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- Benefits of EHRsThe Basics Electronic health records (EHRs) can improve health care quality and patient outcomes for patients with asthma. EHRs can help your organization: Generate lists of patients with asthma to...The Basics Electronic health records (EHRs) can improve health care quality, your ability to provide preventive cancer care to your patients, and patient outcomes. EHRs can: Generate lists of...The Basics One of the main benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) is increased access to information.1 To learn more about the benefits of increased access to information, see the following...The Basics Electronic health records (EHRs) can improve health care quality and patient outcomes for patients with diabetes. EHRs can: Help your organization generate and meaningfully use lists of...The Basics Electronic health records (EHRs) can help your organization prevent adverse medication events and improve patient outcomes in several ways. EHRs can: Make it easier to create, update, and...The Basics By helping you collect and display lab results in meaningful ways, electronic health records (EHRs) can help your organization improve health care quality. EHRs can: Alert clinicians to...Electronic Health Records and Staff Efficiency Studies have shown electronic health records (EHRs) to generate a positive return on investment1-3 and improve organizational efficiency.4-5 Although...Managing Change to Improve Efficiency and Save Time The introduction of an electronic health record (EHR) into a practice presents great operational challenges as well as opportunities to improve...The Basics One of the main benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) is increased patient satisfaction. EHRs can help your organization offer better health care and: Reduce waiting time for...Momentum is Building The electronic health record (EHR) movement continues to build momentum. In a national survey of physicians, over half indicated they had adopted an EHR system.1 90% of medical...Improving Health Care Quality and Patient Outcomes for Patients with Complex Conditions Electronic health records (EHRs) can improve health care quality and patient outcomes for patients with complex...Engaging Patients Providers and patients who share access to electronic health information can collaborate in informed decision making. Patient participation is especially important in managing and...
- Step 5: Achieve Meaningul UseEligible Professionals According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), eligible professionals (EPs) under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program include: Doctors of medicine or...Eligible Professionals According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) EHR Incentive Program website, eligible professionals (EPs) under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program include...The Medicare EHR Incentive Program – EHR Incentive Payment Timeline For eligible professionals (EPs), incentive payments for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program are generally made approximately four...Key Differences Between the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs There are several important differences between the Medicare EHR Incentive Program and the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program....
- Blue Button - Information for DevelopersThe Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Department of Veterans Affairs have teamed up to launch a new Standards & Interoperability Initiative to...Maybe. Stage 2 of Meaningful Use requires that patients be given the capability to view, download and transmit their health data electronically. These requirements are fully aligned with the Blue...Yes. Stage 2 of Meaningful Use requires that patients be given the capability to view, download and transmit their health data electronically. These requirements are fully aligned with the Blue...The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Pledge Program was launched in September 2011 to catalyze and support organizations at the vanguard of empowering...No, but it used to be. Blue Button started as a simple-as-it-gets American Standard Code for Information Interchange text (ASCII) file. But that was only the start. As more organizations adopted the...The Veterans Health Administration launched the Blue Button in August 2010 by adding it to VA’s MyHealtheVet patient portal. Veterans could use the Blue Button to download their health information in...We need experts to develop standards and pilot the technology, innovators to push the envelope, and patients and providers to test that it works. To join this initiative or to learn more, visit the...
- Blue Button - Introduction for General Audiences“Blue Button” is shorthand for a movement toward an improved healthcare system in which patients and providers use information technology to collaborate and improve health. The Blue Button logo...
