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The Quadruple Aim
Quadruple Aim

A Conceptual Framework

Improving the U.S. health care system requires four aims: improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, reducing per capita costs and improving care team well-being. HITEQ Center resources seek to provide content and direction aligned with the goals of the Quadruple Aim

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Accessing Data for QI

As adoption of EHRs has increased, so have the concerns about ability to access the data needed to drill down into quality improvement efforts or even reporting requirements. Depending on the type of system being used, data may be cloud based, on a remote server, or on a local server. Further, data may be accessible through preprogrammed, ad hoc, or custom reports, but there may be greater challenges to accessing raw data or data that can be analyzed for quality improvement purposes. Resources in this section address these challenges and provide actionable information for accessing the data needed.

Accessing your Data
Clinical Data Elements for UDS eCQMs and their Lookback Timeframes
Clinical Data Elements for UDS eCQMs and their Lookback Timeframes

Clinical Data Elements for UDS eCQMs and their Lookback Timeframes

Each electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) is composed of data elements in the EHR or health IT system that are evaluated according to the measure specifications.
It is important to identify what data elements need to be transitioned to any new EHR for clinical quality measure continuity and accuracy. This resource identifies clinical data elements in eCQMs that should be considered when transitioning EHRs. These data elements are used in reporting or calculating eCQMs, so their availability or lack thereof in any new EHR system will impact reporting accuracy.

Performance Measure Data Definition Worksheet
Performance Measure Data Definition Worksheet

Performance Measure Data Definition Worksheet

The Performance Measure Data Definition Worksheet can be used during the Quality Improvement (QI) process to assess the alignment of your health center’s workflows and documentation and your EHR vendor’s reporting logic processes.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) EHR Certification criteria requires EHR vendors to use eCQM (electronic Clinical Quality Measure) specifications to define measures. Therefore, reported data for a measure should be consistent regardless of EHR vendor. In practice, however, it is important to confirm that your EHR vendor’s reporting logic is consistent with your health center’s definition and workflows, and vice versa, as outlined in this worksheet.

Addressing Childhood Obesity in Health Centers
Addressing Childhood Obesity in Health Centers

Addressing Childhood Obesity in Health Centers

The HITEQ Center interviewed ten health centers and health center partners to identify solutions and promising practices for addressing childhood obesity across the health center program. The focus included how health centers are meeting the Uniform Data System (UDS) measure and how they are taking further steps to identify and intervene with those at risk of obesity leveraging health information technology, electronic health records, and the data they have. Seven key areas are identified in the resulting issue brief.

Data Driven Programming to Maximize Care for Residents of Public Housing
Data Driven Programming to Maximize Care for Residents of Public Housing

Data Driven Programming to Maximize Care for Residents of Public Housing

This presentation walks public housing-focused health centers, such as those with public housing primary care grants, through available UDS reports and tools that can be used for informing services and planning. A number of specific examples are shown of how information from the UDS can be used for improvement. Other information provided serves as a reference for reporting of public housing on Table 4 of the UDS. 

Utilizing and Integrating Behavioral Health Data into a Health Center’s Primary Care Services
Utilizing and Integrating Behavioral Health Data into a Health Center’s Primary Care Services

Utilizing and Integrating Behavioral Health Data into a Health Center’s Primary Care Services

As more health centers seek to break down siloes that can fragment patient care, collaboration with or integration of behavioral health care has been strengthened, although data integration remains difficult and privacy remains paramount. This brief discusses some of the approaches, successes, and challenges in integrating behavioral health data within primary care services.

Data Dictionary Tool and Template
Data Dictionary Tool and Template

Data Dictionary Tool and Template

This Data Dictionary provides a single point of reference for data mapping and interpretation for all of the indicators in your quality reports. Organization of the data definitions in this tool provides a reference for the team of all such definitions that impact reports and alerts in the analytics application.

EHR Optimization Guides
EHR Optimization Guides

EHR Optimization Guides

Million Hearts® EHR Optimization Guides help healthcare professionals leverage their EHR systems to excel in the ABCS. Through helpful step by step instructions, the Guides illustrate how providers can use their EHR products to find, use, and improve data on the Million Hearts® clinical quality measures. Ultimately, these guides facilitate the identification of at-risk patients, helping clinical teams across the country protect their patients from heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events.

Accessing your Data
Accessing your Data

Accessing your Data

Intended to assist in ensuring full use and understanding of capabilities of current system and assessing the need for additional population health management or data integration tools, this checklist describes the steps health center quality improvement and IT staff can take to ensure they are maximizing the population health management and other capacity of current systems. It Included are questions around the system itself, report generation, training, and resulting data, as well as considerations before and after you contact your vendor.

