New York State Nursing Home Health Information Technology Demonstration Project

The New York State Nursing Home Health Information Technology (HIT) Demonstration Project is a publicly subsidized initiative to implement comprehensive, point-of-care electronic medical records in 20 New York City nursing homes.  Because of an innovative union–employer partnership, direct-care staff of the homes were heavily involved in the planning process. 

All participating homes successfully replaced paper records with electronic ones, and, after the intensive pre-implementation planning period, it took less than six months on average for facilities to make this transition. Despite this shared success, variation existed between homes regarding: 1) organizational aims for adapting HIT; 2) the technology’s perceived or real effects; and 3) implementation of quality improvement efforts as a result of newly available data.

Health Information for Nursing Homes

A new tool kit is now available to help nursing homes better access and utilize health information about their clinical practices.

The tool kit was developed by Stratis Health, an expert in the use of health information technology, to track patient data and identify areas for quality improvement. Funding for the tool kit was provided by Aging Services of Minnesota, Alliance Purchasing and MHHA Service Corporation.

Stratis created the tool kit in response to a 2007 mandate from the Minnesota Legislature that requires all Minnesota health care providers to have electronic health record (EHR) systems in place by 2015.

Some facilities may use the tool kit to help them implement a more robust health information system, while others will use it to acquire individual applications or overhaul existing systems.
Bottom line, each nursing home can select and use the tools most relevant to its operational goals, technology needs and implementation timeframes.

The tool kit supplies tools in the following categories:
• Adopt: Section 1 provides tools for the assessment, planning and selection stages.
• Utilize: Section 2 provides tools to support implementation and effectiveness.
• Exchange: Section 3 provides tools to help evaluate readiness and understand interoperability.

http://www.stratishealth.org/expertise/healthit/nursinghomes/nhtoolkit.html

Excerpted from Old News, the newsletter of the Minnesota Center on Aging

Barriers and Drivers of Health Information Technology Use for the Elderly, Chronically Ill and Underserved

This report is based on research conducted by the Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) under contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, MD.

Researchers reviewed the evidence on the barriers and drivers to the use of interactive consumer health information technology (IT) by specific populations, namely the elderly, those with chronic conditions or disabilities, and the underserved.

Interactive consumer health information technology (health IT) promises to engage consumers and promote their active participation in improving their health. Interactive technologies provide health information and tools that are patient-centered, offering care and support that integrates individual needs and preferences into clinical information systems. Such technologies, by tailoring health information and delivering targeted care, have significant potential to foster patient self-care monitoring and management. As the evidence on health IT interventions increases, it is important to understand how specific target groups such as the elderly, those with chronic conditions or disabilities, and underserved populations are able to access, use, and benefit from these applications.

http://www.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/hitbarriers/hitbar.pdf