Update 2005-06
Fact Sheet
In 2004 and in 2005, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) awarded grants and contracts to promote use of health information technology (health IT). Also in 2005, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a pilot project to measure the impact of electronic prescribing data transmission systems on patient safety and quality of care.
The goals of these research projects are to:
- Improve patient safety by reducing medical errors.
- Increase health information sharing between providers, laboratories, pharmacies, and patients.
- Help patients transition between health care settings.
- Reduce duplicative and unnecessary testing.
- Increase our knowledge and understanding of the clinical, safety, quality, financial, and organizational value and benefits of health IT.
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Contents
Background
Introduction
Transforming Healthcare Quality Through Health IT
State and Regional Demonstrations
E-Prescribing Projects
National Resource Center for Health IT
Projects Funded by State
Acronyms
For More Information
Background
In September 2004, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
awarded $139 million in contracts and grants to promote the use of health information
technology (health IT) through the development of networks for sharing
clinical data as well as projects for planning, implementing, and demonstrating
the value of health IT.
Additional grants and State contracts in the amount of $27 million were awarded
in September 2005, which will allow 16 of the original planning project grants
to carry out the plans they developed in their earlier grants. Eleven of the
16 grants were awarded to small and rural communities—areas of special
emphasis for AHRQ's health IT initiative.
Also in 2005, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched
a pilot project to measure the impact of electronic prescribing data transmission
systems on patient safety and quality of care.
The goals of these research projects are to:
- Improve patient safety by reducing medical errors.
- Increase health information sharing between providers, laboratories, pharmacies,
and patients.
- Help patients transition between health care settings.
- Reduce duplicative and unnecessary testing.
- Increase our knowledge and understanding of the clinical, safety, quality,
financial, and organizational value and benefits of health IT.
- Foster partnerships and collaboration, especially in small or rural areas.
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Introduction
In its 2001 report, Crossing the Quality Chasm, the Institute of
Medicine (IOM) identified health IT as one of the most significant tools that
could help improve healthcare quality in the United States. Further, the IOM,
the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, and the President's
Information Technology Advisory Committee also have recommended the development
of a National Health Information Infrastructure to help improve safety, reduce
costs, and enhance the quality of health care.
To accelerate progress on developing a national electronic health information system,
in April 2004 President Bush announced the formation of the Office of National
Coordinator for Health Information Technology within the HHS. In September 2005,
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced the creation of the American Health Information
Community, chaired by the Secretary. The 17 members of this committee will advise
HHS on how to transform the delivery of health care by building a new health
information infrastructure, including electronic health records and a new network
to link health records nationwide. The AHRQ grants and contracts are an integral
part of the President's emphasis on investment in health IT that improves health
care quality and safety.
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Transforming Healthcare Quality Through Health Information Technology
In 2004, AHRQ awarded over 100 grants totaling $96 million in 38 States to
help communities, hospitals, providers, and health care systems plan, implement
and demonstrate the value of health IT. Additional implementation grants
totaling over $22 million were awarded in 2005. The planning grants supported
the development of the health IT infrastructure and data sharing capacity
among clinical provider organizations in their communities and helped those
communities compete for future implementation grants. The implementation
grants support community-wide health IT, with emphasis on diverse and rural
health care settings. The grants to demonstrate the value of health IT focus
on how the adoption and use of health IT can improve patient safety and quality
of care.
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State and Regional Demonstrations in Health Information Technology
In 2004, AHRQ awarded 5 State or State-based contracts totaling $25 million
over 5 years to develop statewide networks allowing major purchasers of health
care, public and private payers, hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, home
health care providers, and long-term care providers to use health IT to communicate
and share information. The five States are Colorado, Indiana, Rhode Island,
Tennessee, and Utah. In 2005, an additional State contract was awarded to Delaware
and a regional contract was awarded to Calspan-UB Research Center (CUBRC)
in Buffalo, New York, for a combined total of $5 million.
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E-Prescribing Pilot Projects
In addition, HHS has awarded nearly $6 million to four grantee teams, RAND
Corporation, Santa Monica, CA; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston,
MA; SureScripts, Alexandria, VA; and Achieve Healthcare Information Technology,
MN, as part of a pilot project to test initial standards for electronic prescribing.
The project, which will run during calendar year 2006, involves testing several
systems of electronic data transmission standards and determining how efficiently
and effectively prescriptions and prescription-related information can be
sent to and received by the providers and pharmacies participating in electronic
prescribing for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. The project will be administered
jointly by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and AHRQ.
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AHRQ National Resource Center for Health Information Technology
A consortium led by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University
of Chicago was awarded a multi-million dollar, multi-year contract to establish
and operate the AHRQ National Resource Center for Health Information Technology
(the National Resource Center). The National Resource Center supports the work
of the health IT projects funded by AHRQ and other Federal partners, and provides
direct technical assistance and consulting services to individual projects
during all phases of their work to develop and use health IT. Particular focus
is placed on providing services to support challenges facing health IT
implementation in rural settings.
Research resulting from these contracts and grants should provide important
information to the health care system on how health IT can be successfully
implemented. The findings will estimate the direct and indirect costs, identify
the benefits and barriers to health IT adoption, and demonstrate how health
IT can lead to safer and better health for all Americans. For more information
about AHRQ, the health IT program, and resources available through the National
Resource Center, visit http://healthit.ahrq.gov.
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Projects Funded by State
Text links to State Information:
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