Our health care system is currently undergoing a much needed reform. We all too often hear about the uninsured and underinsured, how many millions of Americans are going without. What we do not hear about is how implementing new Health IT strategies we will help reform the health care system as well. We are all aware of the governments current financial situation but we cannot get anywhere without spending first. What are some of the major milestones in the development and advancement of Health IT? Health information technology (IT) has always been in development but within the last decade we are witnessing health IT move into new advancements we never thought we would see. In 2004, President Bush set a ten year goal for health IT and established the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (ONC). ONC mission is to promote the development of a nationwide health IT infrastructure that allows for electronic use and exchange of information, provided leadership in the development recognition, and the implantation of standards, health IT policy coordination, strategic planning and establishing governance for the Nationwide Health Information Network (Office, 2010). By February 2009, President Obama signed the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which has become the framework for America’s expansion of Health Information Technology. The main goal of HITECH is to support providers who adopt health IT into their practices between 2011 and 2015. The legislation was given $19.2 billion to support the providers (Cullen, 2011). A little over a year later, March 2010, President Obama signed, the Patient Protec... ... middle of paper ... ...ml Cullen, E., Ranji, U., & Salganicoff, A. (2011, February). Health Information Technology. Retrieved February 3, 2011, from KaiserEDU website: http://www.kaiseredu.org/Issue-Modules/Health-Information-Technology/ Background-Brief.aspx Powers, Ph.D, P. (2007, February). ELECTRONIC HEALTHCARE DELIVERY COMES OF AGE:The Promise and Practice of EMRs and EHRs. Retrieved February 4, 2011, from http://home.healthleaders-interstudy.com/documents/Electronic_Medical_Records.pdf The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). (2010, December 8). Retrieved February 3, 2011, from http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt/community/healthit_hhs_gov__onc/1200 The Recovery Act. (2010). Retrieved February 4, 2011, from Recovery.gov Track the Money website: http://www.recovery.gov/About/Pages/The_Act.aspx
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,
Health Information Management Technology. (3rd Edition). Chicago, IL: AHIMA Press.
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
The U. S government passed the American Recovery Act in 2009 that established incentives and penalties to promote EHR use. From this legislation the Meaningful Use Program for EHR’s s was created. Through The Meaningful Use Program the U.S. government is able to support the adoption and use of EHR technology to enhance and revolutionize health care. The goal of the program is to increase EHR adoption, improve quality, safety, reduce disparities, and improve public health (hmsa , 2012).
Savel, R. H., & Munro, C. L. (2013, November). Promise and pitfalls of the electronic health
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) was put into place as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and was signed and made a part of law in February 2009. It sponsors the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology. (www.healthcareitnews.com). There was $22 billion and of this $19.2 billion was supposed to be used as a method to increase the use or the Electronic Health Records by the doctors and healthcare facilities. (www.hitechanswers.net).
The health of the American people lags behind those from other developed countries. Federal public health agencies have a wide range of responsibilities and functions which includes public health research, funding, and oversight of direct healthcare providers. It has been a long time since changes have been made to the way the federal government structures its health care roles and programs outside of Medicare and Medicaid (Trust, 2013). With healthcare reform on the horizon now is the time to invest time and money in prevention, not medicine, making it a top priority to improve health and prevent disease. Funding efforts at all levels of the public health continuum need to focus on developing programs aimed at such leading initiatives as tobacco cessation, improving nutrition, supplying safe workplaces, and increasing physical activity in all ages of the population. People should have equal access to quality preventative medicine and education.
A mandate will be made through this health care reform plan that will make providers more involved in the care of their patients. Steps will be taken to help increase the number of physicians in areas experiencing shortages along with incentives for physicians to become family practitioners. Preventative care will be the focus therefore annual checkups and routine procedures will be covered by all insurances. A coordination track where doctors, nurses, and other providers work effectively and efficiently in teams, analyzing the outcomes and processes of care to rid the system of waste will be created (Cortese & Korsmo, 2009).
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 this paper is to discuss how Electronic Medical Records (EMR), affects healthcare delivery. I will discuss the positives and negatives this issue has on healthcare and how it effects the cost and quality for healthcare services. In addition, I will identify any potential trade-offs to cost or quality. Lastly, I will discuss how the EMR affects my job as well as any challenges or opportunities this issue presents.
Burke, L. and Weill, B. (2005). The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary'. Information Technology for the Health Professions.
Healthcare has now become one of the top social as well as economic problems facing America today. The rising cost of medical and health insurance impacts the livelihood of all Americans in one way or another. The inability to pay for medical care is no longer a problem just affecting the uninsured but now is becoming an increased problem for those who have insurance as well. Health care can now been seen as a current concern. One issue that we face today is the actual amount of healthcare that is affordable. Each year millions of people go without any source of reliable coverage.
The American Health Care system has prided itself on providing high quality services to the citizens who normally cannot afford them. This system has been in place for years and until now it did a fairly decent job. The problem today is money; the cost of hospital services and doctor fees are rising faster than ever before. The government has been trying to come up with a new plan these past few years even though there has been strong opposition against a new Health Care system. There are many reasons why it should be changed and there are many reasons why it shouldn’t be changed. The main thing that both sides heads towards is money. Both sides want to save money just in different ways.
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.