Healthcare IT News - April 2008 - (Page 24)

24 Healthcare IT News s April 2008 www.HealthcareITNews.com n February, I expressed some Right now, as a federal advisory anxiety heading into STANDARDS body to Michael Leavitt, secretary HIMSS08. The Annual HIMSS of the U.S. Department of Health Conference and Exhibition has and Human Services, AHIC recalways been the best vantage ommends healthcare IT priorities point to gauge the healthcare IT and forwards harmonized stanindustry. HIMSS08 certainly met dards, fulfilling these requirements, by Ed Larsen those expectations. But coming from the Healthcare Information away from that meeting, some of the angst Technology Standards Panel to Secretary remains. Federal initiatives are consuming a lot Leavitt for recognition. Such recognition is a of industry focus and energy notwithstanding defined term of great significance. The cornerthe impending administration change. This was stone of harmonizing standards (through the year of the consumer and personal health HITSP) and certifying systems (through the records–again, but privacy could disconnect Certification Commission for Health PHRs. Interoperability was ubiquitous; every- Information Technology) is the executive order thing is connected to something, but for what mandating federal agencies and their contracpurpose and at what level? tors, which includes virtually all healthcare The Office of the National Coordinator has providers, to implement “recognized” stanbeen the central success of the Bush dards within certified systems. Without the Administration in advancing healthcare IT. mandate, both HITSP and CCHIT are likely to ONC and its initiatives are not established by fail if left to voluntary compliance. It falls to the legislation, but rather are authorized under next administration to decide whether A2 conexecutive orders subject to the discretion of the tinues in an “advisory” role, whether HITSP next president. Of particular focus and concern and CCHIT become independent of A2 or is AHIC 2.0 or A2 as it is becoming known. whether the whole structure is disconnected. The proposed privatization of A2 is based on As consumers, we should applaud the the premise a new administration and Congress renewed PHR initiatives, as evidenced by major will support this end-run of the political product launches. However, as healthcare IT process and shift priorities to those of this new professionals, we have increasing angst. private-public partnership. Privatization will Managing patient consents and sharing force the new administration to immediately provider medical records with consumers are decide how to deal with A2. The current AHIC, frightening concepts to the traditional healthlike the other ONC initiatives, has an estab- care IT world. Consumer advocates want very lished, albeit discretionary, role and relationship strict control over any sharing of their informato HHS. A2 will require a new acceptance. tion within a PHR or EHR. In the case of I HIMSS08-Disconnects in a Sea of Interoperability INSIGHT HIPAA, some advocates believe “implied” consent to use personal health information for treatment, payment and operations is much too loose. Thus, some seek new legislation to not only protect the privacy of data in PHRs but also restrict the use and sharing of this information in EHRs. The Nationwide Health Information Network, health information exchanges and PHRs have become the battleground. While HHS is committed this year to introducing a new privacy framework, reportedly giving consumers more control over disclosure of their personal health information outside the originating provider's system, its terms and acceptance may be challenged. Adding restrictions and liabilities for providers and payors is hardly going to accelerate adoption and use of PHRs, EHRs or HIEs. We still define interoperability by the limits of the use case, the edge of the organization, the specifications of an application and the ability of users to adapt to still divergent systems. We look at technical interoperability and not social and organizational alignment and integration. We find ourselves grappling with more disconnects. Yet, in all of these disconnects, there are opportunities. We expect HIMSS09 to be a wildly successful draw of social networking, big ideas and introduction to the new national leadership. Still, there is this angst. s PUBLICATIONS STAFF VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS Fran Perveiler MANAGER, PUBLICATIONS Nancy Vitucci SENIOR MANAGER, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS Joyce Lofstrom SENIOR MANAGER, PUBLIC POLICY COMMUNICATIONS Sharolyn Rosier Hyson SENIOR EDITOR Matt Schlossberg COORDINATOR, COMMUNICATIONS Cari McLean BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR John Wade, FCHIME, FHIMSS Vice President/Chief Information Officer Saint Luke’s Health System VICE CHAIR Victoria Bradley, DNP, RN, FHIMSS Director of Patient Information University of Kentucky HealthCare CHAIR ELECT Charles E. Christian, FCHIME, FHIMSS Director, Information Systems/Chief Information Officer Good Samaritan Hospital VICE CHAIR ELECT Ed Larsen is an independent strategy consultant who tracks interoperability standards for HIMSS. For the full article, go to Standards Insight on the HIMSS Member start page. Comments or questions can be sent to erlarsen@erlinc.com. CPHIMS [continued from page 23] adoption, patient safety and improved outcomes,” he said. Content in the updated CPHIMS exam focuses on the following topics: General Healthcare and Technology Environments; Systems Analysis; Design; Selection, Implementation, Support and Maintenance; Testing and Evaluation; and Privacy and Security; and Administration Leadership and Management. Developing New Exam Content HIMSS updates the CPHIMS exam every five-to-seven years. This process begins with a job analysis. Focusing on tasks related to healthcare IT professionals' work, a survey is sent out globally to individuals representing a broad range of industry audiences. Both individuals new to the profession and experienced are surveyed. The job analysis results are then reviewed by the CPHIMS Technical Committee, which governs the CPHIMS certification program and designs the exam. The committee compares the job analysis results with tasks on the current exam's content outline, to determine what exam changes and improvements are needed. Based on this comparison, committee members create an updated task list–the exam content outlineand begin drafting exam questions. Healthcare IT professionals can submit items to be developed into exam questions. Committee members review all items, draft- ing questions to fit the exam content outline. Mr. Grob reported that for the first time in HIMSS' history, the development of new exam questions included international participation to ensure global representation. After an updated exam is developed, all committee members take the exam multiple times for quality control. Each question must be unanimously approved by the committee; then, the exam is ready to be rolled out. When candidates begin taking the exam, “validation” is required before candidates receive their scores. Once at least 50 candidates have taken the updated exam, the committee reviews and analyzes the responses, establishing the exam's “pass” score. dates per session, are filled on a first-in/firstconfirmed basis. A pre-paid non-refundable and non-transferable fee of $275 (HIMSS member rate) and $345 (nonmember rate) is required for each candidate. Candidates at the special Summit08 exam administration will qualify to receive a free copy of one of the three HIMSS books; a 'free book' coupon will be handed out on-site to each candidate. To take the exam at Summit08, candidates must pre-register by Wednesday, May 28 at www.himsssummit.org. Please note: candidates are not required to register for the Summit08 in order to take the CPHIMS exam on June 9 or 10 New CPHIMS Study Tools Liz Johnson, FHIMSS Vice President, Applied Clinical Informatics Tenet Healthcare Corp. Margret Amatayakul, RHIA, CHPS, FHIMSS President Margaret A. Consulting LLC Barry P. Chaiken, MD, MPH, FHIMSS Chief Medical Officer DocsNetwork Ltd. John H. Daniels, FACHE, CPHIMS, CHPS, FHIMSS Chief Information Officer Evolvent Technologies Inc. John Hansmann, FHIMSS Regional Manager, Management Engineering Intermountain Health Care C. Martin Harris, MD, MBA, FHIMSS Chief Information Officer and Chairman, IT Division The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Executive Director, eCleveland Clinic Joy G. Keeler, MBA Principal Health Information Technology The MITRE Corp. Jay Srini, FHIMSS Cheif Innovation Officer UPMC Insurance Services Division Jonathan M. Teich, MD, PhD, FHIMSS Chief Medical Informatics Officer Elsevier Health Sciences PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER H. Stephen Lieber, CAE HIMSS ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Taking the Exam The CPHIMS exam is administered at AMP Assessment Centers throughout the world. A list of centers is available at www.himss.org or www.goAMP.com. The exam is administered by appointment only Monday through Saturday on a first-come, first-serve basis. In addition, organizations, healthcare facilities, HIMSS Chapters and other groups may schedule a special on-site group administration of the exam. As part of rolling-out the updated exam, HIMSS will offer the exam in conjunction with the HIMSS Summit08, June 9-10 at the Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel. The exam will be administered on laptop computers–provided to candidates, from 2pm to 4pm both days of Summit08; candidate check-in begins each day at 1:30 pm. Summit08 test sessions, limited to 30 candi- In conjunction with the new CPHIMS exam, HIMSS has developed three updated study companions to maximize candidates' exam preparation and optimize exam success. All three updated tools were developed using the content outline for the new CPHIMS exam. This two–disk set, in a structured yet selfpaced multimedia format, utilizes a PowerPoint program with audio support and printable handouts. Sample multiple choice questions at the end http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.himsssummit.org http://www.himss.org/store http://www.himss.org/store http://www.himss.org http://www.goAMP.com http://www.himss.org/sae http://www.himss.org/getcertified http://www.himss.org/store

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare IT News - April 2008

Healthcare IT News - April 2008 Contents New Media Push Stepping Down BI Headaches Decision Grants Safety Alerts Summit 08 Growing an EHR Year 24

Healthcare IT News - April 2008

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