Current times call for us to step up to the plate and speak on behalf of our programs and communities in topics directly related to the use of technologies.Get familiar with some of the basic overarching concepts by clicking here
See the 2010 UIHP Health Information Technologies Survey Results by clicking here!
Technology - NCUIH
What exactly is Health
Information Technology? [1] The official
language states HIT as an IT system that allows for comprehensive management
of medical information and its secure exchange between health care consumers
and providers. to learn more about these systems visit: http://www.hhs.gov/healthit/
Urban
Native American communities are among the best suited to use electronic
technologies as tools for health access and sustainable economic development.
Tech services available in urban settings allow for great opportunities to get
plugged into the technological trends. There could be, however, a chance our
programs miss the opportunity to get onto the National e-Health band if no appropriate
awareness is created among our community members. The current economic situation, as well as
the skyrocketing costs of healthcare in the nation has created a larger
consciousness across the government to make Health Information Technologies (HITs)
a central part of the health care system reforms. The Obama administration is
pushing the envelope through the stimulus package and the Fiscal 2010 Budget to
invest in HITs as they greatly lower the costs and increase efficiency in data
and case managements. It is, therefore, critical for our communities to start
perceiving digital technologies as an investment if we are to reap the benefits
offered by this administration and keep up with the rest of the nations health
care trends.
In plain
English, it is the use of electronic means to carry out an operation related to
a health care or to a medical management task[1]*. HITs
therefore, range from purely administrative operations, to task-specific tools
for management systems; to highly specialized, patient-customized solutions.
Source: NCUIH HIT Survey 2010
a) 92% reported Email
b) 79% reported Practice Management System
c) 29% reported EHR
d) No one endorsed E-prescribing
e) 75% reported Document Scanning
f) 67% reported Registries of patients with specific diseases
g) 21% reported E-laboratory
h) 4% reported None. More.....
How does HIT affect
me and my Clinic? [1] Svennsson,
Pre-Gunnar. eHealth Applications in Health Care management. E-health
International journal.2002.http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=135526
The most common
notion about the use of information technologies for health is the use of Electronic
Health Record (EHR) systems. These systems bring about a great deal of benefits
to any implementing clinic by making information: quickly available,
customizable, shareable and searchable in a quick fashion (in addition to
greatly lowering the costs and making management more efficient). However,
there are many other e-health-based systems and applications that once implemented
can help our health programs expand services, improve existing ones and/or leapfrog
stages of development and catch up with national trends. According to international expert, Dr.
Per-Gunnar Svennsson, e-Health Care Management can be divided according to
their type of user: a) Consumers informatics, Clinical Informatics and
Biomedics[1].
Of UIHPs Surveyed:
79% reported Yes
4% reported Not Sure
17 % did not respond
More.....
For more resources and information of Health Information technology visit the NCUIH knowledge Resource Center's Technology page here!
What is NCUIH doing on our
behalf?
The National
Council of Urban Indian Health is already working with the new administration
to have agencies implement culturally competent policies on Health Information
Technology for Urban Programs. We need, nonetheless, to have Urban Indian
leaders to help us increase awareness among our population about this great
opportunity to use HITs to stay ahead of the game on a national level. It is rather important that we encourage our
staff and local community members to get informed on how HITs can improve health
care access and health care providers performance.
Urban
Indian Health Programs today have a the unique opportunity to make use of
the Health Information Technology initiatives the Obama Administration
is offering to catch up with the national health system trends. It is rather
critical that both the National Council of Urban Indian Health and
its membership work together to educate policymakers, agencies, our staff
and our patients on both the need that our clinics and programs
have for these systems to be
implemented; and the series of benefits to be reaped from the HITs
implementation.
