Category Archives: Patients

ONC and CMS: Blog Post on Resources to Become ‘Meaningful User’

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Becoming a Meaningful User of EHRs: Resources from ONC and CMS
Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 | Posted by: Julie Franklin CMS and Peter Garrett ONC on ONC’s Health IT Buzz blog and republished here by e-Healthcare Marketing.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) want to help you on your journey to becoming a meaningful user of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.  Here are resources about meaningful use, Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, and the EHR certification process to help guide you:

Meaningful Use and Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs

1) Meaningful Use Overview
https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/01_Overview.asp

2) Path to Payment
https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/10_PathtoPayment.asp

3) PowerPoint Presentation: Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Final Rule
https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/Downloads/EHR_Incentive_Program_Agency_Training_v8-20.pdf

4) Timeline: Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs
https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/Downloads/EHRIncentProgtimeline508.pdf

5) Being a Meaningful User of Electronic Health Records
http://healthit.hhs.gov/meaningfuluse/provider

6) Meaningful Use Specification Sheets
https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/Downloads/EP-MU-TOC-Core-and-MenuSet-Objectives.pdf

7) Flow Chart – Determine Eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs
https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/downloads/eligibility_flow_chart.pdf

Certification

1) Certification Programs Overview
http://healthit.hhs.gov/certification

2) Standards and Certification Criteria Final Rule Fact Sheet
http://healthit.hhs.gov/standardsandcertification/factsheet

3) HITECH Temporary Certification Program for EHR Technology Fact Sheet
http://healthit.hhs.gov/tempcert/factsheet

4) Temporary Certification Program Final Rule Frequently Asked Questions
http://healthit.hhs.gov/tempcert/faqs

5) Permanent Certification Program
http://healthit.hhs.gov/permcert/factsheet

6) Certified Health IT Product List
http://healthit.hhs.gov/chpl

Privacy and Security

1) Building Trust in Health Information Exchange
http://healthit.hhs.gov/buildingtrust

2) Health Information Privacy and Information on HIPAA
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/

For additional resources on certification and meaningful use check out ONC’s Meaningful Use resources:
http://healthit.hhs.gov/meaningfuluse/resources.

ONC has also funded 62 Regional Extension Centers, located across the country, to offer customized, on-the-ground assistance for providers who need help adopting and meaningfully using certified EHR technology.

You can also stay up to date on ONC and CMS activities by:

What resources or tools from ONC, CMS, or other organizations have you or your practice used to help you become a meaningful user? What challenges have you faced on your road to meaningful use? We encourage you to start a dialogue and share your comments [on the ONC site].
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Please share your comments directly on the ONC Health IT Buzz blog post.

Blumenthal Blogs on HIT Taskforce Guidance on Federal Health IT

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HIT Taskforce Guidance on Health IT
Friday, January 7th, 2011 | Posted by: Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health IT on ONC’s Health IT Buzz blog and reposted here by e-Healthcare Marketing.

In September 2010, Vivek Kundra, the Federal Chief Information Officer, and I issued guidance articulating five key health IT policy and technology principles for Federal health IT projects. The goal of these principles is to encourage better strategic alignment of health IT investments by guiding modernization strategies for existing systems, as well as new investment decisions. Agencies were asked to demonstrate how they plan to incorporate the following policy and technology principles into future health IT investments and to provide specific examples from their fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget submissions:

  • Improving health and health care: Agencies should design their health IT systems to support clinical decision-making and to measurably improve long term outcomes. For FY 2012, agencies will be asked to demonstrate their support for the universal attainment of Meaningful Use either by, if eligible, becoming Meaningful Users themselves or by assisting and encouraging others that are eligible, to become Meaningful Users.
  • Promoting open government: Agencies should share information with their clients/patients, when possible and practicable. An FY 2012 priority is providing clients/patients a secure, timely, electronic copy of their own information in a format they can use and reuse.
  • Securely sharing health information between providers for treatment purposes to enable better care: Agencies should ensure Federal HIT systems are interoperable.  In FY 2012, agencies should use standards and specifications adopted under the HITECH Act in communicating between applications and organizations.
  • Being a trusted steward of taxpayer dollars: Agencies should incorporate interoperable voluntary consensus standards and terminologies where available, and contribute to their ongoing development, as their missions provide for and their resources permit. To this end, FY 2012 investments should use and re-use common, interoperable voluntary consensus standards and terminology, as well as employ modular, flexible solutions to ensure health IT systems are built for re-use and evolution.
  • Protecting privacy and security: Agencies should align their health IT investments with the Fair Information Practice Principles and demonstrate this alignment in FY 2012.

