Georgia shares lessons learned from evaluating, implementing HIT
Georgia shares lessons learned from evaluating, implementing HIT
Rhonda M. Medows, MD, FAAFP, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), says that the stimulus funding "provides us with an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen our Medicaid and SCHIP program HIT efforts."
Dr. Medows adds that DCH is making efforts to integrate the use of HIT into its day-to-day operations. "For example, our Medicaid, SCHIP, and State Employee Health Plans all competitively procure and contract with health insurance plans to administer health care coverage to our members," says Dr. Medows. "The utilization of HIT is a technical requirement included in our procurements, contracts, and performance measures, and next, our contract performance guarantees."
Efforts to educate
Efforts also are being made to both educate and receive input from the health care community. This includes consumers, physicians, hospitals, pharmacies, long-term care facilities, labs, health plans, self-insured employers, privacy advocates, and academic institutions.
DCH also recently implemented a new Medicaid Management Information System, and planning and development of a new electronic health record (EHR) system for use by Medicaid and SCHIP providers is under way.
"We are also working to build a prescription drug data exchange that would span across four state agencies and multiple state/federally funded health care programs," says Dr. Medows.
Follow these steps
Dr. Medows gives the following "lessons learned" from her experience in implementing and evaluating HIT in Georgia's Medicaid program:
Invite all stakeholders to discuss goals, strategy, and planning early in the process. "This includes consumers," says Dr. Medows.
Ask providers directly what it will take for them to adopt EHRs.
Adapt the information being shared to various audiences, to assist with their understanding of the goals and plans.
Be transparent. Communicate with the public through various media at each step of the process.
Adopt a common definition of key concepts, so that all involved are talking about the same thing.
Address privacy and security concerns up front.
Host public meetings during the planning process, with demonstrations of various EHR system capabilities.
Go out to providers "where they live" and talk with them. For example, speak at medical society meetings, visit group practices or hospitals, and seek invitations to town hall meetings in local communities.
Obtain ongoing feedback from consumers by holding focus groups and attending health fairs.
Visit plans and providers with EHRs that are up and running. "Find out they what they liked and didn't like," says Dr. Medows. "See if any of the early adopters are willing to serve as mentors for the 'newbies.'"
Identify goals beforehand
Dr. Medows recommends having a good idea of your goals for HIT before soliciting contractor industry proposals and becoming inundated with vendor pre-packaged solutions. Specifically, answer the following questions:
Do you want to provide a health information exchange hub?
Do you want to help providers obtain office/facility EHRs?
Do you want to pay an incentive to those providers who adopt and use EHRs?
Do you want to pay an incentive only to those who demonstrate an improvement in patient health outcomes by using EHRs?
Would you prefer to start with e-prescribing instead of a full EHR with clinical notes?
What other HIT is of interest? (Telemedicine, clinical decision support, case management features?)
What state resources do you have available now?
What resources will you have available longer-term to sustain the effort?
What other efforts are already under way in the state?
What are state and federal barriers and challenges that need to be overcome? (Legislation, rules on data sharing, security, indemnification, budget, work force, etc.)
Learn pros and cons
"Get an update on the current systems available and learn the pros and cons that distinguish them," says Dr. Medows. "Remember, you are not just buying hardware. Learn what you will need to have a complete package. Determine when each component needs to be in place to avoid the frustration of a patchwork, disjointed program."
For each vendor, Dr. Medows says you should find out the below information:
The software applications offered and options for lease vs. purchase.
The ease and cost of software application customization and future updates.
How customer service will be provided for the initial workflow analysis, staff training, and ongoing technical support.
The ability to interface with existing systems, including programs used by providers for practice management, scheduling, billing, and e-prescribing.
Confirm certification by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology. "Federal funding requirements, so far, stipulate this as a criteria," says Dr. Medows.
The ability to exchange information with other health systems.
Whether there is an upcoming opportunity to leverage a HIT purchase with another state IT system purchase.
Dr. Medows says the governor, state agency head, and Medicaid program leadership's commitment and engagement are all critical to the successful integration and long-term sustainability of health information technology in Medicaid and SCHIP.
"This same leadership commitment is vital to the statewide adoption and utilization of HIT and interoperable health information exchange systems in both the private and public sector," says Dr. Medows.
Contact Dr. Medows at (404) 656-4507.
Rhonda M. Medows, MD, FAAFP, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), says that the stimulus funding "provides us with an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen our Medicaid and SCHIP program HIT efforts."Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.