Advancing Health Information Technology for Improved Quality
of Patient Care - Illinois hospitals support the use of advanced health
information technology to improve patient care. In 2005, Illinois Hospital
Association members supported Illinois legislation calling for the
establishment of the Electronic Health Records (EHR) Task Force to develop
recommendations for advancing EHRs in Illinois. Simultaneously, the IHA, in
collaboration with the Illinois Department of Public Health, developed the
Illinois Health Network to initiate and enhance health information exchanges
among providers for the advancement of care and timely treatment of patients.
At the urging of IHA member hospitals, the association also established the
IHA Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) Committee to develop and
advance principles based on successful national models on patient privacy and
governance of clinical EHRs and health information exchanges. Despite all of
these efforts, Illinois lags behind almost every state in financially
supporting public-private initiatives to advance care through health
information technology. The IHA makes the following recommendations:
- Support Funding for Clinical EHRs for Hospitals, Clinics, and
Physicians
Most hospitals cannot afford to purchase and implement clinical EHRs, as many
are struggling to stay financially solvent and others are operating in the red.
Hospitals with slight positive operating margins do not have the financial
wherewithal to borrow money for capital developments for clinical EHRs. Illinois
state government should take a leadership role and provide funding to assist
hospitals in advancing patient care through clinical EHRs.
- Continue Funding for Innovative Solutions for Health Information
Exchange
Continue the successful approaches of the Illinois Health Network and the
Electronic Health Records Task Force by funding these projects as they
evolve and as they develop the foundation for health information exchanges
among all health care providers and emergency and disaster support services
and agencies.
- Provide a State-wide Forum For Highlighting the Improved Patient Care
That Can Be Achieved with Advanced Health Information Technology
Through a public-private partnership, develop a forum to make patients
and consumers aware of how their care can be improved care by the exchange
of health information through EHRs and RHIOs. The clinical EHRs that are
operational in Illinois have demonstrated an ability to incorporate best
bedside and outpatient practice patterns and clinical care guidelines;
decrease medication errors; and reduce patient care costs by having patient
histories and test results readily available. Patients can also have
clinical personal health records that are accessible at any time should an
authorized care giver need to access the information on the patient’s
behalf.
Several initiatives are being brought forward from outside the health care
provider community that seek to use alternative sources of information such as
claims data in the guise of developing clinical interventions or
decision-making. However, it is only the clinical EHR and their health
information exchanges that have been proven to be the source for data that
results in comprehensive treatment and advanced, high quality patient care.