Abstract:

The National Health Information Infrastructure Act stipulates that investment in health information technology (HIT), including electronic health record (EHR) and electronic medical record (EMR) systems (collectively known as EHR), is critically needed in the United States. Innovative applications of HIT and health information exchange (HIE) can fill the gaps of a fragmented health care system. In addition, the Institute of Medicine’s quality-improvement initiatives advocate barriers to HIT/HIE adoption be identified and removed. The need for enhancing the quality of health care and reducing the disparities in health and health care in the United States could be met through the adoption of relevant health information technology.
EHRs have not been fully implemented and used by physicians and other care providers. The percentage of known EHR user physicians affiliated with hospitals is 25%. Effort has been made to provide information in support of meaningful use. Over the past 10 years, concerted efforts have been made to design and implement the concept of patient-centric care through the use of care management technologies. In addition, there has been an explosion of evidence-based medicine and practice. In order to deliver integrated care for achieving optimal personal and population health, systematic information is needed to build a repository of knowledge for the use of policy decision makers, providers, administrators, facility designers, researchers, and patients. Evidence-based knowledge gives users a competitive edge in making policy, clinical, administrative, and constructional decisions that improve personal and public health. This project provides a framework for an innovative and meaningful use of resources by moving Florida into a leadership position in the application of information technology in education, and in the development of innovative products and effective patient-centric care. The University of Central Florida will use the designed platform for information integration/sharing and collaborative opportunities for furthering education and training programs in health care informatics, and producing highly proficient informatics professionals to meet the pressing current demand in the health care workforce.
The Patient Safety and Accountable Care Act, enacted in March 2010, could improve the care of seniors with multiple chronic illnesses by giving their care providers and managers better access to patient information through an innovative health information exchange (HIE) system. The objectives for this local project are: 1) to improve patient-care outcomes and reduce costs for elders by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their coordinated care through the use of a federated, integrated system that interoperates with existing data sources (called Health FINDER) to share and exchange patient information; 2) to enhance best practices in clinical care for elders through simulated learning of clinical case reviews; and 3) to promote population health by using Web-enhanced health-education modules with outcomes assessment for coordinated care. The HIE system will seek to avoid premature institutionalization, serving the goal of reducing institutional costs and burdens. The impacts of HIT adoption on patient and population health will be explored.

Keywords:

Health care reform, health IT adoption, technology impact, coordinated and patient-centric care, integrated care for chronic conditions.