Oral

Health Information Technology (HIT) encompasses a variety of methods for the electronic management of health information at the individual and population levels. A key element of HIT is the electronic health record (EHR), which is used to electronically record, store, and organize patient health information. The EHR may also facilitate health communication and coordination among providers, and has important potential in health services research. This session will focus on ways that HIT may be used to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations and reduce health disparities. We will begin with a presentation of some of the challenges and successes of implementing an EHR system in community health centers in Portland Oregon. Next will be a discussion of the role that HIT has played in improving the public health infrastructure, including emergency preparedness, in North Carolina. We will next have a discussion of the value of HIT in improving preventive health care, specifically breast health, in Houston Texas. One important feature of the EHR is the ability to create templates integrating best-practice guidelines for use at health encounters. Our next presentation will discuss the value of an asthma template based on the NHLBI asthma guidelines to facilitate delivery of best-practice asthma care for high-risk children, homeless children in New York City shelters. Finally, we will discuss the use of technology to improve asthma outcomes by better managing medical and environmental risk factors in San Francisco.

Session Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be better able to: • Describe major challenges and promising practices for successful EHR implementation to enhance population-based health care and organizational operations in community health centers • Describe three or more ways mobile GIS systems can enhance public health functions • Describe the process involved in incorporating informational technologies in community health planning to improve access to care for low-income and uninsured populations • Describe the benefits of the electronic health record in the provision of evidence-based, quality health care • Articulate structural changes in communities that promote better quality of life for people with asthma, and the role of partnerships in achieving those changes

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing