PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Health Policy Institute of Ohio
(614) 224-4950
Health Policy Institute of Ohio Receives Federal Funding for Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC)
Columbus, OH-
Governor Bob Taft announced today that the Health Policy Institute of
Ohio has received a $350,000 contract from the federal government to
study how Ohio’s privacy and security laws and business practices would
affect the exchange of electronic health information.
The
contract, from RTI International on behalf of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services and the National Governors Association Center
for Best Practices, funds the establishment of the Health Information
Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC). Governor Taft and the Ohio
Department of Health named the Health Policy Institute of Ohio as state
designee for the contract.
“This
contract will enable Ohio’s commercial and government sectors to help
identify how we move forward with the electronic exchange of health
information setting the stage for better health care for all Ohioans,”
Taft said. “Through our Third Frontier Network, Ohio has already
established the capabilities to efficiently transfer information from
research laboratories, universities and government entities, and we
look forward to participating in this study to identify how health care
professionals can fully utilize these new technologies.”
The
Third Frontier Network is a publicly funded effort to promote
development and dissemination of cutting edge information technology
across the state.
Understanding how
Ohio's privacy and security policies and business practices interact
with electronic health information exchange is an integral component of
efforts to develop the National Health Information Network, a system in
which electronic health records would be shared among health care
providers nationwide to enhance health care quality. It is believed
that this use of technology would improve medical care, reduce costs
and provide a more patient-centric focus to health care.
According
to William Hayes, Ph.D., President of the Health Policy Institute of
Ohio, interest in health information exchange is vital to industries
within the state because of its benefit to employers, employees, and
consumers.
“Health care costs across the
board—whether paid for by private businesses, the state, or
individuals—have been rising by double-digit percentages in recent
years,” said Hayes. “Research has shone that a significant portion of
this increase is due to inefficiencies in current health care
information systems, with different doctors and hospitals often unable
to easily share information on patients’ medical conditions. This can
lead to delays in diagnoses and potential mistreatment of a patient’s
condition.”
Under the contract, the
Health Policy Institute of Ohio will convene and work closely with a
wide range of Ohio stakeholders to develop an implementation plan to
address organization-level business practices and state laws that
affect privacy and security practices and impede interoperable health
information exchange. The Governor’s Office, in conjunction with the
Health Policy Institute of Ohio, will appoint a HISPC Steering
Committee with different stakeholder representatives including state
and local government, private and public payers, the insurance
industry, consumers, hospitals, long term care, pharmacy, physicians
and employers.
In addition to Ohio, 22
other states are participating in the Health Information Security and
Privacy Collaboration including Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa,
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah,
Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming. Twelve additional
states and U.S. territories also have been invited to join the project.
The
Health Policy Institute of Ohio is an independent, nonpartisan
organization that forecasts health trends, analyzes key health issues,
and communicates current research to Ohio policymakers, legislators,
and others. For more information on the Institute, call (614) 224-4950
or go to http://www.healthpolicyohio.org. For HISPC project information, go to http://hispc.pbwiki.com.
For the press release from the Governor's Office on this information, go to http://www.governor.ohio.gov/releases/052606health.htm
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