Following submission, agency plans underwent a rigorous peer review process, and representatives from HHS, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Security Administration, and Office of Personnel Management took an active role in evaluating the investments of the various Federal counterparts.

The development of principles and the use of peer review to review Federal health IT expenditures constitute a novel basis for coordinating these expenditures and providing the best possible advice to sister agencies.  In the future, we hope that this process will result in valuable learning for managers of health IT in the Federal Government, and lead to better value for patients and taxpayers.
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To comment directly on this post, please go to ONC’s Health IT Buzz blog.

ONC Presents “Spotlight on Health IT in the News”

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Spotlight on Health IT in the News
Excerpted this new feature from Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT  site, first  published on 1/5/2010 and updated on 1/6/2010.

  1. Blumenthal Looks Back at 2010, Offers Peek Into Plans for 2011
    Q&A with David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
    iHealthBeat, January 3, 2011

    Dr. Blumenthal discusses the challenges ONC faced in 2010, plans for 2011, and the importance of health information technology (health IT) to the implementation of federal health reform law.

  2. Electronic Health Records: Potential to Transform Medical Education
    By Sachin H. Jain, M.D., M.B.A., Special Assistant to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and Bryant A. Adibe, B.S., Executive Director, Young Achievers Foundation
    The American Journal of Managed Care, December 22, 2010

    Dr. Jain and Bryant Adibe examine the ways in which EHR adoption can lead to improved patient-centered approaches to physician training.

  3. Healthcare Information Technology Interventions to Improve Cardiovascular and Diabetes Medication Adherence
    By Sachin H. Jain, M.D., M.B.A., Special Assistant to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, et al.
    The American Journal of Managed Care, December 22, 2010

    This literature review discusses health IT interventions designed to improve medication adherence in cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

  4. Alternative Measures of Electronic Health Record Adoption Among Hospitals
    By Melinda J. Beeuwkes Buntin, Ph.D., Director, Office of Economic Analysis and Modeling, and Charles P. Friedman, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, ONC
    The American Journal of Managed Care, December 22, 2010

    This study examines the type of EHR functions that hospitals have adopted.

  5. Using Electronic Prescribing Transaction Data to Estimate Electronic Health Record Adoption
    By Farzad Mostashari, M.D., Sc.M., Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy; Melinda J. Beeuwkes Buntin, Ph.D., Director, Office of Economic Analysis and Modeling; and Emily Ruth Maxson, Duke University School of Medicine
    The American Journal of Managed Care, December 22, 2010

    This study investigates whether electronic prescribing transaction data can be used to accurately and efficiently track national and regional electronic health record adoption.

  6. Health Information Technology Is Leading Multisector Health System Transformation
    By David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and Sachin H. Jain, M.D., M.B.A., Special Assistant to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
    The American Journal of Managed Care, December 17, 2010

    Dr. Blumenthal and Dr. Jain discuss the impact of the HITECH Act on health information technology (health IT) adoption and provide an overview of the content found in the journal’s special issue on health IT.

  7. Uniting the Tribes of Health System Improvement
    By Aaron McKethan, Ph.D., Program Director, and Craig Brammer, Deputy Director, Beacon Community Program
    The American Journal of Managed Care, December 17, 2010

    Dr. McKethan and Craig Brammer discuss how multiple interventions and simultaneously implemented tools are required to transform the U.S. health care system.

  8. Regional Quality Initiatives: Expanding the Partnership
    Blog post by David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; Carolyn Clancy, M.D., Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); and Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, President of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
    Health Affairs Blog, December 9, 2010

    This joint ONC, AHRQ, and RWJF blog post discusses how dozens of diverse regions of the country are benefiting from an unprecedented commitment of resources and technical expertise to help local leaders improve the quality of health care provided in their region.
  9. Perspective: Dr. David Blumenthal on Health Information Technology
    Q&A with David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
    MDNews.com, November 19, 2010

    Dr. Blumenthal discusses provider involvement in implementation of health IT as part of a videotaped interview during the Medical Group Management Association 2010 conference, held October 24-27.

10.  Fed Health Tech Chief Talks about E-Medical Records
Q&A with David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
The Texas Tribune, October 21, 2010

Dr. Blumenthal discusses the benefits of electronic health records and protections for patient privacy. 

11.  Beacons for Better Health
By Aaron McKethan, Ph.D., Program Director, and Craig Brammer, Deputy Director, Beacon Community Program
Health Affairs Blog, September 23, 2010

Dr. McKethan and Mr. Brammer discuss how Beacon Communities will showcase ways that health information technology is being used to support providers in delivering improved patient care.

12.  This Doctor’s Task: Get Hospitals to Go Digital
Q&A with David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Federal Times.com, September 13, 2010

Dr. Blumenthal elaborates on ONC’s efforts to encourage the electronic transformation of health care delivery on the national and local levels.

