Health IT is a rapidly changing and growing field, and can make organizations more streamlined and cost effective, but only if technologies are implemented appropriately. Our solutions combine leading-edge software, innovative networking options, and robust infrastructure to ensure that clients are equipped with every component necessary for successful operations.
The electronic health record (EHR) is the central component of the health IT infrastructure. An EHR or electronic medical record is a person’s official, digital health record and is shared among multiple healthcare providers and agencies. Other key elements of the health IT infrastructure are the personal health record (PHR), which is a person’s self-maintained health record, and the health information exchange (HIE), a health data clearinghouse or a group of healthcare organizations that enter into an interoperability pact and agree to share data between their various health IT systems.
Healthcare organizations and their business associates that handle protected health information (PHI) are subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, created and enforced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The rule mandates that patients have full access to their PHI and protects the privacy of their information by limiting access to it by other parties.
The benefits of a cutting-edge Health IT implementation include the ability to use data analytics and big data to effectively manage population health programs and reduce the incidence of expensive chronic health conditions, the use of cognitive computing and analytics to perform precision medicine tailored to individual patients, the ability to share health data among academic researchers to develop new medical therapies and drugs, and the rights of patients to obtain and use their own health data and collaborate in their own care with clinicians.