HIMemo

Report examines home health care response in a flu pandemic

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality on July 8 issued a report offering potential strategies to help home health care agencies prepare for a flu pandemic. The report emphasizes the potential for home health providers to help handle a surge in patients, and the need to involve them in local planning and coordination. It also explores the potential use of technology to monitor patients at a distance, the legal and ethical considerations of providing care under emergency conditions, and workforce issues such as training and the ability to report to work.

The strategies and recommendations are based on key issues and challenges raised by an expert panel convened last summer.

[ via AHA News Now ]

CCHIT approves final criteria, accepting applications

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) has published its 2008 approved final criteria for certification of inpatient and emergency department EHR products, according to a June 20 announcement on its Web site.

CCHIT will accept the first round of applications for certification under the new criteria August 1–14, the organization said in its announcement. A public comment period will continue through July 20. Additional information and documents for comment are available at www.cchit.org.

Click here to read the CCHIT announcement.

[ via EHR Connection ]

New PHR framework to enhance public trust

A group of technology companies, health care providers, insurers, and consumers groups have endorsed a personal health record (PHR) framework that would increase privacy and consumer control, according to a June 25 Connecting for Health press release.

Connecting for Health is a public-private collaboration that developed the PHR framework with input from the Markle Foundation.

The framework includes four overviews and 14 specific technology and policy approaches for consumers to perform the following functions:

• Access health services
• Obtain and control copies of personal health information
• Authorize sharing of personal health information with others
• Review sound privacy and security practices

“This collaboration lays out specific practices that all PHRs and related services can use, whether they are covered by federal privacy rules or not, so they can enhance public trust,” Steve Findlay, a healthcare analyst for Consumers Union, said in the press release.

To read the press release, click here.

To read the framework, click here.

[ via HIPAA Weekly Advisor ]

House subcommittee approves EHR privacy bill

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee approved a health IT bill that would increase EHR privacy protections, Government Health IT reported June 25.

The Protecting Records, Optimizing Treatment and Easing Communication Through Healthcare Technology Act of 2008 (H.R. 6357), now advances to the full committee.

The bill’s marketing and consent provisions remain subjects of debate. The marketing provision would prohibit companies from using health records to market products and services to individuals and the consent provision would prohibit providers from using or disclosing PHI for healthcare operations purposes without patient consent.

Government Health IT saysthe bill also seeks to:

• Establish in law the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT
• Create a health IT policy advisory committee and another health IT standards advisory committee
• Require federal agencies to use official standards in new or upgraded health IT systems
• Create several grant programs
• Strengthen enforcement of current privacy provisions and extend them to partners who receive healthcare information from medical professionals

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) sponsored the bill, which has bipartisan support.

Click here for additional information.

[ via HIPAA Weekly Advisor ]