HIT
CTNJ: Healthcare questions for Connecticut’s Next Governor
How will Connecticut’s next governor fix the state’s healthcare system? It’s a big job but they will have a lot more leverage and power than many appreciate. Read more
Read MoreWebinar on new HIE for Connecticut
For years, Connecticut providers and payers have been begging for a functional Health Information Exchange (HIE). An HIE allows providers delivering care to each patient to share information, notes, careplans and lab results. A functional HIE should help coordinate care, lower costs, avoid duplication and overtreatment, and make everyone’s lives easier. Despite numerous attempts, many…
Read MoreCT Medical Society standing up an HIE for the state
Miscommunication is blamed for thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in costs. One part of miscommunication involves providers not being able to access records for patients they are treating. Numerous state groups working to reform CT’s broken health care system over the last decade have urged policymakers to develop a Health Information Exchange (HIE)…
Read MoreTwo in three CT physicians had an electronic health record in 2014; well below US average
In 2014, only 67.5% of CT office-based physicians had a certified electronic health record (EHR) system according to a new CDC brief.Nationally 74.1% of office-based physicians had certified EHRs in 2014, up from 67.5% the year before. Only five other states had lower EHR participation levels. On the bright side, CT physicians who did have…
Read MoreCT News Junkie Op-ED – learning from mistakes in HIT
A new opinion piece in CT News Junkie focuses on the need for CT to develop a functional health information system, that respects consumers’ privacy, is crucial to patient safety, improving quality, controlling costs and thoughtful reform. The merciful demise this year of HITE-CT, a quasi-public entity charged by the state with doing just that,…
Read MoreSIM update
CMMI announced Tuesday that Connecticut was among eleven states whose SIM application was approved. CT expects to receive $45 million over four years to support reform. The SIM Health IT Council will hold its first meeting today at 1pm at the LOB. Commissioner Bremby of DSS, which has been given responsibility for developing an Health…
Read MoreCabinet update – DSS/exchange IT and SIM updates
The SIM update included a description of the recent funding application release. All drafts for the grant will only go through the Steering Committee. It was clarified that the “owners” of the SIM process are the related state agencies. SIM intends to “align” CT’s health priorities with the federal grant. Concerns were raised that the…
Read MoreHITE CT considering scaling back to secure messaging, easing privacy concerns
CT’s quasi-public entity charged with building a health information exchange for the state is considering scaling back from an overly ambitious agenda to focus on more feasible goals. At HITE-CT’s May meeting, the Board discussed focusing on secure messaging for now. As secure messaging essentially replaces the current FAXes of health information shared between individual…
Read MoreHIT privacy bill watered significantly down
Last week the Public Health Committee made significant changes to SB 368, originally designed to protect consumers’ private health information. The bill would have required HITE CT, our state’s developing health information exchange, to get patient consent before sharing any medical records on the exchange. Termed opt-in, this privacy policy has been adopted by all…
Read MoreHIT privacy bill heard in Public Health Committee
An important bill, SB 368, had a public hearing Friday in the Public Health Committee. The bill would require HITE CT, our state’s developing health information exchange, to get patient consent before sharing any medical records on the exchange. Termed opt-in, this privacy policy has been adopted by all our surrounding states and is working…
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