- Blue Button - Using and Understanding the Blue ButtonThe Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) helps keep entities covered under HIPAA accountable for the privacy and security of patients’ health information. Although electronic...Even if you don’t have access to Blue Button through your health plan, doctor or other health care provider such as pharmacies, nursing homes and labs, you still have a legal right to see and get a...Remember that unless you are a veteran, Medicare beneficiary or service member or your health plan, health care provider (doctor or hospital) or other entities where you seek care use Blue Button, it...It depends. The data that you are able to get from your health plan and your health care provider (doctor, hospital, etc.) may be different. Health plans may have both claims and personal health...The Blue Button enables you to securely access your personal health data online by clicking on a “Blue Button” logo or icon. You may have access to your claims and personal health information that...It depends if your health care provider, health plan (insurer), or other entity that manages your health data (e.g. pharmacy, lab, etc.) offers a way for you to get secure access to your health...Blue Button for America is a collaborative effort by the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand consumer access to personal health...Many people in the United States still don’t have easy, electronic access to their health information, and many don’t know that the Federal government has taken a large step towards solving that...The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets rules and limits over who can look at and receive your health information. The rules still apply with Blue Button so your doctor...You don’t need Blue Button to get your health information but it’s one way that you can get access to it. When you get your health information, you can use it to: Better understand your health and...“Blue Button” is a term that connotes easy, secure electronic access to your health data. Having access to this information can help you manage your care by having information you need to coordinate...You should already be taking care of yourself—or managing your care—by watching what you eat, exercising and taking advantage of preventive health benefits your health plan might offer. And many...You are not required by law to use Blue Button. However, being able to “blue button” your health data and share that information with others you trust could be helpful in the event of an emergency...Although your doctor may not want to offer you with a way to securely access your health record online, they are required by law to provide you with a way to view and get a copy of your medical...Your doctor is not required to offer Blue Button. However, there are financial incentives available from the federal government to encourage health care providers to adopt electronic health record...There should not be a cost. Ask your health care provider or health plan if they offer a way for you to view, download, and share your health information online.The Blue Button allows you to download your personal health information, including information like your emergency contact information, health history, important test results, medications, allergies...To ensure that your personal health information is kept private and secure, typically only you can access the Blue Button after you have logged into your health care provider or health plan’s patient...
- EHR System Certification Certification of health IT assures purchasers and other users that an electronic health record (EHR) system, or other relevant technology, offers the technological capability, functionality, and...The Certified HIT Product List (CHPL) provides the authoritative, comprehensive listing of Complete EHRs (electronic health records) and EHR Modules that have been tested and certified under the...Authorized by the National Coordinator, ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ONC-ATCBs) test and certify that certain types of electronic health record (EHR) technology (Complete EHRs and...
- Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) There are two committees, under the auspices of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), that are charged with making recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health IT. Membership for both...Yes. You can access the audio files and transcripts online. Audio files (.mp3) of the Federal Advisory Committee (FACA) meetings will be available on the Office of the National Coordinator for Health...
- Financial Incentive Programs and Meaningful Use Visit Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs for more information. For other possible payments, see Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs in specific states.To qualify for incentive payments through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, eligible providers and hospitals must demonstrate...Registration for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program began on January 3, 2011 and is available online at https://ehrincentives.cms.gov. Please note that although the...For more information about the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, please visit http://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) offers incentive payments to eligible providers who demonstrate the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs). For assistance with...There are two places to find grants for implementing electronic health records. Here’s where you’ll find Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) grant...
- General Questions About Health Information Technology You will find a list of ONC job opportunities on the “Contact Us” page of our website. Other positions within the federal government can be found at www.USAJobs.gov.To receive updates from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) on health IT activities: Sign up for Email Updates from ONC Follow us on Twitter @ONC_HealthIT...We regret that we cannot respond individual requests for interviews with ONC staff to help with school projects and papers. Please review the ONC website for more information on ONC initiatives and...Please email your request to ONC.request@hhs.gov for consideration.If you know exactly who you want to reach, refer to the HHS Directory for a personnel list.