13.  The Push for Electronic Medical Records (listen to audio file)
Interview with David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Vermont Public Radio, September 9, 2010

Dr. Blumenthal speaks to Vermont Public Radio about the Vermont Information Technology Leaders Summit and how the state’s hospitals and providers can increase their electronic health records adoption.

14.  Beaconology for Beginners: A Chat with ONC’s Aaron McKethan
Aaron McKethan, Ph.D., Program Director, Beacon Community Program
CMIO Blog, September 7, 2010

Dr. McKethan chats with CMIO about producing community-level clinical performance measures as modeled by the Beacon Community Program.

15.  Strengthening the Gulf’s Health-Care Infrastructure for Generations to Come
By Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Huffington Post, August 27, 2010

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discusses rebuilding the health-care infrastructure to meet the Gulf communities’ long-term medical needs, including efforts by Beacon Communities to help providers move from paper files into the digital age.

16.  The New Momentum Behind Electronic Health Records
By Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
KHN Blog, Kaiser Health News, August 26, 2010

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius details the benefits of health IT adoption for the entire health care system. 

17.  Health Information Technology Program Receives $2.7 Million in Federal Funding, Graduates First Class of Students This Summer
University of Texas at Austin Website, August 26, 2010

University of Texas at Austin graduates the nation’s first class of students from its federally funded health IT workforce development program.

18.  Adoption and Meaningful Use of EHRs – The Journey Begins
By David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; and Don Berwick, M.D., Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Health Affairs Blog, August 5, 2010

Dr. Blumenthal and Dr. Berwick explain the need for federal leadership in helping providers nationwide to adopt and utilize health IT for better quality of care.

19.  Perspective: The “Meaningful Use” Regulation for Electronic Health Records
By David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and Marilyn Tavenner, R.N., M.H.A., Principal Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
New England Journal of Medicine, July 13, 2010

Dr. Blumenthal and Marilyn Tavenner summarize the core objectives of the CMS “Meaningful Use” regulation and how it ties payments to the achievement of advances in health care processes and outcomes.

20.  Perspective: Finding My Way to Electronic Health Records
By Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Regina M. Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A.
New England Journal of Medicine, July 13, 2010

Surgeon General Regina Benjamin shares her personal story about understanding the value of electric health records in preserving patient records when disaster strikes.

21.  Health Information Technology: Laying the Infrastructure for National Health Reform [PDF - 146 KB]
By David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; Sachin H. Jain, M.D. M.B.A., Special Assistant to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; and Melinda Beeuwkes Buntin, Ph.D., Senior Economic Advisor, ONC
Health Affairs, June 2010

  1. Drs. Blumenthal, Jain, and Buntin discuss the key ways in which health IT is critical to the implementation of national health reform.

22.  Perspective: Launching HITECH
By David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
New England Journal of Medicine, February 4, 2010

Dr. Blumenthal outlines the HITECH Act as the groundwork for an advanced electronic health information system.

Pritts Recaps PHR Roundtable with Focus on Privacy and Security

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Personal Health Records: A Focus on Privacy and Security
Wednesday, December 29th, 2010 | Posted by: Joy Pritts, HHS Chief Privacy Officer, on ONC’s Health IT Buzz blog and reposted here by e-Healthcare Marketing.

Understanding the Evolving Landscape

Personal health records (PHRs) have the potential to give individuals more control over their health information — collecting, using, and sharing it as they see fit. On December 3, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), held a PHR Roundtable to gain a better understanding of PHRs as well as other emerging technologies, and the dynamic and evolving market in which they exist, with a focus on privacy and security. The Roundtable will help inform a congressionally mandated study and a report to Congress on entities not covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). ONC expects to deliver the report to Congress in 2011. 

Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, introduced the Roundtable by noting that PHRs are likely to grow in importance as more health care providers meaningfully use electronic health records (EHRs). A major objective of incentives encouraging the meaningful use of EHRs is to engage patients and their families in their health care. PHRs and related technologies can further this objective.

Usefulness and Trustworthiness of PHRs 

At the PHR Roundtable, four panels of experts and industry representatives explored the growth of PHRs, focusing on the nature and adequacy of privacy and security protections. A key message from the Roundtable was that PHRs grow in value when people find them useful and trustworthy. Their usefulness grows as they are able to readily pull information from EHRs and other sources of clinical information, as well as from monitoring devices and mobile applications. The usefulness increases even more as that information can be organized to help people with their particular health care concerns and can inform clinical decision making. 