Digital Health Strategy to Enable Comprehensive Care
Digital Health Strategy to Enable Comprehensive Care

Digital Health Strategy to Enable Comprehensive Care

This series will equip participants with a framework through which to assess digital health tools, and the knowledge necessary to develop and implement a digital health strategy in which all health IT operates. By covering the foundational aspects of a digital health strategy, the significance in modern healthcare, regulatory considerations, and practical use cases, this series will provide valuable insights for health centers.

With the increasing importance of digital health in comprehensive care delivery, it is essential for health centers to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field. By participating, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how digital health strategies can enhance the quality of care delivered, expand access, improve patient outcomes, and reduce total cost of care.
AI Fundamentals and Applications in Primary Care Live Webinar
AI Fundamentals and Applications in Primary Care Live Webinar

AI Fundamentals and Applications in Primary Care Live Webinar

 

The Weitzman Institute and the Moses/Weitzman Health System are pleased to present the latest installment of our series of informative discussions with an exclusive panel of global experts driving the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). April Joy Damian, PhD, MSc, CHPM, PMP, Vice President and Director of the Weitzman Institute will moderate this latest discussion, "AI Fundamentals and Applications in Primary Care," on Wednesday, October 26 at 1 pm Eastern| 10 am Pacific.  

This webinar will bring together industry AI leaders with an evidence-based applied perspective on using AI in primary care to:

  • Understand AI history, definitions, methodology, benefits, and healthcare use cases
  • Explore the most common and validated use cases in primary care
  • Examine implications of AI in promoting health equity and improving healthcare access and outcomes
Enabling Patient Access to Health Data for Actionable Results
Enabling Patient Access to Health Data for Actionable Results

Enabling Patient Access to Health Data for Actionable Results

Recent Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy is bringing patients unprecedented access to their health information. Join the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in September for an event focused on patient access to health data. The day will bring together patients, providers, payers, and health IT developers to discuss how HHS policies are working in practice and how to maximize the impact of these policies. The event will also highlight educational tools and resources, such as patient-facing apps that enable the availability of patient information and make that health information easier to understand.

Come to the ONC and CMS patient access event to hear more about…

Patients’ experiences accessing their data, including the benefits and challenges they faced along this journey. How the next generation of apps are connecting across new health information sources to bring together patients’ data and preferred tools to act on that data. Clinicians who are at the forefront of helping patients access and understand their data, recognizing patient preferences and privacy concerns. Innovative developers demonstrating how they are making patients’ data actionable, and the implementation challenges they face as they connect sources across the care continuum Health care payers’ their successes and challenges with making data available to patients. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the latest developments in patient data access and how you can be a part of the path forward.

Registration details to follow soon! Until then, you can find valuable information and resources about the patient’s right to their data on our website. If you would be interested in sharing a patient experience with accessing and using patient data, please share with us at https://www.healthit.gov/feedback.
 

Learning to Love Your Data: Health Center Data for Everyone - Session 3 - Data Governance and Literacy
Learning to Love Your Data: Health Center Data for Everyone - Session 3 - Data Governance and Literacy

Learning to Love Your Data: Health Center Data for Everyone - Session 3 - Data Governance and Literacy

So, you’re not a statistician? Not a data scientist either? Great! This webinar series is for the data creators, data generators, data users, data reviewers, and others who work with their health center data each day. If you’re a data lover and you know the information you have in your health center has an important story to tell, this series will provide you with the tools and techniques to create and share insights that will drive genuine change in your health center. Fostering a data-driven culture links directly to improvements in patient care, staff and provider satisfaction, and business imperatives, allowing us to make meaning out of our daily data demands.

Session 3 -  Data Governance and Literacy
Good data is hard to come by-- particularly without a solid foundation of data governance and data literacy within your health center. Good data governance supports improved data quality, increased data literacy, and critically, maximized data use. Join this session to understand how to get a handle on what can seem like an overwhelming amount of data and harness it for improved care and strategic decision making.

 

Measuring Telehealth Success: You Can't Achieve it if You Can't Measure It
Measuring Telehealth Success: You Can't Achieve it if You Can't Measure It

Measuring Telehealth Success: You Can't Achieve it if You Can't Measure It

More than a year into the Covid-19 pandemic, it is now obvious that telehealth — in the form of a hybrid care delivery model that blends virtual and in-person care — is not a fad, but a healthcare delivery option that is here to stay. Healthcare leaders are seeking to optimize their organization's telehealth services for high performance and long-term sustainability. The problem is that most leaders neither know how well (or how bad) their telehealth services are performing, nor what true success can or should look like.   Telehealth, when designed and implemented correctly, will engage patients to achieve positive outcomes, delight physicians, and contribute to organizational strategic objectives, including sustainable financial success.  In this presentation, Christian Milaster of Ingenium Digital Health Advisors leads viewers through a series of pragmatic concepts on how to set an organization’s telehealth success targets, what and how to measure telehealth performance, the Physician Bill of Telehealth Rights, and how to leverage telehealth to achieve strategic success. This presentation is the second session of a two-part series. The first session focused on a telehealth maturity model and is available here.

