What Should Every Provider Know About Health IT?
Health IT is a broad term encompassing various clinical applications. Below are the key applications and their definitions, as defined by the National Alliance for Health Information Technology (NAHIT):
Health IT is a key government initiative. In 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was passed to encourage the rapid adoption and meaningful use of health IT. HITECH created new incentives and designated funds for reimbursing eligible Medicare and Medicaid providers for the use of EHRs. To receive these payments, providers must demonstrate, at a minimum, "meaningful use" of certified EHR technology according to the Meaningful Use Final Rule published by CMS. The EHR Incentive Program is a 3-stage effort, with each stage building on the requirements of the previous stage. Guidance for Stage 1 was released in July 2010.
HRSA has developed a toolbox for health centers, safety net providers, and ambulatory care providers and organizations considering health IT adoption. It includes resources and information that will be useful as you consider purchasing and adopting EHR systems and other health IT technologies.
Health IT Adoption Toolbox – These HRSA toolbox modules cover the life cycle of a typical health IT implementation project, from learning the basics to evaluating and optimizing a health IT system. Also included are modules on PHRs, e-Prescribing, privacy and security, and open source and public domain software.
Health IT Toolbox Webinars – These HRSA webinars offer presentations by well-known health IT experts on topics of relevance to HRSA providers. Topics include EHR use for quality and health outcomes improvement; Meaningful Use of EHRs; and successful strategies for integrating EHRs and practice management systems into small to mid-sized provider practices and community health clinics.
In addition to tools available through HRSA, other useful resources include:
E-mail the HealthIT e-mail box: email@example.com