Preview

Communications and Networking

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
4993 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Communications and Networking
IST 304 Communications and Networking
Summer 2013

Research Paper
Looking ahead; secure data transmission in the era of HIE with the view to enhance health care efficiency

Abstract
Health information exchange (HIE) is the driving force behind the mobilization of electronic health data across hospitals, laboratories and public health agencies. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act has provided financial incentives which enable the adoption of HIE as well as help in the implementation of meaningfully useful Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in the view to facilitate significant improvements in healthcare quality and efficiency. Although HIEs provide benefits specific for individual patients when transitioning through different care providers it also has a broader potential to transform population health, by analyzing secondary data captured through EHRs, clinical systems and laboratory systems. In the midst of the large volume of data transfer, potential non-secure health data transmission could leave sensitive health information open for access and prone to malicious use if current health security policies do not update their procedures for handling protected health information (PHI) in the era of HIE. This paper proposes a model of HIE which has identified the major components in HIE through literature review, with the view to promote secure health data transmission and increased efficiency in the current US health system.

Introduction
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) act, under a provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has created a variety of incentives to promote the adoption of information technology to advance federal, state and regional health information exchange (Blumenthal, 2010, p.383). Health information exchange (HIE) is potentially, the seamless exchange of electronic health information across health care clinicians



References: Adjerid, I., & Padman, R. (2011). Impact of health disclosure laws on health information exchanges. AMIA ...Annual Symposium Proceedings / AMIA Symposium.AMIA Symposium, 2011, 48-56. Ben-Assuli, O., Shabtai, I., & Leshno, M Benefits of EHRs.(2013) Retrieved from http://www.healthit.gov/providers- professionals/improved-diagnostics-patient-outcomes Blumenthal, D HL7 e-learning Course: Introduction to Healthcare, 2010 Retrieved from: http://hl7fundamentals.org/campus/file.php/2/unit_01/reading_material/MODULE_I_UNIT_01_EN_V01.2.pdf Li, M., Yu, S., Zheng, Y., Ren, K., & Lou, W Office of the National Coordinator. (2009). American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009. Office of the National Coordinator (2012) SNOMED-CT, Annual Activity Report, May, 2010 ; Retrieved from: URL:http://www.ihtsdo.org/snomed-ct/ Stark, M Steinbrook, R. (2009). Health care and the american recovery and reinvestment act. The New England Journal of Medicine, 360(11), 1057-1060. doi:10.1056/NEJMp0900665 United States House of Representatives & Senate Whiddett, R., Hunter, I., Engelbrecht, J., & Handy, J. (2006). Patients ' attitudes towards sharing their health information. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 75(7), 530-541.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) is a part of as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). ARRA contains specific incentives that are designed to speed up the adoption of electronic health record systems. According to Rouse ( 2014), “HITECH stipulated that, beginning in 2011, healthcare providers would be offered financial incentives for demonstrating "meaningful use" of EHRs until 2015, after which time penalties may be levied for failing to demonstrate such use. ”HITECH and HIPAA, are different and they have unrelated laws, but they do meet in some laws that shares the same goals. For instance, HITECH has Notification of data Breach rules and requirements for unauthorized…

    • 247 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    within a region or community. HIE is the capability to move clinical information electronically between disparate healthcare…

    • 3649 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    HITECH Act Analysis

    • 224 Words
    • 1 Page

    The HITECH Act’s purpose was to encourage the implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) and the necessary supporting technology of it in the United States. The HITECH Act promotes the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) by advancing the meaningful use of exchangeable electronic health records throughout the United States in order to improve the quality of health care. The meaningful use focuses on improving the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare, getting patients and their families involved in their health, improving patients’ coordination of care, and to ensure the proper privacy and security of personal health information. A doctor’s office that has complied with meaningful use and can show that they have upgraded…

    • 224 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Simply put, “confidentiality is the practice of keeping harmful, shameful, or embarrassing patient information within proper bounds” (Purtilo & Doherty, 2011, p. 206). When a patient discloses personal information, he or she seldom feels compelled to remind the healthcare provider of the confidentiality of the issue. There is typically an innate sense of trust that is understood by the patient. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), implemented in 1996, provides protection for patients regarding their private health information. This rule also makes provisions for disclosure among healthcare providers, allowing that information to be shared among these entities for the purpose of providing patient care and other such vital purposes (HHS, n.d.). What happens, though, when the confidential information a patient shares cannot ethically remain confidential? An ethical dilemma is born.…

    • 1172 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Former President George W. Bush once stated "We 've got 21st century medical practices, but 19th century paperwork system...medical electronic records is going to be one of the great innovations in medicine." (Bush, 2005). Health Information Exchange (HIE) is a source of medical technology that is used by nurses, doctors, and patients to allow them to get medical records electronically. The…

    • 1605 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Over the years since the inception of HIPAA, it is hard not to notice the influence it brought on to the patients, the healthcare industry, the health information management and technology, and other entities in securing the confidentiality, security, and privacy of PHI. In addition, the HITECH Act and its HIPAA modification released in January 2013 greatly invigorated the HIPAA of 1996 (Solove, 2013). Definitely, the most important health care changes over the past couple of decades is the growing interest in health information privacy and security (Solove, 2013).…

