Health Information Management

IOM report suggests Congress must help rural providers with IT

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, November 8, 2004

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Rural communities may be left off the IT bandwagon if Congress doesn't help rural providers adopt electronic medical records technology during the next five years, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) entitled "Quality Through Collaboration: The Future of Rural Health."

To get rural providers up to speed, the IOM recommends the government do the following, Health Data Management reported:

  • Expand federal efforts to extend broadband networks in rural areas
  • Prohibit telecommunication providers from charging to transfer health messages
  • Expand Universal Service Fund's (USF) rural health program to all rural providers
  • Increase the amount of the subsidy of USF's rural health program

The IOM would also like to see the Office of Rural Health Policy lead the coordination of rural health input to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

Go to the IOM Web site for more information.

 



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