- Health Information Exchange The term "health information exchange" (HIE) actually encompasses two related concepts: Verb: The electronic sharing of health-related information among organizations Noun: An organization that...As of May 26, 2011, all state strategic and operational plans were approved. Read state plans.The ability to exchange health information electronically is the foundation of efforts to improve health care quality and safety. Health information exchange (HIE) can provide:The connecting point...To better track and securely share patients’ complete medical histories, more and more health care providers are participating in health information exchange (HIE). HIE helps facilitate coordinated...The eHealth Exchange, formerly the Nationwide Health Information Network Exchange, is a rapidly growing community of exchange partners, who share information under a common trust framework and a...A strategy for nationwide HIE has been led by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). ONC facilitated the process of establishing the essential building blocks...To build the capacity for national health information exchange, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) awarded grants to States, eligible territories, and...The Direct Project is creating a low-cost, practical, secure mechanism for exchanging health information over the Internet. Direct makes it possible for providers to securely email information to...A complex health care system requires diverse electronic health record (EHR) products. One size does not fit all. To realize their full potential, EHR products must be able to share information...
- Health Information Privacy and Security To ensure that your patient’s health and medical information and records are private and protected, a federal law, called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), has...There are many online resources where providers can find information on HIPAA. The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is tasked with administering HIPAA, and their...Changing the privacy and security culture of a practice is often one of the most difficult aspects of reducing risk and becoming Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)...No. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) permits the disclosure of health information to the patient without requiring the patient's express consent. Additionally,...
- Health IT and Electronic Health Records (EHRs) A patient portal is an internet application that allows patients to access their electronic health records and communicate with their healthcare providers. In some contexts, these may be referred to...An electronic health record (EHR) is more than just a computerized version of your paper chart. It’s a digital record that can provide your health care team with comprehensive health information...An electronic health record (EHR) contains patient health information, such as: Medical history Diagnoses Medications Immunization dates Allergies Radiology images Lab and test resultsThe term "personal health record," or PHR, refers to an electronic record of health information on an individual that can be drawn from multiple sources and that is managed, shared, and...A personal health record (PHR) is one tool that can be used to increase patient participation and improve families’ engagement with their care. PHRs are collections of information pertinent to...Yes, there are two kinds of personal health records (PHRs): There are standalone PHRs where patients fill in the information from their own records and memories and the data is stored on...An electronic medical record (EMR) is a digital version of the paper charts in a doctor’s office. They contain primarily the notes and information collected by and for the clinicians in that office....Health IT is shorthand for "health information technology." Health IT is the use of computer hardware and software to store, retrieve, and share patient health and medical information.
- Health IT Workforce and Training Contact one of the 82 member community colleges across the country about distance learning opportunities for health IT training programs. For more information, visit the Community College Consortia...Several organizations offer training resources and courses in health information technology (IT) such as those listed below. The Healthcare Information Management Systems Society’s (HIMSS) eLearning...
- Implementing EHRs – IntroductionThe Basics There are many forms of telehealth – such as live-interactive videoconferencing, remote monitoring, store-and-forward imaging, and provider education. Many different types of care...Improving Public and Population Health Outcomes Electronic health records (EHRs) can improve public and population health outcomes. By efficiently collecting data in a form that can be shared across...Momentum is Building The electronic health record (EHR) movement continues to build momentum. By 2011, approximately 39% of office-based providers and 35% of non-federal acute care hospitals had...What is a Patient-Centered Medical Home? A Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a team-based model of care that begins with the primary care provider and coordinates care across multiple...Transformed Health Care Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are the first step to transformed health care. The benefits of electronic health records include: Better health care by improving all aspects...Moving Beyond the Paper Record With electronic health records (EHRs), patients' health information is available in one place, when and where it is needed, so you can do a better job of managing...The Basics Using electronic health records (EHRs) can help your organization build a sustainable medical practice. While EHRs do require investments for technology and training, a fully functional...The Recovery Act allows for adjustments to the Medicare physician fee schedule for Medicare providers who do not adopt and successfully demonstrate meaningful use of a certified electronic health...If Medicare eligible professionals, or EPs, do not adopt and successfully demonstrate meaningful use of a certified electronic health record (EHR) technology by 2015, the EP’s Medicare...Health IT and electronic health records (EHRs) can help doctors provide patients with access to their health information, improve care coordination, and provide higher quality and safer care for...Now is The Time NOW is the time to for electronic health record (EHR) adoption– there is an unprecedented amount of help available. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is making...Advising Providers in All Phases of Electronic Health Record ImplementationRegional Extension Centers (RECs) are equipped with the personnel and resources to support and advise eligible providers in...The Basics Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are equipped with the personnel and resources to support and advise eligible providers in all phases of the electronic health record (EHR) implementation...The Regional Extension Center (REC) program’s focus is to provide on-the-ground assistance for priority primary care providers (PPCPs). A “primary care provider” is any doctor of medicine (MD) or...The Health Resources Services Administration defines telehealth as the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and...
