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Advantages of interoperability in the health sector
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In the healthcare system, interoperability is the ability of different information technology systems and software applications to communicate, exchange data, and use the information that has been exchanged (NAHIT,2005). Exchange of health data is an essential factor for the healthcare industry. Health data exchange can increase the quality of care of the patient by providing relevant health related information for better patient management, knowledge management, and performance monitoring.
In an effort to reduce costs and increase the quality of service, the government has provided over $26 billion in economic incentives to promote the adoption of health information exchange (HIE) platforms among medical providers. The full implementation
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There is three primary infrastructure of health data exchange models: centralized, federated and hybrid. Centralized HIE model is simple, but it also effective for aggregating health information from multiple sources. it helps to the provider to improve the quality of care and patients outcomes. And it also managed by a strong central authority. This centralized model links with the payers, providers and public health data sources from a single data warehouse. Centralized model is used by regional and state level including HealthInfoNet in Maine, INHS Health Information Network serving parts of Washington State and Idaho, and MyHealth Access Network in Oklahoma. All of these communities include population health management and data analytics as part of their core missions and have successfully used centralized HIE to provide reporting that can help providers improve the quality of care and patient outcomes. Decentralized HIE model is, where heath data stays to its source and …show more content…
For an example, HL7 (Health Level Seven International) is a set of standards, formats, and definitions for the exchange, management, and integration of data that supports clinical patient care and the management, delivery, and evaluation of health care services. HL7 standards, developed and promulgated by the healthcare IT standard-setting authority HL7 International are the de facto standards in healthcare IT, though some HL7 users have called on Congress to create stronger legal interoperability standards for the healthcare IT industry. EHR system functional model created by HL7 includes advanced decision support feature for the healthcare industry. Which designed to help for national interoperability of healthcare IT systems. This model is designed to provide a guideline to healthcare professionals as well as healthcare related researchers in preparing, acquiring and transitioning EHRs. Updated version of HL7 allowed interoperability among electronic Patient Administration Systems (PAS), Electronic Practice Management (EPM) systems, Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), Dietary, Pharmacy and Billing systems as well as Electronic Medical Record (EMR) or Electronic Health Record (EHR)
Generally, the development and adoption of Clinical Decision Support (CDS) systems is based on the necessity and essence of technical standards in enhancing healthcare. However, the various health IT tools must comply with some data interchange standards in order to enhance access to clinical records, lessen clinical errors and risks to patient safety, and promote innovation in “individual-based” care (Hammond, Jaffe & Kush, 2009, p.44). The need for compliance with standards is fueled by their role in enabling aggregation of informa...
• Provides a basic level of interoperability among electronic health records (EHRs) maintained by individual physicians and organizations
Starting in 2014, a new resource called Exchange will be available. According to HHS, a healthcare exchange will “provide a transparent and competitive insurance marketplace where individuals and small businesses can buy affordable and qualified health benefit plans”.... ... middle of paper ... ...(2010) Profiling Physicians by Payment Program: A Closer Look at Three Provinces (Ottawa, Ont. CIHI, 2010). pp.
For years now, the healthcare system in the United States have managed patient’s health records through paper charting, this has since changed for the better with the introduction of an electronic medical record (EMR) system. This type of system has helped healthcare providers, hospitals and other ambulatory institutions extract data from a patient’s chart to help expedite clinical diagnosis and providing necessary care. Although this form of technology shows great promise, studies have shown that this system is just a foundation to the next evolution of health technology. The transformation of EMR to electronic heath record system (EHR) is the ultimate goal of the federal government.
When you take the socialistic perspective towards implementing this system in Canada, you can see the advantages it brings to improving health care. If the government plays a larger role in funding the development of electronic health records for private and smaller organizations the benefits will immediately result in better quality of health care. As shown in a study done by the University of California in San Francisco that focused on expensive costs that make it difficult for smaller practices to incorporate electronic health records, “need policies designed to provide incentives and support services to help practices improve the quality of their care by using EHRs.” (Miller, West, Brown, Sim & Ganchoff, 2005) In this article they explain that electronic health records improve quality of health care, but the costs are too expensive for small practices to incorporate them.
Health Information Exchange (HIE) was introduced by President Bush in 2004 (Kruse, Regier & Rheinboldt, 2014) so it is not a new concept. HIE is instrumental in gaining overall population health as it can lead to a reduction in healthcare costs, increase patient safety, and increase health outcomes. Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs) are a conglomerate of healthcare providers and patients in a region that exchange healthcare information with the goal of delivering quality care to the individuals they serve. This paper will discuss the pros and cons of RHIOs, key challenges in gaining long term viability, and provide ways in which capital is raised to support HIE.
The health information networks factor into the enhancement of the patient-centered management system, in that they help with the implementation of the Electronic health record. The HITECH Act for example allocated “18 billion through the Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement systems as incentives for hospitals and physicians who are meaningful users of EHR systems”(About the HITECH, n.d.). This is a beneficial way to promote the use of electronic health records and have them become universally utilized across the nation. NHIN is also an excellent network that is more widespread and contains policies as well as standards that help with the safe trade of data. NHIN is the biggest network that all other health information networks hope to achieve. The NHIN is a contributor to the expansion of the EHR and it also further improves the patient-centered management system by having the policies they have. These policies assist with keeping the information in the system safe and also helping many different entities to become a part of its use. Some of the entities involved are the Center for Disease Control and prevention, Social Security Administration, Department of Defense and Kaiser Permanente among others. Both CHIN and RHINO implement the use of electronic health record, which makes it more widespread,
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.
“An electronic health record (EHR) is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users.” (healthit.gov) The EHR mandate was created “to share information with other health care providers and organizations – such as laboratories, specialists, medical imaging facilities, pharmacies, emergency facilities, and school and workplace clinics – so they contain information from all clinicians involved in a patient’s care.” ("Providers & Professionals | HealthIT.gov", n.d., p. 1) The process has proved to be quite challenging for providers. As an incentive, the government began issuing payments to those providers who “meaningfully use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.” (hhs.gov) There are three stages that providers must progress through in order to receive theses financial incentives. Stage one is the initial stage and is met with the creation and implementation of the HER in the business. Stage two “increases health information exchange between providers.” ("United States Department of Health and Human Services | HHS.gov", n.d., p. 1) Stage three will be the continuation and expansion of the “meaningful use objectives.” ("United States Department of Health and Human Services | HHS.gov", n.d., p. 1) The hospital, where I work, initiated the HER mandate many years ago. In this paper, I will discuss the progression and the challenges that my hospital encountered while implementing the EHR mandate.
Healthcare Information and Management Systems. (2012). Electronic Health Record . Retrieved March 19, 2012, from HIMSS : http://www.himss.org/ASP/topics_ehr.asp
Health information management involves the practice of maintaining and taking care of health records in hospitals, health insurance companies and other health institutions, by the use of electronic means (McWay 176). Storage of medical information is carried out by health information management and HIT professionals using information systems that suit the needs of these institutions. This paper answers four major questions concerning health information systems.
The new healthcare technology that is spreading nationwide it the EHR programs that are being implemented and updated in healthcare organizations. Government policies are in place for societies protection and privacy, it also helps to create a place where healthcare information can be utilized to its fullest potential. ONC authors’ regulations that set the standards and certification criteria EHRs must meet to assure health care professionals and hospitals that the systems they adopt are capable of performing certain functions (HealtIt, 2015).
Physicians, administrators, staff, and patients who are affiliated within the healthcare organization should understand the importance of interoperability by coming together to ease ...
The process of implementing an EHR occurs over a number of years. An electronic record of health-related information on individuals conforming to interoperability standards can be created, managed and consulted with the authorized health professionals (Wager et al., 2009). This information technology system electronically gathers and stores patient data, and supplies that information as needed to the healthcare professionals, as well as a caregiver can also access, edit or input new information; this system functions as a decision support tool to the health professionals. Every healthcare organization is increasingly aware of the importance of adopting EHR to improve the patient satisfaction, safety, and lower the medical costs. Studies have implied that, healthcare professionals who practice clinical features through EHR were far more likely to provide better preventive care than were healthcare professionals who did not.
A rising concern with informatics and public health is the barrier between data sharing. A major challenge for public health informatics is facilitating the improved exchange of information between public health and clinical care. Many of the data in public health information systems still come from forms filled out by hand, which are later computer-coded. Some reports are electronic but the initial data still have to be entered manually, this results in serious underreporting of data. Information silos typically do not share priorities, goals or even the same tools. Departments operate as individual units; silos occur due to an organization structure. Silos make it difficult to share information, agencies store same information in multiple places. Furthermore, silos increase health agency cost.