HIPAA administrative simplification: enforcement. Interim final rule; request for comments.
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The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adopts this interim final rule to conform the enforcement regulations promulgated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to the effective statutory revisions made pursuant to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (the HITECH Act), which was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). More specifically, this interim final rule amends HIPAA's enforcement regulations, as they relate to the imposition of civil money penalties, to incorporate the HITECH Act's categories of violations, tiered ranges of civil money penalty amounts, and revised limitations on the Secretary's authority to impose civil money penalties for established violations of HIPAA's Administrative Simplification rules (HIPAA rules). This interim final rule does not make amendments with respect to those enforcement provisions of the HITECH Act that are not yet effective under the applicable statutory provisions. Such amendments will be subject to forthcoming rulemaking(s). (+info)
A framework for predicting EHR adoption attitudes: a physician survey.
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With a focus on improving the quality of patient care, the President George W. Bush called for electronic health records (EHRs) for all Americans by the year 2014; however, recent estimates for EHR adoption in the ambulatory care environment are just over 10 percent. The objective of this study was to determine the individual characteristics and the social and technical factors that may contribute to physician acceptance of EHRs. This first paper of a two-part study presents a framework grounded in Diffusion of Innovations theory and the Technology Acceptance Model, which was developed using case study and survey methods, and tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Model variables explained over 73 percent of the variance in attitude toward EHRs, and acceptable model fit was achieved. Lack of user acceptance continues to impede diffusion of EHRs, and this analysis supports the impact that leadership and other organizational changes have on user adoption. (+info)
Exploring medical identity theft.
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The crime of medical identity theft is a growing concern in healthcare institutions. A mixed-method study design including a two-stage electronic survey, telephone survey follow-up, and on-site observations was used to evaluate current practices in admitting and registration departments to reduce the occurrence of medical identity theft. Survey participants were chief compliance officers in acute healthcare organizations and members of the Health Care Compliance Association. Study results indicate variance in whether or how patient identity is confirmed in healthcare settings. The findings of this study suggest that information systems need to be designed for more efficient identity management. Admitting and registration staff must be trained, and compliance with medical identity theft policies and procedures must be monitored. Finally, biometric identity management solutions should be considered for stronger patient identification verification. (+info)
Health information technology: initial set of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for electronic health record technology. Interim final rule.
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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing this interim final rule with a request for comments to adopt an initial set of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria, as required by section 3004(b)(1) of the Public Health Service Act. This interim final rule represents the first step in an incremental approach to adopting standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria to enhance the interoperability, functionality, utility, and security of health information technology and to support its meaningful use. The certification criteria adopted in this initial set establish the capabilities and related standards that certified electronic health record (EHR) technology will need to include in order to, at a minimum, support the achievement of the proposed meaningful use Stage 1 (beginning in 2011) by eligible professionals and eligible hospitals under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. (+info)
Mission-driven priorities: public health in health information exchange.
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Developing state- and nationwide health information exchange (HIE) is one of the health priorities defined in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. States are expected to take leadership in statewide planning and implementation. To balance limited resources among mandated responsibilities and emerging HIE accountability, we maintain that state public health practitioners must integrate HIE into our mission-driven practice in five priority areas: 1) connecting real-time disease surveillance and notifiable case reporting through HIE to better protect citizens; 2) sharing public health-managed clinical information through HIE for preventive services, 3) conduct health education for targeted populations via HIE to promote healthy lifestyles; 4) leverage public health informatics with Medicaid information system to provide quality healthcare; and 5) serve as a regulator for standardized HIT to participate in healthcare reform. We summarize public health's broad practice into "Five P's" and link each domain's historical foundation, current and proposed practices to sustain success. (+info)
Making the most of federal health information technology regulations.
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