- Implementing EHRs – Assessing Your Practice ReadinessThe Basics Access to affordable broadband connectivity sufficent to transmit patient data in a reliable way is a major barrier faced by rural providers.1 If you find your community does not have...Recommended Minimum Bandwidth Speeds It is critical you have the broadband capabilities to support your electronic health record (EHR) system. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommends...It's not unusual for some physicians to resist using an electronic health record (EHR), and there can be many reasons for this reluctance. Is he/she uncomfortable using a computer? Does he/she fear...The assessment phase is foundational to all other implementation activities, and involves determining if the practice is ready to make the change from paper records to electronic health records (EHRs...Although precise cost estimates are not available, you are not on your own. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) established 62 Regional Extension Centers (...If possible, the assessment team should include stakeholders with diverse roles in your practice/hospital/health clinic to leverage each role's expertise in their area of work and to encourage buy-in...Yes, several tools have been developed to assist physicians, nurses, and office staff in assessing practice readiness. Checklists and methodologies facilitate critical thinking about the kinds of...We recommend that you set goals in areas that are important and meaningful to your practice. These may be clinical goals, revenue goals or goals around work environment. Goals in all three areas will...One of the five pillars of meaningful use instructs providers to "engage patients and their families in their health," and it is vital to begin engaging patients in the readiness assessment phase....The amount of time required to perform readiness assessments will vary depending on several factors including the size of your practice/hospital/health center, whether your practice/hospital/health...The Basics The term broadband refers to high-speed internet access. Broadband is different from dial-up internet service for several reasons, including the following: Broadband service provides a...The National Broadband Map The National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Federal Communications Commission maintain the National Broadband Map, a tool to search, analyze...The Basics Before implementing an electronic health record, you should plan for how your practice/hospital/health center will access broadband. You can access broadband in several different ways:...
- Implementing EHRs – Planning Your ApproachRedesigning your workflow helps you get the most value from implementing an electronic health record (EHR). To get started, analyze your existing workflow. Create a visual map of how work is...Tip 1: Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in your current workflow. Decide which aspects of your workflow need improvement and prioritize them. Then do the work in stages, creating wins along...The Basics Several studies estimate the cost of purchasing and installing an electronic health record (EHR) ranges from $15,000 to $70,000 per provider.1-5 Costs vary depending on whether you select...There are several resources specific to rural health IT and electronic health record (EHR) implementation. You can use the following resources to learn more about health IT and EHR implementation in...A Challenge for Rural Providers Overcoming limited number of staff and resources is challenging in rural communities. No model fits all organizations you must determine the best ways to recruit and...The Basics Adopting an electronic health record (EHR) will change your organization's workflows. Workflow redesign is a process your organization should complete before EHR implementation. EHRs may...Health IT Workforce Initiatives To address the growing demand for a highly skilled health IT workforce, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) funds the Health...Plan Your Approach You should begin planning as soon as you assess your practice readiness and decide to adopt an electronic health record (EHR). Planning draws on information gathered during the...Grant Programs and Funding Opportunities There are several grant programs and funding opportunities intended to help rural providers and rural communities implement health IT. The Rural Utilities...Electronic Health Record Implementation Planning Here are some tactical steps that typically occur during the planning phase. You may collaborate with and use tools provided by your Regional...Creation and management of an effective electronic health record (EHR) implementation team is a crucial process. Once you have identified potential members of the implementation team, follow these...Successfully creating and managing an internal planning team is crucial to planning success. Team members should bring differing perspectives on how the electronic health record (EHR) will be used...Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are not vendors selling electronic health record (EHR) systems or products. Your REC is a trusted advisor with the same aims as you – to help ensure quality...The introduction of an electronic health record (EHR) into a practice presents great operational challenges as well as opportunities for the improvement of patient care. Adopting an EHR will change...Implementation teams interested in maximizing the benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) should pay close attention to these important EHR workflow redesign areas. Workflow analysis should...Using electronic health records (EHRs) will help health care providers build a sustainable medical practice. The next generation of health care professionals will expect and demand that their own...For a successful electronic health record (EHR) implementation, you may need to assess the need for additional EHR infrastructure investments. The first step to making a sound hardware decision is...Your Local Regional Extension Center Can Help Even if your organization has an existing IT system, your organization should contact your local Regional Extension Center (REC). You may still need...
- Implementing EHRs – Selecting or Upgrading to a Certified EHRThe good news is that there are plenty of options. In fact, there are over 440 complete Certified EHR products for the ambulatory market. Consequently, the selection process can take time. The...When selecting an electronic health record (EHR) system, pay special attention to the type of provider and market that each vendor typically serves, as well as the amount of support a vendor provides...Timing of the Vendor Selection Process There are several different options for how you might select a vendor. Some practices go through the planning electronic health record (EHR) implementation...Key Factors to Consider The following are several considerations for electronic health record (EHR) vendor comparison that Regional Extension Centers (RECs) have found useful. Consider these...Certified electronic health records (EHRs) are EHRs that have been tested and certified under the Temporary Certification Program maintained by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health...The Certified HIT Product List The Certified HIT Product List (CHPL) provides the authoritative, comprehensive listing of complete electronic health records (EHRs) and EHR modules that have been...The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) authorized six organizations to perform complete electronic health record (EHR) and/or EHR module testing and certification. These six...Timing & Basics After you assess your electronic health record (EHR) needs, set EHR goals, make key decision about must-have EHR capabilities, and narrow the vendor field, you should draft a...Factors to Consider in Contract Negotiations To avoid costly mistakes, make sure to consider the following factors when negotiating your vendor contract.1,2 Contract negotiation is a critical...The Basics A complex health care system requires diverse electronic health record (EHR) products. Interoperability refers to the architecture or standards that make it possible for diverse EHR...
- Implementing EHRs – Conducting Training and Implementing an EHRThe Basics Chart migration is the process of moving data from your existing paper records to your electronic health record (EHR). Chart migration before your EHR go-live date is a critical EHR...Electronic Health Record Implementation Training: A Crucial Step While training office staff and clinicians is one of the larger investments of electronic health record (EHR) implementation, EHR...Your Local Regional Extension Center Can Help Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are located in every region of the country to help health care providers select, implement, and become adept and...Case Studies The following case studies and provider testimonials are on-the-ground examples of how providers in the field are training their staff. Doctor Profiles: Dr. Jennifer Brull Shenandoah...Health IT Workforce Development Program To address the growing demand for health IT training, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) funds the Health IT...The Basics Software as a Service (SaaS) technology deployment, also known as cloud-based deployment, web-based deployment, or Application Service Provider deployment, “allows software to be run and...Join the Health IT Workforce In February 2009, Congress passed the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act to spur the growth of electronic health records (EHRs)....Power failures and internet crashes can prevent you from accessing your patients' records and it can be a struggle to know how to handle your patients. Write a plan for mitigating system failures...Your Local Regional Extension Center Can Help Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are located in every region of the country to help health care providers select, implement, and become adept and...The Basics While training office staff and clinicians is one of the larger costs of electronic health record (EHR) implementation, training is crucial to realizing the full potential of your EHR. You...Training Resources & Courses If you are interested in training opportunities outside of the Health IT Workforce Development Program to prepare your staff for electronic health record...EHR Implementation Go-Live Support The Health Resources and Services Administration suggests leveraging the following support mechanisms on electronic health record (EHR) implementation go-live...EHR Implementation Go-Live Checklist To best plan for your electronic health record (EHR) implementation go-live date, use the EHR Implementation Go-Live Planning Checklist. You can use the go-live...There are many barriers unique to electronic health record (EHR) implementation in rural health care settings,1-2 including: Prohibitive cost of many EHR systems/limited access to capital...The Basics An Issues Log is a tool for identifying emergent unintended consequences of electronic health record (EHR) implementation. You should record any problems that arise during EHR...Electronic Health Record Implementation: Preparation is Key Whether you're just starting to think about adopting an electronic health record (EHR) system or are ready to make the transition from...The Basics By making it easier to use and share information, electronic health records (ITs) can be used to help patients obtain timely care and access personal health information while also helping...The Basics The process of moving data from your existing paper records to your electronic health record (EHR) is called chart migration. Chart migration is a critical EHR implementation step, as...