The Roundtable confirmed that people care about the trustworthiness of PHRs, which includes considerations of privacy, confidentiality, and security. However, often individuals do not have the ability or information to understand or evaluate the trustworthiness of a particular PHR and related service providers. As PHRs merge health information from health care providers with information from other sources and give individuals choices about how to use or disclose that information, the privacy and security issues associated with PHRs increases.

Privacy and Security Protection

During the PHR Roundtable, representatives of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HHS Office for Civil Rights, and California Office of Privacy Protection explained how they are active in oversight of PHRs. They provided attendees with an overview of the primary ways that that the privacy and security of health information in PHRs is protected under current federal law:

  • HIPAA: PHRs offered by or on behalf of most health plans and health care providers (“HIPAA covered-entities”) are protected by the requirements of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. These rules restrict the way that health plans and health care providers can use and disclose identifiable health information in a PHR. They also require covered entities to have administrative, physical, and technical safeguards in place to ensure that information in PHRs remains secure from unauthorized access and use.   
  • Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act: PHRs that are not offered by or on behalf of a HIPAA-covered entity, including those that are employer sponsored or offered by technology companies or other organizations directly to consumers are subject to Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive practices. This means that the FTC can hold PHR companies to the statements that they make about privacy and security in their contracts and publicly posted policies (such as privacy notices). The FTC has also used its authority to find that inadequate security practices are unfair to consumers, who expect their information will be adequately protected. The FTC has recently released a staff report, “Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change,” which recommends a broad framework for protecting health information in light of new practices and business models that can help inform the discussion of health information privacy and security applicable to non-covered entity PHRs. 
  • HIPAA and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act require that individuals are notified of a security breach that results in the release of their health information, including information stored in PHRs regardless of the type of organization by which they are offered. 

A second subpanel of legal experts looked ahead to different approaches to legal or private sector oversight and requirements. At the end of the day, however, it was clear that determining which approach best applies to this dynamic industry is subject to continuing debate and refinement.   

Visit the ONC website to view the archived webcast of the PHR Roundtable. Although the comment period associated with the PHR Roundtable closed December 10, we invite you to continue the discussion on PHRs by submitting comments below.
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For comments, please go directly to ONC’s Health IT Buzz blog.

For an account of the PHR Roundtable written during the December 3, 2010 session, see post on e-Healthcare Marketing.

PHR Rountable Archives: Webcast and Meeting Materials

Blumenthal Reviews ONC’s 2010 Accomplishments on ONC Blog

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2010 ONC Update Meeting: Advancing the Dialogue on Health IT
Monday, December 27th, 2010 | Posted by: Dr. David Blumenthal on ONC’s Health IT Buzz blog and republished here by e-Healthcare Marketing.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2010 ONC Update on December 14-15, 2010 where we had the opportunity to discuss ONC’s strategies and programs, hear about your experiences in the field, assess progress to date, and get caught up on HITECH’s implementation. Video-recordings of the webcast are now available through the ONC website at http://healthit.hhs.gov/ONCMeeting2010.

The 2010 ONC Update was held in conjunction with 2010 ONC Grantee Meeting which brought together for the first time the awardees of all of the ONC programs , including the Beacon Communities Program, Regional Extension Center Program, SHARP Program, State Health Information Exchange Program, and the many Workforce Development Programs.

This year, significant strides were made in health information technology. And for us, information technology has always been a means to an end, the end of improving health, improving the health system, making the lives of our fellow Americans better, making our nation’s health professionals and institutions able to live up to their aspirations, empowering Americans to have and take control of their own health and lives. These are the reasons why the Congress and the President enacted the HITECH Act and the reason that the Office of the National Coordinator exists today.

But, of course, there are many organizations and groups that have those high aspirations. Our unique contribution comes from a core insight that good intentions have to be powered by strong capabilities. And science and technology have created for us an enormously powerful new set of tools in the form of health information technology.

We are here to make sure that those tools are used fully to realize our collective aspirations. Information is the lifeblood of medicine. As health professionals and institutions, we are only as good as the information we have about the patients that we care for. Health IT is destined to be the circulatory system for that information in the decades to come.

The last several months have been a whirlwind of activity. And it is easy to forget how much we’ve accomplished. We established the meaningful use framework, one that I think is unprecedented in the history of electronic health information systems. No other country has laid out a similar framework for what can and should be accomplished using health information technology. And on January 3, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will launch the registration process for those who wish to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

We’ve issued a standards and certification regulation. As of this week, we have five certifying bodies that are available to certify electronic health records. They’ve certified more than 200 records and modules in the several months since they’ve been in existence.

Regional extension centers – 62 of them are working hard to provide hands-on assistance to those providers that need the most help in making this transition. As of this week, 30,000 physicians have already enrolled in these extension programs across the United States.

