Insights

"Accelerating the Adoption of Health Information Technology"
In a new report entitled "Accelerating the Adoption of Health Information Technology," the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, has posted updated information about status, milestones achieved and envisioned, and a projected timeline for related activities. The detailed report includes information about the release of funding and incentives under ARRA, enforcement activities, standards development, and monitoring and evaluation. Read the full report at /www.hhs.gov/recovery/reports/plans/onc_hit.pdf

ARRA & Your State
Practically every state has established a web-based resource center for collecting and communicating ARRA-related information specific to that state. These sites are usually administered by the Governor's Office, the Department of Development, or the Department of Information Technology (if applicable in your state). To find out what's happening in your state, search your state government web sites using keywords such as ARRA, HITECH, recovery, and economic stimulus.

ARRA-HITECH Implementation Plan
On May 18, 2009, ONC released its implementation and operating plan for ARRA. $24 million is budgeted for enhanced privacy and security including $9.5 million for the Office of Civil Right and CMS for auditing and complaint resolution. $20 million is budgeted for NIST to test technical standards and establish a conformance testing infrastructure. $300 million is allocated for regional HIE. Read the full plan at www.hhs.gov/recovery/reports/plans/onc-hit.pdf.

California HealthCare Foundation  Poll
In a recent poll conducted by the California HealthCare Foundation and published in their October 21, 2009, edition of iHealthBeat, 75% of U.S. adults believe that a fully implemented electronic health record will positively impact healthcare quality and access. According to the survey, 64% also believe it will help lower healthcare costs. See the full survey and other study results at www.ihealthbeat.org/data-points-archive.aspx.

Do you Blog? Do you Tweet?
Whether its on your own website or through blogs, chatrooms, and social media launched by others, we encourage you to participate in these forums.
The voice of human services, and behavioral health in particular, is rarely "heard" in these discussions.  More and more, policymakers in all levels of federal,
state, and local government and regulatory authorities are looking to these informal conversations to monitor public opinion and measure perceived need. Don't limit yourself to blogs and "tweets" within our own industry, venture into those that are more primary care-oriented and initiate the "integration" discussion.

Government-Run Health Care Web Sites Earn Top Rankings, Survey Finds
A new survey from ForeSee Results gave government health care Web sites a consumer satisfaction score of 79 out of 100. Pharmaceutical company Web sites earned the next highest score at 78, with hospital Web sites and insurance company sites trailing behind. Federal News Radio.
www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2009/12/4/governmentrun-health-care-web-sites-earn-toprankings-survey-finds.aspx

HIT Standards & Policy Committees to Meet
The HIT Policy Committee met in June 2009 in Washington DC. The meeting will include presentations from committee workgroups. The HIT Standards Committee will also meet in June (location and time TBD). Look for updates and outcomes at www.recovery.gov/, keywords "HIT Standards Committee" and "HIT Policy Committee."

Mission-Matching
Look for partners in new and unconventional places. Corporate giving and social responsibility programs often align with the basic tenets of the behavioral health continuum of care. Banks, construction firms, and insurance companies regularly invest in housing projects and homeless relief programs. Manufacturers frequently support workforce development and training programs, cultural competence, and diversity initiatives. Retailers often find ways to contribute to their communities through food banks, parks and recreation services, and employee volunteers. Energy and petroleum producers are keenly interested in health and environmental issues. And telecommunication vendors are increasingly investing in health information technology in a variety of venues.

Regional Extension Centers
Starting in the Fall of 2009, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology intends to award contracts worth up to $10 million each to create regional health IT extension centers, according to a draft proposal posted online. The centers, which were specified in the stimulus package, will provide technical support as well as allow doctors and hospitals to share best practices in adopting electronic health records. To learn more, go to www.recovery.gov/ and search key words "regional extension centers."