230062
HIT: Tools to address social inequities experienced by users of LHDs' programs and services
Yvonne Claudio, DM, MS
,
Ambulatory Health Services, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA
Valerie Rogers, MPH
,
Public Health Informatics, National Association of County and City Health Officials, Washington, DC
In February 2009 ARRA and the HITECH Act were signed into law providing government funding and incentives for development of initiatives to strengthen our Nation's health care IT infrastructure and increase providers' use of IT. The HITECH Act has several goals, including improving quality of care, care coordination, and population and public health. As key health providers in communities across the U.S., Local Health Departments (LHDs) anticipate participation in the initiatives the HITECH Act creates. Over 3,000 LHDs exist nationwide, serving as the health care safety net for the medically underserved. In the course of assuring the public's health within their respective communities, LHDs provide services such as immunizations, HIV/AIDS and STD testing, and home visits for pregnant women and newborn infants—for the most part to recipients who lack access to providers that may generally provide such services. Many LHDs also operate health centers offering primary care services to their communities. LHDs recognize opportunities now exist for adopting HIT needed to support both the public health and the primary care services they provide. Of relevance are technologies such as EMRs and e-prescribing to support primary care, interface solutions to exchange data with community-based providers, case management technology to support public health programs, and mobile solutions to support community and home-based services. This presentation outlines the practice models relevant to LHDs, and the scope of HIT critical for supporting services provided and addressing social inequalities in their communities. In the context of social justice, the presentation highlights the necessity of assuring LHDs obtain a fair share of ARRA funding, as these resources are necessary to both establish the LHD's components of the HIT infrastructure relevant to creating meaningful use and to more efficiently and effectively meet the needs of the medically underserved population reliant on such organizations for health care.
Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Communication and informatics
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Learning Objectives: Understand LHDs role in assuring health care resources are available in their communities and the extent to which they serve the medically underserved and uninsured community.
Describe the social inequities experienced in populations utilizing LHD services
Highlight HIT that addresses needs of vulnerable populations
Understand how LHDs HIT infrastructure is a critical component for achieving meaningful use
Outline challenges and opportunities in adopting HIT to assist medically underserved communities.
Keywords: Health Information Systems, Underserved Populations
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have worked in/with health departments for over 15 years, at the executive level and across programs and services, obtaining first hand knowledge of the HIT of relevance to LHD programs, the lack of IT adoption, and the implication for service delivery to the populations served (i.e., the medically underserved). In terms of education, I possess a Doctorate degree in Management, specializing in IT management.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
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