    • 90 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hippa Regulations

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages

    HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), was passed in 1996. HIPPA has five purposes: to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets; to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery; to promote the use of medical savings accounts; to improve access to long-term care services and coverage; and to simplify the administration of health insurance and for other purposes. HIPPA accomplish these purposes by including a series of “administrative simplification” (AS) provisions that required the DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) to adopt national standards for electronic health care transactions. The provisions called for an establishment of standards related to EDI (electronic data interchange) of specific administrative and financial transactions, while still protecting the security and privacy of transmitted information. AS, also, includes standards for transactions and code sets, unique identifies, security and electronic signature, and privacy and confidentiality (Healthcare Informatics: An Interdisciplinary Approach (2002)).…

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hcs 483 Wk1Dq1 2

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Prior to the enactment of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) health information was able to be shared without the knowledge or permission of the patient. This information was available to just about anyone including insurance agencies, places of employment and even loan lenders. People would potentially use individuals’ health information to deny them work or a loan for their home and even impacting higher insurance rates or denial of coverage. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (n.d.), “The Privacy Rule establishes a Federal floor of safeguards to protect the confidentiality of medical information. State laws which provide stronger privacy protections will continue to apply over and above the new Federal privacy standards.” (para. 1). Also, as medical records continue to move entirely to the new standard of electronic records it is important to have one standard across the country to protect everyone’s information. Electronic health records (EHR) make it easier than ever to accidentally share medical information, to include having it stolen. Medical providers are just as likely to face consequence if their facility is broken in to and the hard drive with patients information is stolen as they would be if they gave the information away themselves. In general HIPPA protects patients’ information as well as their right to be treated equally.…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Best Essays

    Prior to the Information Age, medical records were all stored in folders in secure filing cabinets at doctor’s offices, hospitals, or health departments. The information within the folders was confidential, and shared solely amongst the patient and physician. Today these files are fragmented across multiple treatment sites due to the branching out of specialty centers such as urgent care centers, magnetic resonance imaging, outpatient surgical centers, and other diagnostic centers. Today’s ability to store medical records electronically has made it possible to easily send these files from one location to another. However, the same technology which can unify the fragmented pieces of a patient’s medical record has the ability to also create a path for privacy and security breaches. This paper will examine how electronic medical records are used, how they are secured, how security is enforced, and what the consequences of security breaches are.…

    • 1982 Words
    • 57 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Consumers today have the ability to access information related to their daily lives or even information related to events happening on the opposite side of the world. However, if this same consumer needed access to his or her personal health information, the ability of the patient or their health care provider to obtain the information would be limited. (Medows) Personal health information is not used to its full potential to support effective and efficient care due to fragmented information creation and storage. Our fast-paced always on the go society calls for a change to this state of isolated, fragmented health information. Whether it be a patient relocated due to a natural disaster or being able to identify a patient who was prescribed a recalled drug, having access to health information no matter where the patient may be is necessary. (Vest and Gamm, 2010) Making health information technology (HIT) will not only enable healthcare consumers access to their own medical history but also ensure that healthcare providers have timely access to medical records, improve the ease and safety of e-prescribing, improve payer reimbursement, and provide the information needed for population based health planning. (Medows) Policy makers, researchers, industry groups, and health care professionals agree that health information exchange (HIE) is the much needed solution. (Vest and Gamm, 2010)…

    • 2190 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Health information exchange (HIE) is defined as the mobilization of healthcare information electronically across organizations within a region, community or hospital system (Ong, 2011).…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Health information exchange (HIE) helps health professionals to appropriately share and access patients’ health records, improving speed, quality, safety and cost of patient care. Health information exchange organization (HIO) is an organization, which oversees, and controls the exchange of patient’s health information amongst other health organization. Jersey Health Connect is an health information exchange organization that created to help patient and healthcare professionals in central and northern New Jersey to share health information more efficiently (Physician & Service Referral • Event & Class Registration). Jersey Health Connect is an independent and a non-profit organization, which is dedicated to facilitate health information exchange…

    • 230 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Patient Intake Process

    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Patients ' needs and electronic health data. (2012). American Nurse, 44(2), 5-5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1017714248?accountid=35812…

    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the world of technology today, consumers often purchase items through the internet using their personal information such as name, date of birth and credit card numbers. This information can easily be stolen from someone who seeks to exploit weakness in a computer network. According, to (Gagne, 2012), “data breaches often occur through technical vulnerabilities, malware, compromised user credentials or opportunist attackers”. Healthcare organizations maintain patient medical and personal information through an electronic source called the electronic health record. Healthcare quality and safety requires that the right information be available at the right time to support patient care and health system management decisions. Data breaches in healthcare have become common within the last few years which is a violation of the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 and patient privacy. Data security is a major concern pertaining to consumers choosing a health care organization to fit their needs. Care providers and insurance companies face the increased enforcement of regulatory requirements to ensure patients of their personal information secure. The key steps to achieving data security in healthcare organizations is to following policies and procedure, conduct audit trails, data classification, data protection, encryption and disaster recovery/business continuity.…

    • 1491 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Health Care Transparency

    • 761 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the past transparency has been affected by lawsuits. With the risk of being sued, many physicians and hospitals did not want to divulge private information. Of course, this attitude is beginning to change. In the video “Healthcare Transparency” Dr. Patrick Cawley expresses that transparency in the future will be greatly increased (Dr. Cawley, P., 2009). More information will lead to better patient care. Eventually a patient will be able to review how well a hospital or physician is able to provide care. Everything from infection rates to waiting times will all be accessible to the public.…

    • 761 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays