NCSL Project HITCh Phase I Report
Project HITCh thanks the NCSL Foundation and partner organizations who are members of the Foundation for their support. Project HITCh Phase I was extremely successful with outcomes exceeding expectations. More than ten partners have supported the project and nurtured its growth during Phase I. We have an outstanding steering committee made up of legislators and staff from across the country. State legislatures have been very active in this area this year and Project HITCh has been able to support state initiatives and inform federal policy makers of state activities.
Project HITCh’s goal is to establish and develop state legislative policy expertise on health information technology. Following our launch at NCSL’s 2006 Annual Meeting, the project has convened 7 meetings, made presentations at six seminars or meetings, planned and conducted 5 webinars (including 3 held through a related contract associated with this project), has attracted additional resources to NCSL to work on this topic, and has brought NCSL to the table at national discussions of the future of HIT. We have created a web site on state legislatures and HIT branded as HITchampions.org and have received attention in the industry press for our webinars on HIT and the health system and HIT and Medicaid. Furthermore the project regularly communicates with several hundred legislators and staff with an interest in HIT of other opportunities and news of interest to states in this area.
Details of accomplishments under this project are listed in the attachment. Partners and steering committee members are listed as well. For more details, to download documents, or to listen to recordings of meetings or webinars visit the project website, http://www.hitchampions.org/.
During Phase I of the HITCH project, NCSL made use of a full range of communication and dissemination vehicles to engage legislators and legislative staff on Health Information Technology. Key initiatives included:
Meetings of HITCh partners and legislators
Eight meetings were held during Phase I (including the 2007 Fall Forum session.). Many meeting presentations were webcast and are available for downloading at the NCSL site.
2007
- HITCh at Fall Forum: Transforming Medicaid Through Health Information Technology (Phoenix, AZ, November 27)
- HITCh at Annual Meeting: Site visit to “Wired Health Center” Saturday, August 4. HITCh annual meeting, Sunday, August 5, including webcast of panel on HIT and quality. Issues Panel on Health Information Transformation, August 8. (Boston, MA, August 8)
- Meeting in conjunction with Health Chairs meeting, HIT and the Safety Net. Also webcast (Washington D.C., June 20)
- Meeting in conjunction with Spring Forum: Planning an Introduction to Health Information Technology for State Legislators. (Washington D.C., April 19)
- Meeting-within a meeting: HITCh at the HIMSS meeting in New Orleans. In conjunction with that meeting, webcast on EMR, EHR and PHR--Electronic Medical Records and State Policy. (New Orleans, LA, February 27)
2006
Other presentations
In addition, NCSL staff and members have made presentations before various groups based on materials developed in the course of the project, including incorporating material provided by partners.
- American Public Health Association Annual Meeting (Donna Folkemer: November 16, 2007)
- Behavioral Health Information Technology Forum: Key Perspective on State EHR Developments (Donna Folkemer: September 6, 2007)
- American Telemedicine Association’s 8th Annual December Industry Briefing: (Kala Ladenheim: DC, December 12, 2006)
- The eHealth Initiative (eHI) Government Affairs Retreat: State-level Interoperable Health Information Exchange (HIE) and Federal Initiatives to Improve Patient Care (Kala Ladenheim: DC, January 30, 2007)
- AeA Mountain States Council at behest of Senator Hagedorn, CO: State Legislatures and HIT in 2007 (Kala Ladenheim: Denver, CO, April 13, 2007)
- Governing Magazine: What Do Legislators Want to Know About IT? (Senator Moore, MA: Chicago, May 31, 2007)
Webinars
Web site
http://www.hitchampions.org/
Legislative tracking
NCSL’s legislative tracking is a highly useful resource that receives significant attention from groups and organizations outside NCSL. (Legislation posted at web site and funded in coordination with the State Alliance.) Key legislative topics include:
Legislative tracking is done in conjunction with State Alliance for e-Health. Materials are used in products for both projects.
State Health Notes
State Health Notes is NCSL’s premier health publication and provides an excellent forum to introduce a general legislative audience to the work of Project HITCh. A listing of articles produced on HIT is included in the appendix.
