Privacy, Security and Health Information Technology

There’s much publicity about the potential benefits of electronic health records and exchanges.  One commonly cited anticipated benefit for individuals and the U.S. health care system is improved clinical care and reduced cost.  However, the implementation of an electronic environment also poses privacy and security challenges for protecting individually identifiable health information.  Understandably, if individuals [...]

Updates From the ONC Health IT Buzz

If you’ve been following this Blog, you’d know that we’ve been tracking developments relating to the proposed nationwide adoption of health information technology (Health IT).  Health IT is a component of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  As part of the many phases of implementing Health IT and keeping the American public informed, [...]

Health IT Reports from HISPC

HISPC stands for Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration.  Established in June 2006 by RTI International through a contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), HISPC originally comprised 34 states and territories.  The entity now comprises 42 states and territories.  The primary goal of HISPC is to address the privacy and security [...]

Carrot & Stick: Incentives For The Adoption of Health IT – Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, we examined government incentives to boost the nationwide adoption of health   information technology (health IT).  Specifically, we discussed the following: Incentives through funding Incentives through education and training Incentives through sharing the impacts of health IT (Beacon Community program) Incentives through innovative problem-solving research program SHARP program). In this [...]

Carrot & Stick: Incentives For The Adoption of Health IT – Part 1

In previous articles, we examined aspects of the HITECH Act, a component of the multi-billion dollar American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.  In this installment of the series, we highlight government incentives to boost the nationwide adoption of health information technology (health IT). A.  Incentives Through Funding  HITECH Act authorizes the DHHS Secretary to invest [...]

Getting to Know the ARRA of 2009: Advancing Health Information Technology

Introduction  I admit, when I first read early buzz about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or the Recovery Act) of 2009, it didn’t hold my interest.  There was too much politics in the debates.  However, in the months since February 2009, things appear to have moved on to implementation/evaluation phase – evidence-based outcomes, [...]