Online Program

292289
Demonstrating the impact of HIT in underserved communities


Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 11:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.

Miryam Gerdine, MPH, Division of Nursing and Public Health HRSA, HRSA Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, MD
Research shows mixed evidence in technology adoption among providers who care for underserved groups as compared to other providers. Some work suggests that Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) have relatively robust adoption of EHRs due to the Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCNs) program and other initiatives. The aim of this presentation is to share nine different case studies of how various stakeholders adapted new and existing approaches to using health IT as a meaningful tool in addressing the problems facing underserved, racial/ethnic and LEP communities. This collection of case studies highlights nine community-based programs using health IT to address the needs of populations with documented disparities in access, quality of care, and outcomes. Each case study discusses the type of intervention used and the providers and populations involved, providing detail on stakeholders' experience adopting and using various health IT solutions to improve health care delivery and outcomes for vulnerable groups.

The nine case studies include: 1.Using telepsychiatry for the treatment of depression in underserved Hispanics 2. Enabling service: Using health IT to ensure patients receive more than just health care 3. Promoting and tracking wellness behaviors within an existing case-management program 4. Using health IT to improve quality, coordination, and access for rural and migrant populations 5. Leveraging health IT to provide quality care 6. PHRs: Connecting at-risk youth to health and social services 7. Using multi-modal health IT tools to improve quality and delivery of care in an urban setting 8. Using telehealth to improve chronic disease management and 9. GAHITREC: Helping eligible providers reach Meaningful Use

While there is growing evidence of the effectiveness of health IT and the promise of using these new tools to reduce health disparities, there is continued need for additional research in this area.

Learning Areas:

Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
List 9 case studies that highlight innovative grassroots, community-based programs using HIT that address the needs of underserved communities with documented disparities in access, quality of care, and outcomes. Articulate the procedure of how the literature review was completed for the congressionally mandated report, "Understanding the Impact of Health IT on Underserved Communities and those with Health Disparities. Explain how the criterions for the case studies were developed.

Keyword(s): Telehealth, Access

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the lead staff on HIT and Health Disparities in the Office of the Secretary, Office of Minority Health from 2005 to 2010; when I was recruited to the Health Resources and Services Administration's Office of Health Information Technology and Quality to be the HRSA Government Task Lead for the congressionally mandated report, "Understanding the Impact of Health IT on Underserved Communities and those with Health Disparities.
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.