Information requests
Handled information requests related to HIT, EHR/EMRs, privacy and security, financing, and other issues at request of legislators and staff. An example of a typical request was an individual seeking assistance in drafting a bill to update the state’s privacy and security laws to allow for health information exchange. NCSL provided the individual with information on the issues to be considered in this process and examples of how other states’ legislation has addressed the issue.
Papers
FAQ: Introduction to HIT for State Legislators
The FAQ provides state legislators with a general introduction to health information technology. It explains key terminology, identifies groups active in health information technology policy, discusses barriers to the adoption of HIT and provides examples of state activity.
Related Projects
Funding obtained as result of Partnership activity, project coordinated with HITCh
- State Level Health Information Exchange Consensus Project—Subcontract with AHIMA for ONC Project. This project aims to foster public-private partnerships around health information exchange in states and to identify strategic concerns related to advancing HIE infrastructure development.
- State Alliance for e-Health—Subcontract with NGA for ONC. The State Alliance for Health is a consensus-based, executive-level body of state officials seeking to collectively address state-level health information technology issues and challenges to interoperable electronic health information exchange.
Appendices
A1: HITCh Partners
A2: HITCh Steering Committee
A3: HITCH Audioconference Descriptions
A4: State Health Notes articles on HIT
- AARP
- Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (ACS)
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
- Cerner Corporation
- Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS)
- Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI)
- Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
- Informed Decisions Group, Ltd. (Gold Standard)
- International Business Machines Corp. (IBM)
- Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company
- Quest Diagnostics, Inc.
(note- additional members have been nominated, and a listserv containing several hundred legislators and staff receive updates and are invited to webinars.)
Co-Chairs
Senator Richard Moore, MA
Joseph Flores, Legislative Fiscal Analyst, VA
Legislative Members
Senator Linda Berglin, MN
Representative Shay Schual-Berke, WA
Senator Joe Brannigan, ME
Senator Allen M. Christensen UT
Assemblyman Herbert Conaway, NJ
Representative Dianne DeLisi, TX
Senator Julie Denton, KY
House Minority Leader Craig DeRoche, MI
Senator Gary Dillon, IN
Delegate John Doyle, WV
Senator Robert Garagiola, MD
Assemblymember Susan Gerhardt, NV
Representative Josh Green, HI
Senator Kemp Hannon, NY
Senator Bob Hagedorn, CO
Representative Gayle Harrel, FL
Senator Margaret Rose Henry DE
Representative Jerry Iekel, WY
Senator David Ige, HI
Representative Earl Jones, NC
Representative Pam Maier, DE
Delegate Shane Pendergrass, MD
Representative Peggy Sayers, CT
Senator Jeffrey Schoenberg, IL
Senator Renee S. Unterman, GA
Representative Linda Upmeyer, IA
Staff Members
Mark Andrews, Policy Analyst, UT
Barbara Baker, Legislative Committee Analyst, KY
Marie Ganim, Senate Health Policy Director, RI
Stacey Hettiger, Policy Analyst, MI
Jim Hester, Director Vermont Health Care Reform Commission, VT
David Knutson, Senior Research Analyst, WA
Sara McCarthy, Senate Office of Research, CA
Richard Sweet, Senior Staff Attorney, WI
Brian Tabor, House Democrat Policy Director, IN
NCSL Staff
Donna Folkemer
Kory Mertz
Joy Johnson Wilson
HITCh at HIMSS 2007, New Orleans, LA
Tuesday, February 27, 2007 11:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. EST
Join NCSL Project HITCH in New Orleans via web-cast for a program on:
EHR, EMR, PHR: Patient-centered Health Information and State Policy Opportunities
This program is a broadcast of the NCSL HITChampions Partnership meeting in New Orleans. A panel of national experts will discuss personal health records, electronic health records (EHR), electronic medical records (EMR) and personal health records (PHR). What are they? How can state policymakers influence how they are used? Panelists will talk about privacy and security concerns, give examples of successful state efforts, and describe the experience of Katrina Health, a dramatic public-private collaboration that created partial health records for many after Katrina. Participants are invited to submit questions on this issue to the panelists, either in advance or during the program, and participate electronically in the discussion.
