News Archive

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Impact on Health IT

It is official! The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (a.k.a. the Economic Stimulus Package), has been signed into law. This Act promises nearly $900 billion dollars, of which approximately $150 billion are dedicated to healthcare related expenditures.

Included in this stimulus package are billions of dollars for health services such as: various grant and loan programs, facility development and improvement, health information technology adoption, broadband for underserved areas, health and medical research, technical assistance centers, Medicaid/insurance, Medicare incentive payments, health professions workforce training, and other healthcare programs, all of which will significantly impact hospitals and providers.

Specific to health information technology (HIT), $19 billion has been dedicated to further the development, operation and adoption of meaningful and qualified electronic health records (EHR). These provisions aim to modernize and improve the way care is delivered in an effort to reduce errors and ultimately lower the overall cost of healthcare systems.

While funding will be available to strengthen the HIT infrastructure, support technology architecture and promote the development and adoption of certified EHRs through grants and incentive payments, beginning in 2011, there will be a relatively small window during which hospitals and providers can qualify for implementation assistance dollars before penalties for non-adopters begin to take effect beginning in 2015.

OMB Releases Opportunity for Public Comment on ARRA Funds

The federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released an opportunity for public comment on the proposed standard data elements for use in required reporting to the federal government on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. Deadline for comments to OMB is May 1st. The opportunity for public comment can be found in the Federal Register, Vol. 74, No. 61, Wednesday, April 1st, Page 14824.

Potential applicants for ARRA funds need to obtain a DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number and must register with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) registrant database. It may take at least a week to obtain a CCR number.

For more information see: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-7317.htm.

HHS Releases Software Linking Health IT Systems to National Network

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) recently released free software to help public and private organizations connect to the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN), a federal initiative to facilitate the electronic exchange of health information.

More than 20 federal agencies created the CONNECT software to link to the network, which uses interoperability standards recognized by the secretary of Health and Human Services, as well as public and private sector specifications, participation agreements, and policies.

The software and supporting documentation are available at www.connectopensource.org.

RWJF: New Study on Hospital Use of EHRs

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that despite consensus that the use of health IT can lead to more efficient, safer and higher-quality care, less than 2% of the nearly 3,000 hospitals surveyed use comprehensive electronic health records (EHRs), and only 8 percent use a basic EHR in at least one care unit that includes physician or nurse notes.

Although the current adoption rates are low, the report helps elucidate the key barriers needed to overcome to achieve higher rates of HIT adoption.

The online NEJM article can be found at: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMsa0900592.