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A Strategic Roadmap and Policy Options for the Effective Adoption of Health Information Technology and Exchange in Ohio

Download A Strategic Roadmap and Policy Options for the Effective Adoption of Health Information Technology and Exchange in Ohio
(December 2006, pdf format, 3 MB)

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(December 2006, pdf format, 1 MB)
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Health information technology is increasingly seen as a critical tool to help contain health care costs and improve administrative efficiency, while enhancing patient safety and quality. The Bush Administration has provided strong leadership to develop a national health information network. A growing number of states have shown similar leadership to develop coordinated health information technology initiatives in their respective states. According to the eHealth Initiative, ten (10) State Governors have issued Executive Orders for eHealth efforts, twenty-four (24) states passed and signed into law legislation about eHealth since 2005, and seven (7) states have authorized or appropriated funding by statute for eHealth activities. On September 20, 2006, the board of the West Virginia Health Information Network approved adoption of a health information technology roadmap for West Virginia.

Ohio is not one of these states. To date, Ohio’s efforts are local and uncoordinated.

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) is working to address this reality. Since its inception in 2004, the Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) has served as the neutral convener of people from diverse groups to form a partnership interested in discovering how Ohio can best enhance the adoption of health information technology (HIT) and the exchange of health information (HIE). In February 2006, these partners agreed that Ohio needed its own roadmap for health information technology and exchange.

This report is that roadmap. HPIO developed it with broad input from across Ohio. HPIO held twenty (20) meetings on specific topic areas of importance to this roadmap, including consumers, pharmacy, hospital care, physician care, behavioral health, long term care, and public health. This effort has been much more inclusive than in most other states. In addition, HPIO has several advisory committees assisting in this initiative, providing oversight and review of all reports. This effort benefited from financial support from the Ohio Hospital Association, the Ohio Osteopathic Association, the Ohio State Medical Association, the Ohio Association of Family Physicians, and eHealth Ohio. HPIO also placed drafts of the report on a public access website to solicit community input.

HPIO found widespread support to enact public and private sector policies that result in greater adoption of health information technology and more effective electronic exchange of health information. One critical recommendation is the creation of an independent, broad-based, non-profit, state level organization to serve as the trusted custodian that oversees the ongoing development and implementation of an Ohio health information network.