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CentrEast Regional Extension Center - Outreach Services

White Papers Vendor Selection Implementation Support Practice and Workflow Design Privacy & Security

CentrEast Regional Extension Center furnishes educational and outreach activities and materials that provide effective strategies and practices for selecting, implementing and utilizing electronic health record (EHR) systems to improve the quality and value of healthcare. Outreach and education will include articles, tools, presentations, and training events focused on:

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Health Information Exchange and NHIN

In order to qualify for federal pay incentives outlined in the national health information technology agenda, healthcare providers must be able to demonstrate their participation in health information exchange (HIE) by late 2011. The goal of HIE is to enable access to and retrieval of clinical data in order to provide more efficient, cost-effective, patient-centered care. The National Health Information Network (NHIN), a "network of networks," will connect a variety of entities needing to exchange health information, while also focusing on requirements to ensure the secure exchange of health information over the internet.
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Information Technology Infrastructure

Planning and implementing a robust, scalable, cost-effective information technology (IT) infrastructure is critical to ensuring a smooth and successful transition to an electronic health record (EHR) system in your facility. This guide is intended to assist you through the basic IT planning process as you move toward the adoption and implementation of an effective EHR system.
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Meaningful Use and the EHR

In an effort to encourage and support the widespread adoption and use of the electronic health records (EHRs), Congress passed the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Although the focus of HITECH is to encourage the increased use of EHRs, the ultimate goal is to mainstream EHR use as a means of improving the overall quality of medical care. When implemented correctly, EHRs can provide many benefits for providers and their patients.
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Meaningful Use and Provider Incentives

The Office of the National Coordinator, working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been tasked with the responsibility of establishing criteria that indicate when electronic health records (EHRs) are being used effectively, termed “meaningful use.” In an effort to encourage and support the widespread adoption and use of EHRs, financial incentives for providers have been put in place. Unprecedented governmental funding has been made available for these incentive programs through CMS for professionals, hospitals, and critical access hospitals that reach the designated benchmarks and achieve meaningful use.
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Vendor Selection

CentrEast Regional Extension Center provides a variety of services surrounding the EHR vendor selection process. The focus of this process is to provide the greatest opportunities to the providers that will help to achieve and maintain meaningful use of their EHR system and improved quality of care at the most favorable cost of ownership and operation. Vendor selection services offered are:

  • Recommendation/evaluation of EHR systems and services that meet the needs specific to provider’s practice
  • Contract negotiation with vendors/resellers for EHR systems, hardware, network infrastructure and IT services
  • Group purchasing plans for highest-value options
  • Providing oversight for vendor adherence to service level agreements
  • Optional scanning vendor selection for those practices that do not have the resources or expertise in conversion of paper records to electronic format

Practice and Workflow Design

Practice and workflow design is an integral part of implementing an EHR system. It provides opportunity to enhance the efficiency of your practice’s workflow and the patient encounter experience. CentreEast Regional Extension Center provides support, workflow analysis and redesign that will assist achievement of meaningful use of the EHR. Support and services focus on:

  • Working with the provider and EHR vendor to achieve consistency in documenting of essential clinical information
  • Mapping and redesign of current work processes
  • Formulation and updating of roles and responsibilities for clinicians and support staff
  • Official certification of the provider meeting the HIE workflow management criteria

Implementation Support

Successful EHR utilization begins with a strong implementation in the project process. CentrEast brings over 20 years experience in project management experience, largely in implementation of EHR systems. Our service options include:

  • Health IT planning to identify the activities needed to create a healthcare environment that supports interoperability, meaningful use and other HIE-related activities
  • IT project management aimed at monitoring and management of implementation for the provider site
  • Collaboration with EHR vendors to provide an end-to-end application and appliance support service so that providers will not have to have an IT person on staff
  • Collaboration with EHR vendors to establish acceptable timelines for implementation
  • Establish EHR implementation standards and guidelines
  • Workflow analysis and redesign to successfully adopt utilization of an EHR

Privacy & Security

CentrEast Regional Extension Center has extensive experience in handling electronic and paper patient records along with participation in health information exchanges, creating and maintaining hardware/software infrastructure to store and access health information in full compliance with HIPAA and EHR regulatory requirements. Our staff undergoes privacy and security training to ensure best practices, standards, and education are maintained. The following services are provided as options to our client base:

  • Hands-on tutorial, education, and testing to providers and staff on privacy and security issues
  • Written policies and procedures handbook specific to successful implementation and adoption of EHR with an ultimate goal of progressing towards meaningful use achievement
  • Patient education on privacy and security regulations of healthcare records