care partners, called Clear Care, to facilitate two-way, secure data exchange between Bayless BHS and its partners. Read more about the Clear Care Portal.

A research brief from the National Institute for Health Care Reform highlights lessons learned from networks of small medical practices overcoming barriers to HIT adoption and use.

Centering on the Patient: How Electronic Health Records Enable Care Coordination reports on coordinating care.

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology awarded $10 million in 2010 to five higher learning institutions to develop curriculum and instructional materials to enhance workforce training programs focused on the community college level. The curriculum materials are available to the public on via the National Training and Dissemination Center.

Curriculum Development Centers Program, a part of the ONC Workforce Program, provided funding to institutions of higher education to support HIT curriculum development.

eHealthInitiative’s Phase II of the HIE Toolkit addresses the next steps needed for starting an HIE: creating a sustainable model, building technical aspects of connectivity, marketing and promoting of HIEs, enhancing services, and tracking progress.