CHIME StateNet offers best practices for HIEs, RECs
State health IT coordinators should adopt best practice models with common themes across states--including patient identification, provider directories, consent management, and privacy provisions and data standards, according to recent recommendations developed by College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) StateNet.
CHIME StateNet, a network of CIOs created last year by the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based organization, gathers and communicates health IT developments, including HIE formation, and shares information within and across states to encourage coordination among stakeholders.
The federal government should be applauded for its work on HIE development, according to CHIME StateNet, which also offered recommendations as guideposts to maximize available resources and ensure the best approaches to success.
REC activities should be coordinated with the approved state HIE plan to ensure that resources are used effectively, guarding against any conflicts as part of the evaluation and sustainability of the plan, according to the organization.
In addition, state health IT coordinators should recognize defined and exclusive geographic regions for HIEs, and in the case of regions that cross state lines, by agreement among the states, the organization advised.
A public/private awareness campaign is necessary to raise awareness of HIEs’ benefits for patients. A workflow based on semantic interoperability should allow exchanged data to be normalized by the caregiver’s preferred application, CHIME StateNet advised.
The CHIME StateNet principles highlighted the role that RECs can play in helping small providers and critical access hospitals implement EHRs and participate in the exchange of health information.
Among its guiding principles for RECs, CHIME StateNet recommended:
• Working with established healthcare delivery organizations;
• Harmonizing state laws to assure consistency across states;
• Leveraging local healthcare community expertise on EHR adoption;
• Working with organizations that have established patient identification methods to leverage lessons learned; and
• Ensuring small physician practices and other target provider populations receive the necessary assistance for sustainable longer-term business models.
Both sets of principles have been presented to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, according to CHIME StateNet.
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CHIME StateNet, a network of CIOs created last year by the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based organization, gathers and communicates health IT developments, including HIE formation, and shares information within and across states to encourage coordination among stakeholders.
The federal government should be applauded for its work on HIE development, according to CHIME StateNet, which also offered recommendations as guideposts to maximize available resources and ensure the best approaches to success.
REC activities should be coordinated with the approved state HIE plan to ensure that resources are used effectively, guarding against any conflicts as part of the evaluation and sustainability of the plan, according to the organization.
In addition, state health IT coordinators should recognize defined and exclusive geographic regions for HIEs, and in the case of regions that cross state lines, by agreement among the states, the organization advised.
A public/private awareness campaign is necessary to raise awareness of HIEs’ benefits for patients. A workflow based on semantic interoperability should allow exchanged data to be normalized by the caregiver’s preferred application, CHIME StateNet advised.
The CHIME StateNet principles highlighted the role that RECs can play in helping small providers and critical access hospitals implement EHRs and participate in the exchange of health information.
Among its guiding principles for RECs, CHIME StateNet recommended:
• Working with established healthcare delivery organizations;
• Harmonizing state laws to assure consistency across states;
• Leveraging local healthcare community expertise on EHR adoption;
• Working with organizations that have established patient identification methods to leverage lessons learned; and
• Ensuring small physician practices and other target provider populations receive the necessary assistance for sustainable longer-term business models.
Both sets of principles have been presented to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, according to CHIME StateNet.
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