Health Information Technology Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is HIT?
Answer: HIT stands for health information technology, which is using computers to store, protect, retrieve, and transfer information electronically within health care settings. Key elements of health IT include:
- Electronic health records for patients, in place of paper records.
- Secure electronic networks to deliver up-to-date records whenever and wherever the patient or clinician may need them.
- Electronic transmittal of medical test results to speed and streamline processing of those results by health care providers.
- Confidential access for consumers to their own personal health information online, as well as reliable web-based health information for consumers.
- Electronic - and more efficient - communication between patients and health care providers, and among different providers.
- Electronic prescribing of medications, treatments, and tests, to help avoid medical errors.
- Decision support systems to provide clinicians with up-to-the-minute information on best practices and treatment options.
- Electronic devices like handheld computers to make information available at the point of care.
Source
AHRQ National Resource Center for Health Information Technology, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Question: What are the benefits of HIT?
Answer: HIT is working to improve the quality, safety, and effectiveness of health care. HIT systems can help ensure that physicians and other health care professionals have the most current information about the condition they are treating. HIT systems improve quality of care by avoiding duplication and medical errors. Because many patients receive care from multiple health care providers, HIT works to ensure efficient, coordinated and secure information exchange. Also, through the use of HIT, researchers may learn more quickly about new treatments and therapies.
Question: What is an electronic health record?
Answer: The electronic health record (EHR) makes complete medical information about a patient available to the clinician at the point of care, without requiring the patient to fill out paper forms. In general, the EHR includes the patient's medication and immunization history, laboratory results, radiographs, family history, and other medical history.
Question: What are some HIT resources specific to rural communities?
Answer:
- Rural Health IT Adoption Toolbox
Developed by the Office of Rural Health Policy. This resource is targeted towards rural health providers seeking to implement health IT to improve the overall effectiveness of their institutions. The Toolbox is organized in a question-and-answer format and includes a compilation of resources relevant to all stages of planning, executing, and evaluating the implementation of health IT.
- Health IT in Small and Rural Communities
Developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This website provides background information on rural providers and health IT, financing, health IT workforce issues, and AHRQ-funded health IT projects.
Question: Where can I find funding for Health Information Technology initiatives?
Answer: Few grants specifically state they will fund HIT initiatives supporting the expenditures of hardware, software and training necessary for the implementation and use of electronic health records, e-prescribing, computerized provider order entry (CPOEs), electronic transmittal of medical tests, and decision support systems, to name a few. There are several grants that will support health care quality, patient safety, health care access, workforce training programs, and controlling the cost of health care.
Grants supporting these initiatives may not state specifically they fund HIT; however, HIT is seen as a solution to improve these health care initiatives. The following federal organizations and agencies may offer grant opportunities that support HIT efforts:
Question: I found a grant offered by an agency that I think will work for my project but the grant announcement says little about HIT. How can I be sure it will support an HIT project?
Answer: Always contact the agency or organization responsible for the program if you have questions on HIT initiatives and expenditures. Some grants may support HIT efforts but they will have restrictions on how the money can be spent and what the overall percentage of the budget or allotment can be used for HIT expenditures.
Question: What are the final rules regulating criteria for the electronic health record (EHR) incentive program or meaningful use certification?
Answer: Criteria for meaningful use will be staged in three steps over the course of 2011-2015:
- Stage 1 (2011 and 2012) sets the baseline for electronic data capture and information sharing
- Stage 2 (expected to be implemented in 2013)
- Stage 3 (expected to be implemented in 2015) will continue to expand on this baseline and be developed through future rule making
Stage 1 requirements for meeting meaningful use include both a core set and a menu set of objectives that are specific to eligible professionals (EPs) or eligible hospitals and CAHs.
Eligible Professionals (EPs)
There are a total of 25 meaningful use objectives, 20 of 25 must be met for an incentive payment:
- 15 required core objectives
- Remaining five objectives may be chosen from the list of 10 menu set objectives
To view the meaningful use objectives, see: Eligible Professional Meaningful Use Table of Contents Core and Menu Set Measures
Eligible Hospitals and CAHs
There are a total of 24 meaningful use objectives, 19 of 24 must be met for an incentive payment:
- 14 required core objectives
- Remaining five objectives may be chosen from the list of 10 menu set objectives
To view the meaningful use objectives, see: Eligible Hospital and CAH Meaningful Use Table of Contents Core Objectives and Menu Set Objectives
Question: How do I participate in the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program?
Answer: In order to participate in the Medicare and/or Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, you must register. Registration is encouraged as soon as possible and eligible professionals and eligible hospitals can register before they have a certified EHR. For more information on registration, please see the following Registration Guides provided by CMS:
Please note that although the Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs opened in January 2011, some states are not ready to participate. More information can be found at Medicaid State Information.
Eligible professionals eligible for both the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs must choose which incentive program they wish to participate in when they register. Before 2015, an eligible professional (EP) may switch programs only once after their first incentive payment is initiated. Most EPs will maximize their incentive payments by participating in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.
Eligible hospitals eligible for both the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs may participate in both programs. Such hospitals should select “Both Medicare and Medicaid” during the registration process, even if they plan to apply for only a Medicaid EHR incentive payment by adopting, implementing, or upgrading certified EHR technology. Dually-eligible hospitals can attest through CMS for their Medicare EHR incentive payment at a later date, if they so desire.
For more information on registration, please visit Registration and Attestation.
Important dates include:
- October 1, 2010 – Reporting year begins for eligible hospitals and CAHs.
- January 1, 2011 – Reporting year begins for EPs.
- January 3, 2011 – Registration for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program begins.
- January 3, 2011 – For Medicaid providers, states may launch their programs if they so choose.
- April 2011 – Attestation for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program begins.
- May 2011 – EHR Incentive Payments expected to begin.
- July 3, 2011 – Last day for eligible hospitals to begin their 90-day reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program.
- September 30, 2011 – Last day of the federal fiscal year. Reporting year ends for eligible hospitals and CAHs.
- October 1, 2011 – Last day for EPs to begin their 90-day reporting period for calendar year 2011 for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program.
- November 30, 2011 – Last day for eligible hospitals and CAHs to register and attest to receive an Incentive Payment for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2011.
- December 31, 2011 – Reporting year ends for EPs.
- February 29, 2012 – Last day for EPs to register and attest to receive an Incentive Payment for calendar year (CY) 2011.
Credits
Developed by: Holly Gabriel,
holly@raconline.org
Thanks for contributions from: Kate Stenehjem, Technical Assistance and Services Center
Last revised 03/04/2011