- Implementing EHRs – Continuing Quality ImprovementThe Basics The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) funds the Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program. The Beacon Communities are seventeen communities...Telehealth – the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support a broad variety clinical and non-clinic services – is not limited to specific care settings....The Telehealth Resource Centers (TRCs) are funded by the federal Office for the Advancement of Telehealth to “serve as a focal point for advancing the effective use of telehealth and support...Licensing can be a problem for telehealth programs. Most states require physicians to be licensed to practice in the originating site's state, and some states require providers using telehealth...There are several clinical telehealth services you can offer, including: Live, interactive video consultation: uses videoconferencing technology to facilitate a patient visit with both physician...The Basics Evaluating your electronic health record (EHR) implementation is a critical EHR implementation step. Conducting a post-implementation evaluation will enable your practice to continue...The Basics Rapid-cycle improvement is a "quality improvement method that identifies, implements and measures changes made to improve a process or a system."1 Rapid-cycle improvement implies that...Why Your Vendor Relationship Matters Your electronic health record (EHR) vendor can be an important partner in quality improvement. Quality improvement requires you understand the full...Benefits of Electronic Health Records Medicine is an information-rich enterprise. By making it easier for providers and patients to use and share information, electronic health records (EHRs)...The Basics The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality defines a disease/immunization registry as "a tool for tracking the clinical care and outcomes of a defined patient population."1...The Basics Clinical decision support (CDS) provides clinicians, staff, patients or other individuals with knowledge and person-specific information, intelligently filtered or presented at appropriate...The Basics Clinical Quality Measures, also known as CQMs, are a mechanism for assessing observations, treatment, processes, experience, and/or outcomes of patient care. In other words, CQMs...
- Implementing EHRs – Regional Extension Centers (RECs)Depending on your Regional Extension Center’s (REC’s) business model, your REC may provide free or reduced-price support to eligible providers and hospitals. With grant funding from the Office of the...Yes, Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are committed to assisting and supporting providers during all phases of electronic health record (EHR) adoption and implementation. RECs provide support...
- Implementing EHRs – Rural HealthThe recommended bandwidth is at least 10 megabits per second (Mbps) for a small clinic that wants to support all of the following: practice management functions such as billing and scheduling, e-mail...
- Mobile - Overview of Privacy, Security, and Mobile DevicesIf you are a covered entity or a business associate, yes. HHS OCR has detailed information explaining who is a covered entity. In general, individuals and organizations that meet the definition of a...The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a report to Congress called, “Information Security: Better Implementation of Controls for Mobile Devices Should Be...The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a report to Congress called “Information Security: Better Implementation of Controls for Mobile Devices Should Be...Risks (threats and vulnerabilities) vary based on the mobile device and its use. Some risks may be: A lost mobile device, A stolen mobile device, Inadvertently downloading viruses or other malware,...The Mobile Device Privacy and Security subsection of HealthIT.gov contains privacy and security tips and information to help protect and secure health information. Here are some important privacy...
