Healthcare information technologies is a rapidly growing field that has its roots founded in the 1960s when the first computer were developed (Brooke, 2015). This crude computer technology would ultimately pave the way to the creation of the modern day electronic health record. With so any vast abilities of computers and electronic health records currently, the Federal government felt is was necessary to create a position in order to oversee this rapidly growing industry. That is why ins 2004, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technologies (ONC) was founded (HealthIT.Gov, 2016). The ONC is a major role player in the implementation of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). …show more content…
Physician’s offices could receive Medicare incentives up to $44,000 and Medicaid incentives up to $63,750 (Cleveland, 2015). Hospitals could receive Medicare incentives up to $4,400,000 and Medicaid incentives up to $4,400,00 (Cleveland, 2015). This incentive money was to help off set the high cost of implementing these systems. The ONC goal is from 100% of healthcare facilities to have an electronic health record system but in 2014, 80% of physician’s offices, and 74% of hospitals had implemented an electronic health record that was up to the standard set fourth by the ONC (Mohegan, 2015), (HealthIT.Gov,2015). This is not 100%, but these percentages are greatly improved from the previous …show more content…
The new technology that is available by using electronic health records allow for providers to have quicker access to patient encounter notes, view current medications, communicate with patient over a secured network, and patients have access to the files (Barr, 2013). The ability to access notes from other providers can allow for providers to have a better understanding of the issues that occurred in the past that have impacted the patient’s health status. Knowing this information can allow for providers to develop a better treatment plan that will have a greater chance for improved patient outcomes. This can drastically improve the lives. Many errors that occur within the medical field and have a harmful effect on patients, are medication errors. By being able to see all the current medications that have been prescribed to the patient, can help decrease the chances of a potentially fatal interaction. The encrypted message feature allows the patients to contact their providers with questions without being seen in the office. This secured system decreases the likelihood a HIPAA violation will occur as well as allowing providers to give patients quick information and let them know if they need to seek emergency services. The ability for the patients to also view their record can enable them take ownership of their health, and to be an active member of the healthcare
With clinicians and CEHRT, the ONC plans to improve healthcare quality through interoperability (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, n.d.) The ONC will promote more appropriate healthcare decisions in real-time, patient-centered care, and prevention of medical errors (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, n.d.). The ONC’s goal is to reduce healthcare costs by addressing inefficiencies (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology,
As the evolution of healthcare from paper documentation to electronic documentation and ordering, the security of patient information is becoming more difficult to maintain. Electronic healthcare records (EHR), telenursing, Computer Physician Order Entry (CPOE) are a major part of the future of medicine. Social media also plays a role in the security of patient formation. Compromising data in the information age is as easy as pressing a send button. New technology presents new challenges to maintaining patient privacy. The topic for this annotated bibliography is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Nursing informatics role is imperative to assist in the creation and maintenance of the ease of the programs and maintain regulations compliant to HIPAA. As a nurse, most documentation and order entry is done electronically and is important to understand the core concepts of HIPAA regarding electronic healthcare records. Using keywords HIPAA and informatics, the author chose these resources from scholarly journals, peer reviewed articles, and print based articles and text books. These sources provide how and when to share patient information, guidelines and regulation d of HIPAA, and the implementation in relation to electronic future of nursing.
The federal government has taken a stance to standardized care by creating incentive programs that are mandated under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) of 2009. This act encourages healthcare providers and healthcare institutions to adopt Meaningful use in order to receive incentives from Medicare and Medicaid. Meaningful use is the adoption of a certified health record system that acquires or obtains specified objectives about a patient. The objectives or measures are considered gold standard practices with the EHR system. Examples of the measures include data entry of vital signs, demographics, allergies, entering medical orders, providing patients with electronic copies of their records, and many more pertinent information regarding the patient (Friedman et al, 2013, p.1560).
With continuous use of the networks, more and more institutions will be able to follow their example. Each of these have become a positive impact to the way health information technology is being used. The patients that are being helped are tremendous. Sooner than later both the CHIN and RHINO records will be able to be made better and be transformed into a NHIN that will be widespread nationwide and not just to a certain area. The HITECH Act will also continue to be helpful in increase use of health information technology and resolve the problems associated with the privacy and security of the vital information contained in the system. As years go by more and more new systems will be created and health information exchange will become advanced, in a way that it will change the way people view health care
Many new technologies are being used in health organizations across the nations, which are being utilized to help improve the quality of health care. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) play a critical role in improving access, quality and efficiency of healthcare ("Electronic health records," 2014). In order to assist in expanding the use of EHR’s, in 2011 The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), instituted a EHR incentive program called the Meaningful use Program. This program was instituted to encourage and expand the use of the HER, by providing health professional and health organizations yearly incentive payments when they demonstrate meaningful use of the EHR ("Medicare and medicaid," 2014). The Meaningful use program will be explored including its’ implications for nurses, nursing, national policy, how the population health data relates to Meaningful use data collection in various stages and finally recommendations for beneficial improvement for patient outcomes and population health and more.
