Healthcare information technology
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Health Policy Tracking Service issue brief
- Author(s):
- Fleming, Julie A., (Compliance attorney and member of the Minnesota bar), author
- Contributor(s):
- Thomson Reuters, issuing body.
- Publication:
- [Toronto, Ontario] : Thomson Reuters, 19-December-2022
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Electronic Health Records -- legislation & jurisprudence Medical Informatics -- legislation & jurisprudence State Government United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Health information technology, or health IT, has become a critically important tool in facilitating the exchange of patient healthcare information between different providers and between those providers and their patients. Health IT has the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. healthcare system by reducing medical errors and redundancies in the delivery of healthcare services as well as providing patients with healthcare information. Efforts to establish nationwide health IT began with a 2006 executive order issued by President Obama's predecessor George W. Bush that called for development of a national health information network by 2014. However, the cost burden and concerns about protecting the private medical information of individuals have posed significant challenges to widespread adoption of health IT. Recognizing these challenges as well as the benefits of health IT, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, an economic recovery measure to preserve and create jobs and invest in the nation's infrastructure, including the healthcare system. The act included $19 billion in funding for health IT, which will help achieve the nationwide objective to expand the ability to share crucial medical information electronically. Passage of the ARRA sustains the momentum toward a nationwide health information network and is indicative of the need and desire for innovation in reforming the U.S. healthcare system. Previously, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) listed Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) as one of the top legislative issues for 2012. According to the NCSL, a major focus will be how to get health care providers, especially those participating in the Medicaid program, to adopt certified electronic health records (EHRs). In addition, states are responsible for building and implementing health information exchanges where health care providers can access EHRs. By mid-year 2012, every state should have Medicaid EHR Incentive programs in place and will be working toward building an HIE by late 2014 or early 2015 as required by deadlines attached to federal cooperative agreements. This issue brief highlights federal and state legislative and programmatic activity affecting medical information and efforts to store and exchange such information electronically. Topics covered include privacy issues affecting medical records and prescription information, electronic health records (EHRs), health information exchanges (HIEs), telehealth/telemedicine, and electronic prescribing (e-prescribing). Reports of studies that could influence future policy, activities of major players in the private sector and state and federal initiatives are also highlighted in this issue brief.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (78 pages)).
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918645970206676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918645970206676