- Mobile - Definitions Relevant to the Mobile Device Privacy and SecurityRemote disabling enables you to remotely lock or completely erase data stored on a mobile device if it is lost or stolen. If the mobile device is recovered, it may be unlocked. You should make sure...For purposes of the Mobile Device Privacy and Security subsection of HealthIT.gov, an “organization” includes: The entity for which a health care provider or professional works A health care setting...For purposes of the Mobile Device Privacy and Security subsection of HealthIT.gov, a provider or professional is a person who works with health information. A provider or professional can be a person...For purposes of the Mobile Device Privacy and Security subsection of HealthIT.gov, a mobile device is a handheld transmitting device with the capability to access, transmit, receive, and store health...If you see https, the session between the web server and the browser on the mobile device you are using is encrypted. You can easily identify web servers that have https configured by looking at the...For purposes of the Mobile Device Privacy and Security subsection of HealthIT.gov, “health information” is information about a patient’s medical condition or medical history that can be used to...Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity. It refers to the range of technologies for wireless data networking. Wireless data networking links computers (e.g., mobile devices) without wires (e.g., Internet...Remote wipe enables you to remotely erase the data on the mobile device if the device is lost or stolen. If you enable the remote wipe feature on your mobile device, you can permanently delete data...A virtual private network (VPN) is built on top of existing physical Internet networks. A VPN provides a secure communications tunnel for information transmitted between the private and public...A firewall is a security tool that limits access between networks and/or systems. A personal firewall controls traffic going to and from your mobile device. You can set the security policy. You can...Mobile device time-out or automatic logoff locks the mobile device screen or logs you off the network or system after a period of inactivity. When the time-out or logoff feature is activated, no one...Security software, such as anti-virus software or anti-spy software, protects against malicious programs such as viruses, spam and malware. A virus is a self-replicating program that runs and...An application (app) is a software program that performs a specific function directly for a user. Applications you can download include games, email organizer tools, note-taking systems, or even EHR...
- Mobile - Location of Mobile Device UseBe aware of where you are when using a mobile device, as well as the connection you are using to send, receive or access health information with your mobile device. The Mobile Device Privacy and...Here are some key tips for working remotely: Lock the screen of your mobile device and keep it in a secure location when you are not using it. Don’t let people around you see the numbers, letters,...Here are some key tips for working onsite: Lock the mobile device screen when not in use Keep the mobile device with you Activate automatic logoff or mobile device screen lock after a short time...Here are some key tips for using a mobile device in a public space such as a coffee shop or an airport Don't let people around you see the numbers, letters, symbols or pattern as you enter your...
- Mobile - Device EncryptionCMS’ Stage 2 Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs Final Rule and CMS MU stage 2 guidance explain that eligible professionals or hospitals must conduct or review a security risk...The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued FIPS 140-2 [PDF - 1.4 MB], Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules. FIPS 140-2 refers to the Federal Information...Encryption is a method of converting an original message of regular text into encoded text. Read more about encryption on the Mobile Device Privacy and Security website. You can also read HHS OCR’s...
- Mobile - Device Ownership (BYOD vs, Organization-provided)You must comply with the policies and procedures of the organization whose internal network or system you are accessing with your mobile device. Read the organization's mobile device policy. Take any...What should you know about your mobile device if you are affiliated with more than one organization?Follow the policies of the organization whose internal network or system you are accessing with your mobile device at any given time. Read each organization's policies and procedures for mobile...The organization should have policies and procedures in place for terminating access to health information when employment ends, the provider, professional or staff are no longer credentialed at the...The main difference is the policies and procedures that set the rules for your use of the mobile device. Many things are the same: the risks involved with using mobile devices and your responsibility...You may have heard the term "BYOD" which means "Bring Your Own Device." BYOD refers to using a personally owned mobile device for work. Many organizations have centralized security management to...