The State Health Information Exchange Program has provided 56 states and territories with planning grants. More than 20 of these states and territories have approved implementation plans, and new implementation plans are being approved every day.

Seventeen Beacon Communities are now in place. They didn’t exist a year ago. They are paving the way toward real improvements in health and health care in the communities they serve, leveraging health information technology. The SHARP Program is tackling new challenges through research and development.

And ONC’s Workforce Development Programs are preparing a whole new workforce and creating new jobs to support the transformation of our health care system through the use of information technology. To date, we have seen almost 2,300 new enrollees in community college programs and close to 400 in University‑based Training Programs focused on health information technology. And we are well on our way in these very early stages toward meeting that target of 10,000 new health professionals trained annually during the lifetime of the program.

In addition to our grants, we have dozens of contracts that are supporting programs like the Nationwide Health Information Network. And our Health IT Policy Committee and Health IT Standards Committee continue to provide enormously valuable guidance on the many policies and standards that are needed to support execution against our mission.

All of these efforts not only play a critical role in our strategy related to the improvement of health and health care through information technology, but also provide the foundation for health systems change and upcoming reforms in how we deliver and pay for care.

As we look to 2011, there will be many challenges. Driving change is hard. And it takes leadership, commitment and the ability to move forward – despite the many obstacles that each of you will encounter. I hope your sense of contributing something unique to health care and the American people – for most certainly you are – balances the incredibly hard work that you are undertaking. Someday you will look back and realize that you were present at the creation of something big.

Thanks again, and we look forward to our continued collaboration in the new year.
###To comment directly on ONC’s Health IT Buzz Blog, click here.
See Blumenthal Letter #22 on e-Healthcare Marketing.

Blumenthal Letter #22: Ready for Jan 3 EHR Incentives Registration?

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Registration for EHR Incentive Programs
Starts January 3, 2011: Are You Ready?

Dr. David Blumenthal

Dr. David Blumenthal

A Message from Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
December 27, 2010
Published by ONC on 12/27/2010 and republished here.

The New Year is just around the corner, and so is another milestone in our nation’s work to improve health care through health information technology. Starting on January 3, 2011, eligible health care professionals, hospitals, and critical access hospitals may register to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

This is an auspicious time. Nearly two years ago, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed into law. Since then Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies like the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and others have implemented HITECH policies and programs to help providers adopt and achieve meaningful use of certified electronic health record technology and ensure that electronic health information remains private and secure.

[See Blumenthal's review of 2010, originally posted on ONC's Health IT Buzz blog.]

Why Become a Meaningful User?

Qualify for financial incentives from the federal government
Eligible professionals who demonstrate meaningful use have the opportunity to receive incentive payments through the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs—up to $44,000 from Medicare, or $63,750 from Medicaid.  Under both Medicare and Medicaid, eligible hospitals may receive millions of dollars for implementing and meaningfully using certified EHR technology. Providers can get started now with the help of financial incentives from the federal government. If they wait, those incentives may not be available. And financial penalties are scheduled to take effect in five years. 

Build a sustainable medical practice
The next generation of health care professionals will expect and demand that their own medical facility home have a state-of-the-art information system.  Becoming a meaningful user of electronic health records will allow providers who are building their practices to recruit and retain talented young clinicians.

Improve the safety and quality of health care 
The meaningful use of electronic health records will help health care providers and hospitals offer higher quality and safer care. By adopting electronic health records in a meaningful way, providers and hospitals can:

  • See the whole picture. All of a patient’s health information—medical history, diagnoses, medications, lab and test results—is in one place. Providers don’t have to settle for a snapshot when they can have the entire album.
  • Coordinate care. Providers involved in a patient’s care can access, enter, and share information in an electronic health record.
  • Make better decisions. With more comprehensive health information at their fingertips, providers can make better testing, diagnostic, and treatment decisions.
  • Save time and money. Providers who have implemented electronic health records say they spend less time searching for paper charts, transcribing, calling labs or pharmacies, reporting, and fixing coding errors.

ONC and CMS: Here To Help

Registration for the incentive programs may be close at hand, but so is assistance. If you need help in registering for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs or selecting a certified EHR system, ONC and CMS have resources and services to help you.

  • The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs website contains educational resources and fact sheets with information to help eligible professionals and hospitals adopt, implement, and upgrade certified EHR technology and demonstrate meaningful use to receive EHR incentive payments.
  • Regional Extension Centers, which cover every region of the country, provide on-the-ground technical assistance to health care providers working to adopt and meaningfully use certified EHR technology.
  • The Health IT Workforce Development Program prepares skilled workers for new jobs in health IT.

