Health Information Management

Memo outlines steps, deadlines for HHS compliance with health IT implementation initiatives

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, November 12, 2007

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The Bush administration issued a memo to federal agencies reiterating the need for the agencies to comply with the administrations' health information technology (IT) directives, according to an October 30 article by Government Health IT.

According to the article, several of the steps HHS plans to take to make progress towards compliance with the Bush administration's health IT initiatives include the following:

  • Creating an inventory of health information exchanges (HIE) in which the agency is involved, and cataloging the health IT standards and systems associated with those HIE. The inventory will also list applicable IT contracts and their expiration dates.
  • Implementing health IT standards in one-quarter of federal systems that exchange health data with other entities.
  • Developing a departmental policy and language for requiring contractors to implement health IT standards.
  • Preparing a plan for ensuring that HHS software used in providing outpatient care complies with official certification criteria.
  • Collecting quality measures and the data needed to implement the measures, and planning for expanded quality measurement for HHS-delivered care.

Clay Johnson, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, issued the memo that affirmed that HHS and other federal agencies needed to comply with set deadlines for health IT implementation, according to Government Health IT.

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