KEY HIT ISSUES IN THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACTS
On Tuesday, President Obama signed the final economic recovery act into law. As anticipated, the package includes a number of initiatives in the realm of Health Information Technology. Some highlights are below:
Expansion of Broadband Technology
$4.7 billion is authorized for this initiative that establishes the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program that will award grants to States, a variety of corporations, and other public interest entities. Services that will enhance the delivery of health care are, among other factors, given consideration in the award.
Defining Health Information Technology and Electronic Health Records
Qualified Electronic Health Record is defined as an electronic record of health-related information on an individual that has patient demographic and clinical health information, such as medical history and problem lists. The system must have the capacity to provide clinical decision support, support physician order entry, capture query quality information and have the capacity to exchange and integrate electronic health information from other sources.
Health Information Technology is defined as hardware, software, integrated technologies and related licenses, intellectual property, upgrades and packaged solutions sold as services that are specifically designed for use by healthcare entities for the electronic creation, maintenance or exchange of health information.
Certified EHR Technology is a qualified electronic health record that is certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and is applicable to the type of record involved, such as ambulatory electronic health record or an inpatient hospital electronic health record.
Codification of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) and Creation of New Committees
$2 billion is authorized for the program that codifies ONCHIT to develop, plan and promote HIT adoption. The Secretary will appoint the National Coordinator who will work with the HIT Policy Committee and the HIT Standards Committee. (The National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC), formerly AHIC Successor, Inc., may restructure its charter to become either the HIT Policy Committee or the HIT Standards Committee.)
Studies and Reports
Within two years of enactment, the Secretary must:
- report to Congress on actions taken to facilitate adoption of a nationwide HIT system, and make recommendations to achieve full implementation
- conduct a study on methods to create efficient reimbursement incentives for improving care quality in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), rural and free clinics
- present a report to Congress that studies current and emerging health technologies to meet the needs of seniors, individuals with disabilities, and their caregivers
- report to Congress no later than October 1, 2010 on the availability of open source HIT systems.
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