- Mobile - Device PasswordsA password policy is a set of rules designed to increase mobile device privacy and security by encouraging users to create and use strong passwords. Because of the sensitivity of health information,...Tips for protecting passwords include: Do not reveal or share your password with anyone else Do not write down your password Do not communicate your password by e-mail, instant messaging, or texting...A strong password is one that is easy for you to remember and hard for anyone else to guess. A strong password should be at least six characters in length, and should include a combination of upper...Try combining three words, changing the uppercase and lowercase letters, and replacing letters with numbers or symbols. Let’s take the words "privacy and security" and look at the different passwords...
- Mobile - Device Privacy and Security Video SeriesDr. Anderson's Office Identifies a Risk, one of the videos in our video series focuses on a fictional office’s experience Identifying and mitigating one mobile device risk. < Back to FAQsA Stolen Mobile Device, one of the videos in our video series, explores some preventive measures for safeguarding health information against the risk of a mobile device being lost or stolen. <...Can You Protect Patients' Health Information When Using a Public Wi-Fi Network?, one of the videos in our video series , explores some privacy and security risks when transmitting health information...
- Mobile - Security FAQ Backing Up Data Stored on a Mobile DeviceThe specific technique for backing up data from a mobile device to a secure server depends on the type and operating system of the mobile device you are using and the security configurations of the...
- Mobile - Security FAQ EHR / HIE Access Using a Mobile DeviceThe owner of the EHR system or HIE sets the policies and procedures that apply to that system. To follow those policies and procedures, you may have to have certain security safeguards or...
- Mobile - Security FAQ Mobile Device and Security Incident ReportingFollow your organization’s mobile device policies and procedures. Report security incidents immediately to the appropriate person in your office or organization following the organization’s security...
- Mobile - Security FAQ Mobile Device DisposalYes, but only after removing the electronic protected health information (ePHI) stored on the mobile device, or destroying the mobile device itself before disposing of it. The HIPAA Security Rule...
- Mobile - Using a Mobile Device to CommunicateIf your organization’s policies and procedures allow you to communicate with patients using a mobile device, and you choose to do so, consider using your mobile device to send a message that the...The risk of using a public wired Internet connection is that information can be intercepted in transmission between the mobile device and the system connection. When you transmit health information...Email by its very nature uses an unsecure protocol. There are a number of risks, including the possibility of data interception. However, there are a number of email encryption solutions that make...It depends. Text messages are generally not secure because they lack encryption, and the sender does not know with certainty the message is received by the intended recipient. Also, the...Bluetooth is an open standard for short-range radio frequency communication. If your mobile device has Bluetooth capability, turn off or set the Bluetooth connection capabilities to “nondiscoverable...
- Mobile - Question SubmissionYou can submit a comment or question regarding the Mobile Device Privacy and Security subsection of HealthIT.gov to ONC through onc.request@hhs.gov. We may not be able to answer your question or...You can email OCR at ocrmail@hhs.gov. You can also learn more about the HIPAA Privacy, Security and HITECH Breach Notification Rules by visiting OCR’s website. < Back to FAQs
- ONC RegulationsRead the most frequently asked questions [PDF - 361 KB] regarding ONC regulations. Read the archived frequently asked questions [PDF - 513 KB].
Most Popular Questions
Remote wipe enables you to remotely erase the data on the mobile device if the device is lost or stolen. If you enable the remote wipe feature on your mobile device, you can permanently delete data...
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets rules and limits over who can look at and receive your health information. The rules still apply with Blue Button so your doctor...
Plan Your Approach
You should begin planning as soon as you assess your practice readiness and decide to adopt an electronic health record (EHR). Planning draws on information gathered during the...
“Blue Button” is shorthand for a movement toward an improved healthcare system in which patients and providers use information technology to collaborate and improve health. The Blue Button logo...
The assessment phase is foundational to all other implementation activities, and involves determining if the practice is ready to make the change from paper records to electronic health records (EHRs...