Connecting to Your Community
ONC also has other programs in place to help advance the meaningful use of certified EHR technology and health information exchange:

As 2010 comes to a close, we are well on our way as a nation to achieving the benefits of widespread adoption of EHRs. If you haven’t made any preparations to register to receive incentive payments, I encourage you to get started now. Resolve today to become a meaningful user in 2011.

Sincerely,
David Blumenthal, MD, MPP
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology 
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) encourages you to share this information as we work together to enhance the quality, safety and value of care and the health of all Americans through the use of electronic health records and health information technology.

For more information and to receive regular updates from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, please subscribe to our Health IT News list.

Health IT Special Issue of The American Journal of Managed Care: Dec 2010

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AJMC Publishes Health Information Technology Special Issue Online Dec 20, 2010
“Featuring scholarly articles and perspectives from policymakers, payers, providers, pharmaceutical companies, health IT vendors, health services researchers, patients, and medical educators, this [December 2010 special] issue of  The American Journal of Managed Care is a reflection” of  “the  dramatic growth of interest in the potential for HIT to improve health and healthcare delivery,” writes Sachin H. Jain, MD, MBA and David Blumenthal, MD, MPP in their introductory article titled “Health Information Technology Is Leading Multisector Health System Transformation.”  Both Jain and Blumenthal are with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

Authors of 23 Articles in Special Issue
Sachin H. Jain, MD, MBA; and, David Blumenthal, MD, MPP; Cynthia L. Bero, MPH; and Thomas H. Lee, MD; Aaron McKethan, PhD; and Craig Brammer; John Glaser, PhD; Pete Stark; Newt Gingrich, PhD, MA; and Malik Hasan, MD; James N. Ciriello, MS; and Nalin Kulatilaka, PhD, MS; Seth B. Cohen, MBA, MPA; Kurt D. Grote, MD; Wayne E. Pietraszek, MBA; and Francois Laflamme, MBA; Amol S. Navathe, MD, PhD; and Patrick H. Conway, MD, MSc; Reed V. Tuckson, MD; Denenn Vojta, MD; and Andrew M. Slavitt, MBA; Marc M. Triola, MD; Erica Friedman, MD; Christopher Cimino, MD; Enid M. Geyer, MLS, MBA; Jo Wiederhorn, MSW; and Crystal Mainiero; Nancy L. Davis, PhD; Lloyd Myers, RPh; and Zachary E. Myers; Bryant A. Adibe, BS; and Sachin H. Jain, MD, MBA; Spencer S. Jones, PhD; John L. Adams, PhD; Eric C. Schneider, MD; Jeanne S. Ringel, PhD; and Elizabeth A. McGlynn, PhD; Jeffrey L. Schnipper, MD, MPH; Jeffrey A. Linder, MD, MPH; Matvey B. Palchuk, MD, MS; D. Tony Yu, MD; Kerry E. McColgan, BA; Lynn A. Volk, MHS; Ruslana Tsurikova, MA; Andrea J. Melnikas, BA; Jonathan S. Einbinder, MD, MBA; and Blackford Middleton, MD, MPH, MS;Alexander S. Misono, BA; Sarah L. Cutrona, MD, MPH; Niteesh K. Choudhry, MD, PhD; Michael A. Fischer, MD, MS; Margaret R. Stedman, PhD; Joshua N. Liberman, PhD; Troyen A. Brennan, MD, JD; Sachin H. Jain, MD, MBA; and William H. Shrank, MD, MSHS; Amir Dan Rubin, MBA, MHSA; and Virginia A. McFerran, MA; Fredric E. Blavin, MS; Melinda J. Beeuwkes Buntin, PhD; and Charles P. Friedman, PhD Robert D. Hill, PhD; Marilyn K. Luptak, PhD, MSW; Randall W. Rupper, MD, MPH; Byron Bair, MD; Cherie Peterson, RN, MS; Nancy Dailey, MSN, RN-BC; and Bret L. Hicken, PhD, MSPH; Jeffrey A. Linder, MD, MPH; Jeffrey L. Schnipper, MD, MPH; Ruslana Tsurikova, Msc, MA; D. Tony Yu, MD, MPH; Lynn A. Volk, MHS; Andrea J. Melnikas, MPH; Matvey B. Palchuk, MD, MS; Maya Olsha-Yehiav, MS; and Blackford Middleton, MD, MPH, MSc; Emily Ruth Maxson, BS; Melinda J. Beeuwkes Buntin, PhD; and Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM; Daniel C. Armijo, MHSA; Eric J. Lammers, MPP; and Dean G. Smith, PhD; Katlyn L. Nemani, BA.

Look for an upcoming post on e-Healthcare Marketing reviewing this special issue of AJMC.

