Indiana Health IT Blog

Late last year, IHIT launched the Indiana eHealth pledge. Twenty-five (25) organizations have joined the pledge to date. From the payer/governmental side, the organizations represent the largest commercial payer, Medicaid, the State Public Health Entity. From the healthcare side, the organizations represent 49 hospitals (41% of Indiana hospitals), large specialty physician groups, a regional reference laboratory, and the largest student health clinic. All five of the sub-state health information organizations have signed the pledge.

The pledge was launched in conjunction with the Office of the National Coordinators eHealth pledge. These organizations are pledging to providing education and greater access to health information for the patients and consumers they serve. Providing patients and their care givers with timely, accurate health information will lead to improved engagement and quality outcomes. IHIT, in its role as the State HIE, is proud to push such an initiative and collaborate with the organizations working to improve health care.

Next steps for the pledge include development of marketing materials for the program and those that join. IHIT will be developing a voluntary recognition/rating program to identify organizations that excel in providing consumers with education and health information. If you are an organization interested in engagement of the health care consumer, join the Indiana Health pledge today.

More information on the ONC efforts can be found at: http://www.healthit.gov/

To join the Indiana pledge, download the pledge form at: Indinana eHealth Pledge

Indiana has launched a pledge campaign geared at providing education and greater consumer (patient) access to their health information.

“I think our work with asthma is just the beginning of managing all the practice patients with complex medical problems. As each patient sees a specialist or has contact with another health care provider, regardless of the location or institution, that information could then be sent to the medical home and have the key drivers captured for surveillance, management, pay for performance, and quality improvement efforts. This can be done with minimal staff requirements and a high level of sustainability in an electronic environment.

- Dr. Scott Callahan, pediatrician and medical director with Children’s Health Care in Batesville, IN

As hospitals and providers are scrambling to implement certified electronic medical records to meet the Meaningful Use (MU) criteria, there is typically one aspect that is left on the backburner – Health Information Exchange (HIE).

A recent article in Hospitals and Health Networks discusses the use of CCD standards for improving data exchange. Will CCD be the universal standard that delivers improved integration?

There are quite a few exciting things going on in trying to integrate Long Term Care providers and HIE activities. Indiana recently participated in a National Governor's Association meeting on the topic.

Today, Indiana is celebrating the first Medicaid EHR payment being made.

IHIT is currently working through the contracting phase of its implementation plan.

IHIT's HIE Connectivity Project is Progressing