PC Healthstop

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was passed on February 17th, 2009. As an amendment to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, HITECH requires that all healthcare providers use Electronic Health Records (EHRs), also called Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), to store their patients' medical records. Using this system, healthcare providers can e-Prescribe medicine, electronically exchange information with other healthcare providers, and minimize errors.

The government intends to push for universal Electronic Health Record systems as time goes on, and to do this, it is offering major incentives to companies that get an early start on the switchover process. Any physician who can demonstrate "Meaningful Use" of an EHR/EMR system by 2011 can receive up to $44,000 from Medicare, paid from 2011 to 2015. On top of this, any physician who has not adopted an EHR system by 2015 will have a small percentage of the Medicare payments to his or her practice docked.

The buzz seems to suggest that 2011 is a reasonable target for having achieved "Meaningful Use" of your EHR and achieving eligibility for HITECH act participation rewards if you were to start as of this year. The specific timetables shown here began as of March 2009, and if "Meaningful Use" is expected to have been achieved by 2011, it means that it requires about 21 months to go from having no EHR systems in place to receiving financial incentives via HITECH.

"Meaningful Use," as of June 29, 2009, is currently in the process of being defined by those in charge of fund allocation for HITECH. However, it has been stated that "the initial draft proposed that to be considered a meaningful user, practices should be able to maintain electronic medication and allergy lists, record vital signs, and incorporate lab results into their EHRs by 2011." More specific data can be found on the HealthIT website.

The broadest goal of the HITECH Act is to encourage the use of technology to facilitate the transfer of data regarding patient records, prescriptions, and treatment options. To do this, the government is investing $20 billion into Health Information Technology in the hopes that this will ultimately lead to better and more cost-effective medical care in the future. The government also wants to ensure that, despite the digitization of medical records, this information is protected against abuse and exploitation. More specific information on the goals of the HITECH Act can be found here.

A "Qualified Electronic Health Record" is an EHR that has been approved by the CCHIT and matches the terms set forth in the CCHIT's "Concise Guide to CCHIT Certification." In short, a "Qualified Electronic Health Record" provides the "demographic and clinical health information" of the patient and can be used for "clinical decision support," "physician order entry," containing information about "health care quality," and the "exchange of electronic health information." The specific information required is available on the CCHIT website.

Electronic Health Record systems benefit both patients and doctors by allowing medical information to be transferred faster. EHR systems are also paperless, so they do not require nearly as much storage space as an equivalent amount of data in print form. The idea behind EHR systems is that when the patient enters the care of a physician, the physician will be immediately notified of all previous medical treatments, conditions, and potential complications, such as drug allergies. Previously, the doctor usually relied on the patient to report such things, which meant that if the patient made a mistake or was unable to answer, problems could ensue. EHR systems allow the doctor to treat the patient quicker, and reduce the risk of mistakes due to misinformation. (Source: about.com on EHR Systems)

You should probably start by finding a company that can handle all of your hardware needs efficiently, professionally, and with the greatest attention to detail. Electronic Health Record systems are going to be extremely important in the future of medicine. It is critical that you not only have an EHR system, but you are confident it will provide you with everything you need for years to come.

PC Health Stop can identify your needs, come up with a solution for those needs, and then execute the installation and maintenance of the machines. Once we receive the products, we can start installing the software on the machines and schedule a mutually convenient time to set them up at your office. You just need to coordinate with us and we will make sure we have everyone else ready for that day, too. PC Healthstop will help you understand the basics of the machines and continue to provide support after the initial install, if you need such assistance.