EHR, EMR, PHR: Patient-centered Health Information, State Policy Opportunities Moderator, Delegate Shane Pendergrass (MD)
- Introduction to EHRs/EMRs
- Will Saunders, ACS: EHR/EMR basics and the Missouri experience
(15 minutes)
- Lisa Gallagher, HIMSS: Technical and policy responses to privacy concerns (15 minutes)
- A conversation about Katrina Health and data aggregation (30 minutes total)
The Katrina experience, lessons learned about ingredients of an EHR and the role of governmental and private entities in the effort, and future directions.
- Kathy Mosbaugh, Gold Standard: Lessons of necessity -- Katrina Health
- Ob Soonthornsima, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana: Claims-based health records
- Eileen Koski, Quest Diagnostics: Learning to link with labs
- Richard Ledbeater, ESRI: Public uses and personal data: the challenges of secondary use
11:00 – 11:45 CST DISCUSSION
Implications for State Policy
Moderator, Representative Judy Baker (MO)
- Kala Ladenheim: Current state legislative initiatives related to EHR/EMR
(10 minutes)
- Discussion: What are the opportunities for states and what approaches work where?
This program is an activity of the NCSL Foundation Partnership on Health Information Technology. For more on the project go to www.hitchampions.org.
Reports from the State Alliance for e-Health
Part I: HIT and Medicaid: Opportunities for States
Friday, June 1 at 2 P.M. EDT (1 P.M. Central, Noon Mountain, 11 A.M. Pacific)
A consultation with experts from the State Alliance for e-Health Taskforce on Health Information Communication and Data Exchange. Here are some of the questions addressed during the May 16-17 meeting:
How can states bring Medicaid and HIT activities together? Can Medicaid create a funding stream to launch state-level HIT? Does the 90-10 match for Medicaid IT apply to electronic health records? Where have states found real savings through use of HIT for their Medicaid programs? With vendors knocking at the door, what can states do to learn from one another about how various products work for Medicaid?
Transcripts of the May 16-17 meeting are available on-line at http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.1f41d49be2d3d33eacdcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=5066b5bd2b991110VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD#HIC. Join us on June 1 to learn more, ask follow-up questions, and exchange ideas about things you are considering for your state. You may send questions in advance to health.hitch@ncsl.org.
This is one of a planned series of three web-assisted conferences to provide legislators and staff a glimpse into the deliberations of the State Alliance for e-Health. The Alliance has three task forces working to clarify areas where states may act and make recommendations. The other two task forces are the Health Information Protection Taskforce, addressing information privacy and security, and the Health Care Practice Taskforce, addressing the practice of medicine. For more information on the Alliance and its taskforces, go to http://www.nga.org/center/ehealth.
Speakers:
Anthony D. Rodgers,
Task Force on Health Information Communication and Data Exchange Co-Chair
Director, Arizona AHCCCS (Medicaid and SCHIP programs)
Shaun Alfreds,
Health Policy Analyst
University of Southern Maine
Muskie School of Public Service
Institute for Health Policy
This event is produced by the National Conference of State Legislatures under contract with the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. This web-assisted audioconference is financed in part by funds provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services E-Health Alliance Initiative. Addition funding was provided by HRSA/Bureau of Primary Health Care grant number U30CS07490. The program contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and participants and do not necessarily represent the official views of NGA, NCSL, or HRSA/BPHC.
Health Information Technology and the Safety Net
Wednesday, June 20 at 4:30 P.M. EDT (3:30 P.M. Central, 2:30 P.M. Mountain, 1:30 P.M. Pacific)
Safety net providers have often led the way in health information and telemedicine. Health centers, major inner city hospitals and teaching centers have pioneered the use of electronic linkages to provide better care and reach populations that might not otherwise get needed expertise. Some communities have looked to shared information as a tool to improve continuity of care for people who are uninsured and outside the conventional payment and service systems. But caregivers to the poor tend to be undercapitalized. Are they still in the vanguard, or are they at risk of being left behind as the health system takes up HIT? What role will the safety net play in state-level HIT adoption? What special threats and opportunities does HIT present for the caregivers to economically vulnerable groups, and what can state lawmakers learn from past experiments and ongoing projects?
Speakers:
Cheryl Austein-Casnoff
Director Office of Health Information Technology, HRSA
Mat Kendall (via teleconference)
Director of Operations
Primary Care Information Project
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Dr. Sarah Chouinard (via teleconference)
Medical Director
WV Primary Care System Inc.