Blumenthal Letter #21: 2010 ONC Update [and Welcome to 2010 ONC Conference]

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2010 ONC Update
Dr. David BlumenthalA Message from Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information TechnologyDecember 10, 2010
Accessed from ONC site 12/13/2010.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and other HHS agencies are dedicated to improving the nation’s health care through health information technology (health IT).

Since the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was signed into law in February 2009, we have established a number of initiatives that will help make it possible for providers to achieve meaningful use and for Americans to benefit from electronic health records as part of a modernized, interconnected, and vastly improved system of care delivery.

This year alone, we have established a number of important policies and programs to help lay the foundation for providers to begin their journey toward meaningful use. These include: 

It’s been a busy year for health IT at HHS.

We are looking forward to discussing more about all of our HITECH initiatives to date, as well as our future activities, at the upcoming 2010 ONC Update Meeting on December 14 and 15.

Over the course of this two-day meeting, we are offering a number of sessions that will give participants a better understanding of the HITECH regulations and the role that HITECH plays in health system change and health care reform. Some session topics include:

  • HITECH programs that support providers in achieving meaningful use
  • How HITECH initiatives will promote consumer empowerment and public engagement
  • Privacy and security policies

Our panelists and invited speakers include HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and leaders from CDC, CMS, OCR, ONC and organizations who have a stake in our work. We are excited about the opportunity to share information and ideas.

The plenary sessions at this meeting will be streamed through a live webcast. Details about the webcast are available on the ONC website: http://healthit.hhs.gov/ONCMeeting2010.

Thank you in advance for joining us at the 2010 ONC Update Meeting and for supporting our vision of a higher quality, safer, and more efficient health care system enabled by health information technology.

Sincerely,
David Blumenthal, MD, MPP
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) encourages you to share this information as we work together to enhance the quality, safety and value of care and the health of all Americans through the use of electronic health records and health information technology.

For more information and to receive regular updates from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, please subscribe to  ONC’s Health IT News list.

ONC 2010 Update Webcast: Dec 14-15, 2010

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Save the Date: ONC 2010 Update Webcast
December 14-15, 2010
Received via email from Office of National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT on 12/8/2010:
To participate in the Webcast, click here. No pre-registration required.

Please join the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) for a live webcast of plenary sessions as part of the 2010 ONC Update on December 14-15, 2010.

Ten sessions, offered over the two-day period, will provide an overview of programs brought about by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act to help participants gain a better understanding of how these programs will address barriers and support providers in achieving meaningful use.

The sessions will also provide an overview of ONC’s vision and strategy for improving health and health care through information technology and will offer a detailed look at key elements of ONC and related HHS programs, including:

• Overview of HITECH programs designed to support providers in achieving meaningful use, including the extension center program and ONC’s many workforce development programs

• Update on privacy regulations and activities in the Office of the Chief Privacy Officer

• Overview of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs

• Strategies for getting to health information exchange

• Promoting patient-centered care delivery by empowering consumers and engaging the public

• Strategies for improving care and population health

• Encouraging innovation, rapid learning and technological advancement

Speakers include:

• Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary

• David Blumenthal, MD, MPP, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, ONC

• Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy, ONC

• Joy Pritts, JD, HHS Chief Privacy Officer, ONC

• Don Berwick, MD, Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

• Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Todd Park, Chief Technology Officer, HHS

• Other Health IT leaders and professionals

An agenda of the meeting is available at http://healthit.hhs.gov/ONCMeeting2010 [or see below].

To participate in the Webcast, click here. No pre-registration required.

2010 ONC Update – Meeting Agenda

December 14 – 15, 2010
Available via Live Webcast [Details to come]

Information on how to participate in the webcast will be posted on the agenda before the meeting.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

8:30 – 9:00 am Opening Remarks
Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Introduction by David Blumenthal, MD, MPP
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), HHS

9:00 – 9:45 am
An Overview of ONC’s Vision and the Role of Health IT and HITECH in Health System Change and Health Care Reform
David Blumenthal, MD, MPP
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, ONC

Donald Berwick, MD
Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS

9:45 – 10:15 am
An Overview of ONC’s Strategy and Programs
Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy, ONC

10:15 – 11:00 am
Break

11:00 – 12:15 pm
Update on Privacy Regulations and Activities in the Office of the Chief Privacy Officer
Joy Pritts, JD, HHS Chief Privacy Officer, ONC

12:15 – 12:30 pm
Break

12:30 – 2:00 pm
Getting to Health Information Exchange
Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy, ONC
Doug Fridsma, MD, PhD, Director, Office of Standards and Interoperability, ONC
Claudia Williams, Acting Director, State Health Information Exchange Program, ONC

2:00 – 2:15 pm
Break

2:15 – 3:30 pm
An Overview of HITECH Programs Supporting Providers in Achieving Meaningful Use

