NCSL Project HITCh Phase II Work Plan
Phase II HITCh Work Plan
The National Conference of State Legislatures launched Project HITCh (Health Information Technology Champions) at its 2006 Annual Meeting to establish and develop state legislative policy expertise on health information technology. HITCh is made possible through the support of members of the NCSL Foundation, who are active in shaping the project and carrying out its goals.
During Phase I of the project, NCSL created a core group of state legislative leaders interested in health information technology as a vehicle for expanding state policy expertise. The project convened seven meetings, held five webinars, presented at six meeting and brought NCSL to the table at the national discussion on the future of HIT. The project has attracted additional resources to NCSL for work on HIT, including a subcontract with the National Governors Association’s State Alliance for e-Health.
Project HITCh’s Phase II work plan will build on these achievements from Phase I. We will continue to expand legislative participation in the group, broaden the base of knowledge of participants, and identify and tackle the most critical issues facing HITCH Partners and legislative members. Priority topics for Phase II will be determined by members and partners from an array of issues such as privacy and data security, HIT innovations in Medicaid, financing and sustainability models, and best practices in the use of electronic records to enhance quality.
Phase II will focus on the following:
Further develop knowledge of legislators currently engaged in HIT:
Multiple tools will be used to further develop the knowledge of legislators leading the way on HIT. The HITCh newsletter will provide summaries and links to current reports and vital news on HIT. The newsletter will be sent out to the HITCh e-mail list of legislators, staff, Partners and other interested in HIT. Sessions at NCSL meetings will provide examples of how other state leaders are moving forward with HIT initiatives. HITCh staff members will be available to make presentation before state legislative committees and other legislative forms as funding is available.
Introduce new legislators to HIT:
Disseminate the HIT FAQ to legislators and promote its use by other state level organizations. A cross-cutting activity is the continued development of the HITCh group as a distinct entity, building relationships among states and between legislators and Partners.
Interviews with key HIT state legislative leaders:
Project HITCh will identify 6-8 states in which to conduct interviews with key legislative leaders. The interview will aim to take the pulse of legislative leaders to find out their states successes, failures and future plans for HIT. The responses will serve as a model for other states to follow moving forward with their own HIT initiatives.
Project Report:
To assure broader knowledge about HITCh among policy-makers and the health IT community, NCSL will issue a report on the project findings and activities at the end of Phase II. The report will emphasize HITCh’s accomplishments in advancing state health information technology policy and will discuss how HITCh’s innovations can be used by a broad array of legislators and other policy makers to shape state health information technology activities. HITCh participants will design and participate in writing the report. Likely topics for inclusion in the report are:
- State best practices in e-prescribing, health information exchanges, personal health records, and other health IT topics.
- State legislative initiatives that may be promising practices for other states.
- Key resources and information sources on health information technology for legislators.
- Narrative discussing the collaboration that created HITCh, the value of that collaboration, and the future potential of that collaboration for advancing health information technology.
Strengthen connections with key HIT groups:
Project HITCh will strengthen its work with the State Alliance, State-Level Health Information Exchange Consensus Project, HITSP and other groups that are reaching decision points and making recommendations. HITCh will provide state legislative perspectives and reactions, where appropriate; disseminate information where appropriate; and work with them to present results to legislative audiences. Staff and members will continue to be available to make presentations for partners and federal or national HIT policy groups on state legislative roles and action in HIT.
Utilize relevant materials, recommendations and other resources from key HIT groups:
Project HITCh will inform legislators of relevant recommendations, reports and other resources produced by key HIT groups. This could, for example, include disseminating information on recommendations issues by the State Alliance for e-Health or reports issued by eHI. Summaries and links to these relevant materials will be provided in the newsletter and website.
Upgraded HITCH website:
The HITCH website provides legislators with a host of useful resources including; state legislative tracking, introductory materials and webinars on various HIT topics. The individual issues pages will be fleshed out with the upgrade to the site. Each page will contain links to relevant research, recommendations and organizations. The individual issue area pages will serve as an introduction to the topic and provide useful resources to those already familiar it.
HIT State Leadership Organization Tracking:
Project HITCh will identify the group(s) selected by the state to provide policy leadership on HIT. These groups will provide models for other states to follow in moving forward with HIT.
HITCh Products:
- A report will be issued that contains the projects findings and activates. The report will discuss how HITCh’s findings can be used by a board scope of legislators and other policy makers to shape state health information technology activities.
- Three working sessions with the HITCh Steering Committee in conjunction with NCSL events (Spring and Fall Forums and Annual Meeting).
- Four information sessions (panels at meetings, committee sessions, webinars) to present information on different aspects of HIT and state policy to a wider NCSL and public audience. Sessions will be taped and slides and supporting materials will be archived for viewing by a larger audience.
Topics will be finalized by the HITCh Partners group but will include topics such as
- Privacy and data security
- Use of HIT in Medicaid including update on MMIS, what is succeeding and what isn’t?
- State role in financing and sustainability of the health information infrastructure/health information exchange
- Improving safety and quality through electronic records (EHR, CPOE)
- HITCh web site, with brief summaries of major issues and options defined by the group, the options paper, legislative tracking in three HIT policy areas, and links to related resources, especially state-level projects and promising practices. Web site will be updated at least quarterly.
- HITCh e-mail newsletter will include relevant state actions and recommendations, reports and other resources produced by key HIT groups. The newsletter will be sent at least monthly, with additional editions as needed, to the HITCh email list.
- Staff will respond to information requests from state legislatures in this area.
- The project will help partners and others identify legislative leaders in HIT for panels, presentations and advisory bodies.
- At least two articles will be written and published in State Health Notes, NCSL’s flagship health policy publication.
Schedule of Meetings and Timetable for Deliverables
January 2008 – December 2008
- February 26. HITCh at HIMSS Piggy-back meeting-in-meeting, Orlando, FL
- April 22-26. HITCh partners meet at Spring Forum, Washington, DC.
- June 18-20. HITCh panel - presentation and webinar in conjunction with HIT summits or panel at Health Chairs meeting, Washington, DC.
- July 22-26. HITCh partners meet at Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA
- December 10-12. HITCH partners meeting at Fall Forum, Atlanta, GA
 HITCh Main Page
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