The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology's (ONC) Office of the Chief Privacy Officer (OCPO) has released its first and second web-based security training module, CyberSecure: Your Medical Practice

CMS Changes Name of the EHR Incentive Programs (Meaningful Use) and Advancing Care Information to “Promoting Interoperability”

§170.315(g)(3) Safety-enhanced design

As providers of usability testing and user experience services we know that one of the major advantages of electronic health records (EHRs) are their potential to increase patient safety by preventing, detecting and aiding in the recovery from human errors. ONC has set certification standards for safety-enhanced design (SED), making patient safety a primary focus in the design of an EHR.

CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) have established standards and certification criteria that EHRs must use in order to successfully capture and calculate objectives for Stage 2 of Meaningful Use. These new standards and certification criteria now in effect.

The HIT Policy Committee's Privacy and Security Tiger Team will be holding a virtual, public hearing to explore practical ways to provide patients with greater transparency about the uses and disclosures of their digital, identifiable health information.

Today, ONC and the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released model Notices of Privacy Practices for health care providers and health plans to use to communicate with their patients and plan members.

The Electronic Health Record Association (EHR Association), a non-profit association of more than 40 EHR companies, created an electronic health record (EHR) Developer Code of Conduct, which aims to encourage transparency and collaboration among EHR developers, as well as developers, providers, and industry stakeholders. The latest version of the code of conduct is available as a pdf here: http://bit.ly/13A1oLc

On the first page, the very first item (after a general statement) is Patient Safety.
The code says:

Here are the Top 10 Healthcare Usability Myths Debunked

Myth # 1 Clinicians are uncomfortable with technology and just need more training.

Fact: Current HIT systems often don’t fit the way end users think and work.

Myth # 2 Put it all on 1 screen to make it easier to use.

Fact: Developers need to understand workflows and tasks to know what information is needed.

Myth # 3 Whoever has the Most features wins.

Fact: Vet your current feature set. Less may be more.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) invites you save the date and join them in D.C. (or online) on September 16 2013 to learn about public and private sector led advancements to equip and empower patients to better manage their health in a digital era. The Summit is free, but space is limited in the Great Hall and available on a first come, first serve basis. The Main Event will be webcast for those unable to join in person. The webcast URL is : http://bit.ly/13qCwcj

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) maintains a FAQ database ( https://questions.cms.gov/ ) questions submitted for answers having to do with provider programs.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has issued new guidance for health information organizations on how to support providers in enabling patients to view, download and transmit their electronic health records data, a new requirement in Stage 2 of the EHR meaningful use program.

On July 23, 2013, the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association sent a joint letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asking for greater flexibility in the requirements of the meaningful use program, HealthLeaders Media reports (Commins, HealthLeaders Media, 7/25).

Health care providers and vendors told a U.S. Senate committee about ongoing challenges in electronic health record (EHR) adoption and argued the federal government should consider delaying the next phase of the “meaningful use” programs and allow flexibility in meeting program requirements. The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs provide incentives to providers that achieve “meaningful use” of EHR and impose penalties on those that do not.

We are pleased to announce that our talk, "Conducting Usability Evaluations for Meaning Use Stage 2 Funding " was presented at the OSEHRA 2nd Annual Summit.

When: Friday, September 6, 2013 10:30am White Oak Rm B

Where:
Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center

For information on conducting and reporting on the §170.314(g)(3) Safety-enhanced Design Criteria for meaningful use stage two certification see:

The new mark for certified electronic health records technology was unveiled Wednesday and will appear on EHR products that have been certified by an ONC-Authorized Certification Body, indicating that the product meets the 2014 Edition Standards and Certification Criteria.

Eligible professionals and hospitals must demonstrate meaningful use of EHR technology that has been certified under the ONC Health Information Technology Certification Program to qualify for Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive payments.

How do electronic health records (EHRs) connect you and your doctor? In the past, medical data was only stored on paper, making it difficult for your health care providers to share your information. Between 2001 and 2011, the number of doctors using an EHRsystem grew about 57%, making it easier for you and all of your doctors to coordinate your care, and often reducing the chance of medical errors. Where are electronic health records headed? In this Infographic, view the history of electronic health records and see how they may improve your health and health care in the future.

The federal government is happy to point out that more than 50 percent of physicians and 80 percent of hospitals are using electronic health record (EHR) systems, with those users having received some $14.6 billion in meaningful use incentives initially allocated in the 2009 stimulus.

In an effort to align the clinical quality measures used within the EHR Incentive Program with the goals of CMS and the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Quality Strategy (NQS), and recommendations from the Health Information Technology Policy Committee, each clinical quality measure has been assessed against six domains based on the NQS’s six priorities.

Well-developed electronic health records hold the promise of helping health care professionals improve patient care and deliver it more efficiently, and the American Medical Association recognizes that enhancing EHR usability and interoperability will further ensure our nation's goal of a high-performing health care system. Physicians are generally prolific users of technology: new patient monitoring devices, diagnostic imaging, equipment and advanced surgical tools, to name a few.

July 3, 2013 is last day that eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) in their first year of participation of the Medicare EHR Incentive Program can begin their 90-day reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013.

Hospitals in their second and third years of participation must demonstrate meaningful use for the full FY.

Note these important dates for eligible hospitals and CAHs: