IT discus 4

2

Taylor

A foundational element of high-performing primary care is the implementation of and use of health information technology (Rittenhouse et al., 2017). 

ONC develops the advanced technology to share and maintain health information, ensuring that patients receive high-quality medical care. In 2009, President Obama enhanced the ONC act and created a new law called the HITECH Act. In addition to enhancing quality and efficiency, this act engages patients in their healthcare, improves the health status of the population, as well as ensuring privacy and security. Health care providers would have to continue to use paper records if the Act had not been passed.

To encourage the development of a strong HIT infrastructure, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services established the EHR incentive program. Certain criteria had to be met in order to receive these financial incentives. Few hospitals used EHRs before the HITECH Act was passed in 2008. An increase in EHR adoption and use will contribute to the advancement of healthcare, improving efficiency and care coordination, and making it easier for health information to be shared. Until healthcare providers adopt the HIT, it will be very difficult to maintain the health records of the patients, which means other providers will lack access to the information. Barriers such as these prevent health care facilities from providing quality care. With the help of government incentives, health information technology is promoted as a way to increase access to and use of health care technology.

 Rittenhouse, D., Ramsay, P., Casalino, L., McClellan, S., Kandel, Z., & Shortell, S. (2017). Increased health information technology adoption and use among small primary care physician practices over time: a national cohort study. Annals of Family Medicine, 15(1), 56-62

Susan

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) Act of 2004 was designed to strategize for the national implementation of interoperative health information technology (HIT) in both private and public sectors (Brown, 2008). HIT promotes safe, quality healthcare and patient involvement by giving them access to their health records (Brown, 2008). However, the ONCHIT Act was limited in effectiveness because of the costs of implementing HIT. In response, the Health Information Technology for the Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 was enacted. HITECH improved upon ONCHIT by providing the financial means to promote HIT. The HITECH Act provided 19.2 billion dollars for HIT implementation (Casto, 2013). Of that amount, $17.2 billion was to offer financial incentives to hospitals and physicians for Electronic Health Record (EHR) implementation, and $2 billion was to go towards associated grants and loans (Casto, 2013).  

To improve adoption, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the EHR incentive program in 2011 (Rittenhouse et al., 2017). CMS provided financial incentives for the meaningful use of EHRs and penalties for non-compliance (Rittenhouse et al., 2017). To achieve meaningful use, physicians/healthcare organizations had to give patients access to their EHR, report on patient experience, and improve patient-provider communication (Wagner, 2021). Further incentivizing HIT adoption, CMS revamped the EHR Incentive Program to the Promoting Interoperability Program. The adaptation requires using Certified EHR Technology (CERHT) (Glandon et al., 2020). CMS offered financial incentives for using CERHT and penalized organizations for data breaches (Glandon et al., 2020). 

Financial incentives and penalties are vital in promoting HIT adoption, thus promoting quality healthcare and reducing healthcare costs. HIT adoption fosters the coordination of care among providers to improve patient outcomes (Wagner, 2021). In addition, HIT adoption improves patients’ stakes in their overall health by involving them in their care plan (Johnson & Walston, 2021). Lastly, HIT adoption decreases healthcare costs by eliminating unnecessary and repeat testing (Wagner, 2021).  

For the laggard providers, HIT adoption improves efficiency and workflow. For example, through patient portals, patients can communicate with their providers and eliminate the need for an appointment, thus freeing up the physician for more critical patient needs (Wagner, 2021). In addition, workflow is improved through online scheduling, automated appointment reminders, electronic prescription refill requests, and electronic billing (Wagner, 2021). HIT adoption also allows physicians to reach patients that are not close geographically (Johnson & Walston, 2021). Radiologists can view images from patients at other medical facilities and improve the financial stability of their practices. In addition, physicians can efficiently consult with specialists by sharing patient medical information electronically (Wagner, 2021). Also, physicians have access to their patient's entire medical history (Wagner, 2021). These functions improve patient outcomes by giving physicians access to additional resources and improving decision-making. Lastly, HIT can automate billing, facilitating timely reimbursement for services (Casto &Forrestal, 2013). In addition, automated billing decreases the chance of error, ensuring the physician remains compliant with the latest laws and regulations (Casto &Forrestal, 2013). Physicians who do not embrace HIT into their daily functions will fall behind the curve and suffer a loss in revenue and their patients’ trust. 

References 

Brown, B. (2008). Beyond HIPAA: ONCHIT, ONC, AHIC, HITSP, and CCHIT. Journal of Health Care Compliance, 10(4), 41–73. 

Casto, A., & Forrestal, E. (2013). Principles of healthcare reimbursement. (4th ed.). AHIMA Press. 

Glandon, G., Slovensky, D., & Smaltz, D. (2020). Information technology for healthcare managers (9th ed.). AUPHA/HAP Book. 

Johnson, K., & Walston, S. (2021). Healthcare in the United States: Clinical, financial, and operational dimensions. Health Administration Press. 

Rittenhouse, D., Ramsay, P., Casalino, L., McClellan, S., Kandel, Z., & Shortell, S. (2017). Increased health information technology adoption and use among small primary care physician practices over time: A national cohort study. Annals of Family Medicine, 15(1), 56–62. https://doi-org.ezproxy.umgc.edu/10.1370/afm.1992 

Wagner, S. (2021). The United States healthcare system: Overview, driving forces, and outlook for the future. AUPHA/HAP Book.