David Campbell (via teleconference)
Chief Executive Officer
Community Health Network of West Virginia
Reports from the State Alliance for e-Health
Part 2: HIT and Telemedicine
Friday, July 20 at 2 P.M. EDT (1 P.M. Central, Noon Mountain, 11 A.M. Pacific)
“The goals and activities of telemedicine and health IT are complementary and synergistic. Telemedicine is a method of delivering health care that makes use of health information technologies to accomplish its goals. Conversely, health information technologies (HIT) are an enabling component to the delivery of health services over distances, providing fundamental tools and systems. In short, HIT greatly enhances the utility of telemedicine.”
Telemedicine, Telehealth, and Health Information Technology: An ATA Issue Paper May, 2006 http://www.americantelemed.org/news/policy_issues/HIT_Paper.pdf
As more and more medical information is digitized, the lines between telehealth and health IT continue to blur and evolve. Where do telehealth and HIT overlap? Policymakers in states with frontier areas have been especially interested in opportunities to use telemedicine to bring better care to patients in remote areas, while telehealth offers models to prolong independence for individuals in declining health. Decisions related to privacy, security and financing for HIT may affect telehealth as well. How can legislators address these? In addition to issues such as privacy and security, telehealth is influenced by policies and statutes that affect what is reimbursed and whether and how practitioners can practice remotely across state lines.
Join us for a discussion of the changing landscape and how state legislators can influence the joint evolution of HIT and telemedicine.
Speakers:
Senator Bob Hagedorn, CO
Jon Linkous,
Executive Director
American Telemedicine Association
This event is produced by the National Conference of State Legislatures under contract with the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. This web-assisted audioconference is financed in part by funds provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services E-Health Alliance Initiative. The programs content are solely the responsibility of the authors and participants and do not necessarily represent the official views of NGA, NCSL or USDHHS.
Project HITCh at Annual Meeting:
Health Information Technology and Health Care Quality: Spotlight on Massachusetts
Sunday, August 5 at 11:00 A.M. EDT (10:00 A.M. Central, 9:00 A.M. Mountain, 8:00 A.M. Pacific)
How is Massachusetts using HIT to improve health care quality? The Massachusetts health data consortium has been credited as one of the very few to achieve financial sustainability. The Massachusetts e-Health Collaborative is striving to make electronic health records a reality throughout the Bay State. Learn about some of the most successful and innovative programs in the country from the people responsible for making them work.
Chair and moderator
Joe Flores, VA
Senator Richard Moore, MA
Speakers:
Ray Campbell
Executive Director & CEO
Massachusetts Health Data Consortium
Micky Tripathi
President & CEO
Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative
Reports from the State Alliance for e-Health
Part 3: HIT and Privacy
Thursday, August 30 at 2 P.M. EDT (1 P.M. Central, Noon Mountain, 11 A.M. Pacific)
The electronic exchange of health information presents many privacy issues that need to be tackled. Consumers fear their health data will be stolen and each report of lost social security numbers and other personal information only compounds these fears. Providers are anxious about liability for the accidental disclosure of consumers health data. What role do state legislatures have in solving the security and privacy concerns wrapped in the exchange of health information?
A member of State Alliance for e-Health’s Taskforce on Health Information Protection Taskforce will discuss the Taskforce work in this area. In addition you will hear the results of the Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC) project which worked with 34 states and territories to “assess variations in organization-level business practices, policies, and State laws that affect electronic health information exchange and to identify and propose practical ways to reduce the variation to those "good" practices that will permit interoperability while preserving the necessary privacy and security requirements set by the local community.”
Speakers:
Linda L. Dimitropoulos,
Director, Health Services Survey Research
Survey and Computing Sciences
RTI International
JoAnn Lamphere,
Member State Alliance for e-Health Heath Information Protection Taskforce
National Coordinator, State Health and LTC Team
Government Relations and Advocacy
AARP
Alison Rein,
Member State Alliance for e-Health Heath Information Protection Taskforce
Senior Associate
AcademyHealth
This event is produced by the National Conference of State Legislatures under contract with the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. This web-assisted audioconference is financed in part by funds provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services E-Health Alliance Initiative. The programs content are solely the responsibility of the authors and participants and do not necessarily represent the official views of NGA, NCSL or USDHHS.
A4: State Health Notes Articles
|