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act consists of several subtitles. The subtitle D of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act deals with the privacy and security issues that are associated with the electronic transmission of health information. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act requires that as of 2011 all healthcare providers are going to be presented with the opportunity of financial incentives for showing meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs). The proposed incentives will be offered up until 2015 and after that, penalties may occur for the failure of representing the use of EHR. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act even started grants for the training centers for all staff members that are required to support a health information technology infrastructure. (www.healthcareitnews.com).
The goal of ONC is to guarantee that health care clinicians and hospitals purchase a system that meets certain standards and criteria to perform those tasks. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), introduce the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs that offers financial incentives to eligible providers, hospitals and critical access facilities. To qualify for these benefits, providers, hospitals and critical access must show “meaning full” use of the EMR (Tripathi, 2012).
Unfortunately, the quality of health care in America is flawed. Information technology (IT) offers the potential to address the industry’s most pressing dilemmas: care fragmentation, medical errors, and rising costs. The leading example of this is the electronic health record (EHR). An EHR, as explained by HealthIT.gov (n.d.), is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. It includes, but is not limited to, medical history, diagnoses, medications, and treatment plans. The EHR, then, serves as a resource that aids clinicians in decision-making by providing comprehensive patient information.
With today's use of electronic medical records software, information discussed in confidence with your doctor(s) will be recorded into electronic data files. The obvious concern is the potential for your records to be seen by hundreds of strangers who work in health care, the insurance industry, and a host of businesses associated with medical organizations. Fortunately, this catastrophic scenario will likely be avoided. Congress addressed growing public concern about privacy and security of personal health data, and in 1996 passed “The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act” (HIPAA). HIPAA sets the national standard for electronic transfers of health data.
Administrative Mandates, including the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, ICD-10 and HIPAA 5010, are all part of administrative simplification and the need for systems optimiza...
This paper will identify the use of Electronic Health Records and how nursing plays an important role. Emerging in the early 2000’s, utilizing Electronic Health Records have quickly become a part of normal practice. An EHR could help prevent dangerous medical mistakes, decrease in medical costs, and an overall improvement in medical care. Patients are often taking multiple medications, forget to mention important procedures/diagnoses to providers, and at times fail to follow up with providers. Maintaining an EHR could help tack data, identify patients who are due for preventative screenings and visits, monitor VS, & improve overall quality of care in a practice. Nurse informaticists play an important role in the adaptation, utilization, and functionality of an EHR. The impact the EHR could have on a general population is invaluable; therefore, it needs special attention from a trained professional.
The health industry has existed ever since doctors bartered for chickens to pay for their services. Computers on the other hand, in their modern form have only existed since the 1940s. So when did technology become a part of health care? The first electronic health record(EHR) programs were created in the 1960s around the same time the Kennedy administration started exploring the validity of such products (Neal, 2013). Between the 1960s and the current administration, there were little to no advancements in the area of EHR despite monumental advancements in software and hardware that are available. While some technology more directly related to care, such as digital radiology, have made strides medical record programs and practice management programs have gained little traction. Physicians have not had a reason or need for complicated, expensive health record suites. This all changed with the introduction of the Meaningful Use program introduced in 2011. Meaningful use is designed to encourage and eventually force the usage of EHR programs. In addition, it mandates basic requirements for EHR software manufactures that which have become fragmented in function and form. The result was in 2001 18 percent of offices used EHR as of 2013 78 percent are using EHR (Chun-Ju Hsiao, 2014). Now that you are caught up on some of the technology in health care let us discuss some major topics that have come up due to recent changes. First, what antiquated technologies is health care are still using, what new tech are they exploring, and then what security problems are we opening up and what is this all costing.
Advances in technology have influences our society at home, work and in our health care. It all started with online banking, atm cards, and availability of children’s grades online, and buying tickets for social outings. There was nothing electronic about going the doctor’s office. Health care cost has been rising and medical errors resulting in loss of life cried for change. As technologies advanced, the process to reduce medical errors and protect important health care information was evolving. In January 2004, President Bush announced in the State of the Union address the plan to launch an electronic health record (EHR) within the next ten years (American Healthtech, 2012).
The purpose of the Electronic Health Record is to provide a comprehensive, standardized and universal digital version of a patient 's health records. The availability of a patient 's digital health record provides health information and data for critical thinking and evidence based decision-making, aggregates patient data for quality assurance and research. The Electronic Health Record has been, "identified as a strategy for effectively and efficiently coordinating and maintaining documentation of patients health histories and as a secure method of providing more informed clinical decision making" (MNA, 2006).
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is reshaping the health care system in the United States at an accelerating rate. In earlier times US Healthcare system was more focused on intervention of diseases, but now it is moving more towards preventive approach and I see Health IT as the most important tool that can lead this change. I strongly believe that my professional goals, range and depth of my experience and knowledge is an asset and my enthusiasm for the field makes me an ideal candidate for the Master of Professional Studies in Technology Management (Health Information Technology) program at Georgetown University.