Moderator:
Mat Kendall, Director, Office of Provider Adoption and Support, ONC

Panelists:
Paul Kleeberg, MD, Clinical Director, REACH
Robyn Leone, Regional Extension Center Director, Colorado Regional Health Information Organization
Norma Morganti, Executive Director, Midwest Community College Health IT Consortium, led by Cuyahoga Community College
Rick Shoup, Director, Massachusetts eHealth Institute

3:30 – 3:45 pm
Break

3:45 – 5:00 pm
An Overview of Medicare and Medicaid Incentive Programs

Moderator:
Michelle Mills, CMS

Panelists:
Robert Anthony, CMS
Elizabeth Holland, CMS
Jessica Kahn, CMS

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

9:30 – 10:45 am
Promoting Patient-Centered Care Delivery by Empowering Consumers, Engaging the Public

Moderator:
Joshua Seidman, PhD, Director, Meaningful Use, ONC

Panelists:
Christine Bechtel, Vice President, National Partnership for Women and Families
Silas Buchanan, Director of E-Health Initiatives, The Cave Institute
Tom Sellers, MPA, President and Chief Executive Officer, 11-Year Cancer Survivor, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

10:45 – 1:00 pm
Break

1:00 – 1:45 pm
The Role of HITECH in Supporting Public Health Goals
Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS

2:00 – 3:15 pm
Encouraging Innovation: Rapid Learning and Technological Advancement
Todd Park, Chief Technology Officer, HHS

3:15 – 3:30 pm
Break|

3:30 – 4:00 pm
Closing Remarks
Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy, ONC

ONC Fact Sheet: Using Electronic Health Records to Improve Health Care in Your Practice and Community

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ONC Fact Sheet: Using Electronic Health Records to Improve Health Care in Your Practice and Community
Published by ONC on 12/3/2010.

Many health care providers already know that electronic health records (EHRs) can help them provide higher quality and safer care for their patients. Some health care providers now use EHRs to reduce paperwork and increase efficiencies. Other benefits such as improving care coordination will come with expanded health information exchange.

There are resources available to you NOW that can help you make the transition to electronic health records and securely exchange health information with other health care providers and facilities.

Health IT implementation takes know-how and money. The HITECH Act provides these through: 

  • Technical assistance and other helpful resources administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
  • Financial incentive programs and technical support administered by CMS 
Where are these resources for health IT coming from?
The nation has embarked upon an unprecedented effort to transform the flow of information in health care in order to improve the quality and efficiency of care. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), or “Recovery Act,” contains the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or the “HITECH Act,” which establishes programs to accelerate the adoption and use of electronic health records and other types of health IT. The HITECH Act provides over $20 billion to promote the use of health IT among health care providers nationwide and to train thousands of people for careers related to health IT.  

 

 

Know-how: Nationwide, Community-based Health IT Support for Health Care Providers  

The HITECH Act has set up 62 Regional Extension Centers (RECs) to help more than 100,000 primary care providers nationwide implement and meaningfully use EHRs and engage in health information exchange over the next two years. Primary care providers do not have to become technology experts to achieve meaningful use of EHRs; RECs will provide them with on-the-ground assistance. The RECs and several other programs will combine to build a foundation for every American to benefit from an EHR. Soon there will be a REC for nearly every community in the nation. To find the REC serving your area, please visit healthit.hhs.gov/programs/REC.  

Your state has also established a health information exchange (HIE) organization, through the State HIE Cooperative Agreement Program, to develop and advance methods for information sharing across states. This will help ensure that health care providers and hospitals meet national standards and meaningful use requirements.  To find the HIE organization in your state, please visit healthit.hhs.gov/programs/stateHIE. 

Additionally, 70 community colleges across the nation will begin training health IT professionals to fill the expanding need for a skilled workforce to help health care providers implement EHRs. To learn more, visit healthit.hhs.gov/communitycollege  

Each CMS Regional Office has established HITECH/EHR Incentive Program points of contact who receive and respond to inquiries on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, including general, technical and complex questions from the public. In addition, CMS regional staff support and conduct local outreach and education, including building and supporting local partnerships and delivering outreach messages through CMS HITECH regional teams. 

Money: Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs  

The HITECH Act established programs under Medicare and Medicaid to provide incentive payments for the “meaningful use” of certified EHR technology. The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals as they demonstrate adoption, implementation, upgrading or meaningful use of certified EHR technology. The programs begin in 2011. These incentive programs are designed to support providers in this period of health IT transition and instill the use of EHRs in meaningful ways to help our nation to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of patient health care.   

For More Information About:

 HITECH programs administered by ONC, visit healthit.hhs.gov/programs

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