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Resource Overview

Patient portals, sometimes also referred to as personal health record systems (PHR) are web-based portals commonly attached to electronic health record systems (EHRs). These patient-centered portals provide patients with the ability to login and review health information related to their care. Common patient portal services include ways in which to schedule appointments, send messages to their care providers, review test results and refill prescriptions.

Outside of the benefits to the patient, implementation of patient portals had come to the attention of healthcare providers due to the inclusion of Meaningful Use of objectives centered on the use of patient portals and electronic engagement with patients.  Stage 3 requirements are still being explored and the impact it will have on Health Centers is unknown. Therefore, it is a challenge for small practices and Health Centers to determine how to best derive value from Patient Portals and effectively implement them into their workflow.

The tools and articles posted below are meant to provide examples, templates and strategies that can assist Health Centers in understanding how patient portals can better engage their patients in self-management of their care, and after an initial investment in time and money can decrease the burden on their clinical and administrative staff.

Patient Portal Resources
FAQ: How will the upcoming changes to the Information Blocking and EHR certification requirements impact health centers?
FAQ:  How will the upcoming changes to the Information Blocking and EHR certification requirements impact health centers?

FAQ: How will the upcoming changes to the Information Blocking and EHR certification requirements impact health centers?

During the 4th quarter (October to December) of 2022, there are two major health information technology (HIT) requirement changes, with potential for significant implications to health centers. Read this FAQ to find out how your health center can respond.

 

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks: Introduction
Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks: Introduction

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks: Introduction

Are you capturing information like immigration or refugee status, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact or substance use disorder, or other information that brings up questions about how to document or code while respecting the patient’s privacy?

This health center learning collaborative series will present health center case examples that explore the privacy and data sharing considerations of EHR documentation of sensitive patient information, such as social history and social risk, and encourage participants to discuss the implications for health centers and their patients. 

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks
Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Are you capturing information like immigration or refugee status, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact or substance use disorder, or other information that brings up questions about how to document or code while respecting the patient’s privacy?

This health center learning collaborative series presented health center case examples that explore the privacy and data sharing considerations of EHR documentation of sensitive patient information, such as social history and social risk, and encourage participants to discuss the implications for health centers and their patients. 

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks
Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Are you capturing information like immigration or refugee status, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact or substance use disorder, or other information that brings up questions about how to document or code while respecting the patient’s privacy?

This health center learning collaborative series presented health center case examples that explored the privacy and data sharing considerations of EHR documentation of sensitive patient information, such as social history and social risk, and encouraged participants to discuss the implications for health centers and their patients. 

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks
Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Are you capturing information like immigration or refugee status, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact or substance use disorder, or other information that brings up questions about how to document or code while respecting the patient’s privacy?

This health center learning collaborative series presented health center case examples that explored the privacy and data sharing considerations of EHR documentation of sensitive patient information, such as social history and social risk, and encouraged participants to discuss the implications for health centers and their patients. 

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks
Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Are you capturing information like immigration or refugee status, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact or substance use disorder, or other information that brings up questions about how to document or code while respecting the patient’s privacy?

This health center learning collaborative series presented health center case examples that explored the privacy and data sharing considerations of EHR documentation of sensitive patient information, such as social history and social risk, and encouraged participants to discuss the implications for health centers and their patients. 

Insights from the Field: Key Considerations for Implementing Health Information Exchange
Insights from the Field: Key Considerations for Implementing Health Information Exchange

Insights from the Field: Key Considerations for Implementing Health Information Exchange

As medical care facilities seek to support patient safety and be responsive to their complete medical needs and histories, health centers also recognize that establishing an infrastructure for data sharing must be a top priority. Better practices for Health Information Exchange (HIE) increase patient wellbeing by giving providers more complete information for clinical decision making, eliminating unnecessary procedures and tests, reducing the burden of paperwork, and lowering costs. In 2020, HITEQ interviewed five groups that implemented clinical data sharing infrastructure in health care settings, including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). A set of example use cases were developed from these interviews, and we identified ten themes that may help guide other organizations interested in implementing HIE. Information from 1424 qualified health centers and health center look-alikes from the CY2019 Uniform Data Set also informed the current impact of data sharing, indicating that technology and potential workflows exist to support HIE within FQHCs.

View the key considerations gleaned from this research to identify lessons learned related to establishing HIE within a health center setting. The resource is available in the Documents to Download section below.

Health Center Information Blocking Avenger
Health Center Information Blocking Avenger

Health Center Information Blocking Avenger

In March 2019, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) issued a Proposed Rule, 21st Century Cures Act: Interoperability, Information Blocking, and the ONC Health IT Certification Program. ONC released a final rule in March 2020, published in the Federal Register on May 1, 2020. The Final Rule on Information Blocking prohibits actors from blocking the exchange of electronic health information and seeks to increase the ease and choices available for patients to access their data

Click Read More below to understand how this impacts health centers.
HITEQ Highlights: Health Centers as Actors (in Information Blocking)!
HITEQ Highlights: Health Centers as Actors (in Information Blocking)!

HITEQ Highlights: Health Centers as Actors (in Information Blocking)!

Join the HITEQ Center to discuss approaches to balance patient confidentiality, sensitive situations, vulnerable populations, and meeting the provisions in CURES act and information blocking. How should health centers best prepare themselves and their staff to meet the information blocking provisions and better serve our patient population?

Ask Us About Information Sharing
Ask Us About Information Sharing

Ask Us About Information Sharing

Got questions about information sharing under ONC’s information blocking regulations? Join ONC’s experts for virtual office hours on September 22, October 6, and October 27 from 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET to ask about the information blocking regulations.

Ask Us About Information Sharing
Ask Us About Information Sharing

Ask Us About Information Sharing

Got questions about information sharing under ONC’s information blocking regulations? Join ONC’s experts for virtual office hours on September 22, October 6, and October 27 from 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET to ask about the information blocking regulations.

Ask Us About Information Sharing
Ask Us About Information Sharing

Ask Us About Information Sharing

Got questions about information sharing under ONC’s information blocking regulations? Join ONC’s experts for virtual office hours on September 22, October 6, and October 27 from 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET to ask about the information blocking regulations.
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Acknowledgements

This resource collection was cultivated and developed by the HITEQ team with valuable suggestions and contributions from HITEQ Project collaborators.

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The Quadruple Aim
Quadruple Aim

A Conceptual Framework

Improving the U.S. health care system requires four aims: improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, reducing per capita costs and improving care team well-being. HITEQ Center resources seek to provide content and direction aligned with the goals of the Quadruple Aim

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