Addressing Intimate Partner Violence and Human Trafficking in the Health Center Setting
Addressing Intimate Partner Violence and Human Trafficking in the Health Center Setting

Addressing Intimate Partner Violence and Human Trafficking in the Health Center Setting

The coronavirus pandemic and consequent stay-at-home orders may increase danger for those at risk for or experiencing intimate partner violence and human trafficking (IPV/HT). Due to COVID-19, many health centers have shifted health encounters to virtual platforms, which offer unique opportunities to provide trauma-informed care and connect in new ways with those who may be experiencing abuse. Yet, telehealth and virtual visits also present health centers with new challenges related to privacy, safety and digital health equity. Given these changes in care delivery — and the inclusion of new Uniform Data System (UDS) data elements to capture IPV/HT diagnoses and services — health centers need information about how to identify and support patients at risk for or experiencing IPV/HT and leverage their health IT to provide and document care appropriately. In this webinar, presenters from the HITEQ Center and Futures Without Violence:

--Describe how health centers can implement an evidence-based, trauma-informed intervention for IPV/HT called CUES during virtual or in-person visits

--Review the newly included UDS data elements designed to capture IPV/HT diagnoses and services taking place within health centers

--Outline key considerations around privacy, safety, and equity for providing care through virtual platforms to patients at risk for or experiencing IPV/HT

--Feature promising strategies from health centers that have explored how to utilize health IT to support quality clinical care and data collection for IPV/HT

HITEQ Highlights: Updates to the HITEQ UDS Clinical Analysis Dashboards
HITEQ Highlights: Updates to the HITEQ UDS Clinical Analysis Dashboards

HITEQ Highlights: Updates to the HITEQ UDS Clinical Analysis Dashboards

During this webinar, learn about the updated HITEQ Center’s UDS dashboards, available on the HITEQ site for HCCNs, PCAs, and health centers, as well as a nationwide version available to all website visitors. These dashboards show UDS clinical quality measure reporting from calendar year 2018, historical data, and benchmark data from Healthy People 2020 goals. These updated dashboards include a number of new features, to allow users to compare outcomes across various groups to improve the understanding of how certain characteristics correlate with clinical quality outcomes.

HITEQ Highlights: Managing Data as a Strategic Asset: Data Governance Fundamentals
HITEQ Highlights: Managing Data as a Strategic Asset: Data Governance Fundamentals

HITEQ Highlights: Managing Data as a Strategic Asset: Data Governance Fundamentals

As health centers become increasingly more digitized, there is often a feeling of being data rich but information poor. How can healthcare organizations maximize the value of data and build a data-driven culture? The answer lies in data governance. When managed like any other strategic asset – human resources, capital, facilities, or brand – data becomes a differentiator in the pursuit of high value, cost effective health care. In this webinar, the HITEQ Center presented the essentials of good data management processes and introduce the Center for Care Innovation’s Data Governance Handbook, offering ideas for action and tools to improve data quality, increase data literacy, and maximize access to data.

HITEQ Highlights Webinar: Developing Effective Data Dashboards

HITEQ Highlights Webinar: Developing Effective Data Dashboards

The best dashboards give health centers actionable information at their fingertips, and use great design practices to focus a user’s attention on the most important information on the page. The HITEQ Center presented tips on how to develop effective data dashboards including designers and users, common pitfalls in dashboard design and how to avoid them, and dashboard software for consideration. The Indiana Quality Improvement Network (a health center controlled network housed within the state’s Primary Care Association) shared their experience in developing custom data dashboards for health centers in Indiana and beyond. Kislaya Kunjan, PhD (Health IT Director at IQIN) demonstrated multiple dashboards developed by their organization, and how much of it is publicly available on their website (www.indianapca.org/dashboard) for the benefit of health centers and affiliated organizations across the US.

NPDB Technical Assistance Webinar: Health Center Attestation
NPDB Technical Assistance Webinar: Health Center Attestation

NPDB Technical Assistance Webinar: Health Center Attestation

Starting in August, a process called attestation will begin, during which Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and FQHC look-alikes will verify that they have submitted all reportable clinical privileges actions to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). They will be asked to do this as part of their organization’s registration renewal.

Health Datapalooza
Health Datapalooza

Health Datapalooza

The 8th Annual Health Datapalooza is the gathering place for people and organizations creating knowledge from data and pioneering innovations that drive health policy and practice. Registration is available for attendance via webinar and in-person.

Acknowledgements

This resource collection was compiled by the HITEQ Center staff with guidance from HITEQ Advisory Committee members and collaborators of the HITEQ Center.