Overview

This section contains resources that help health centers to successfully implement EHRs, including leadership teams needed, workflow adoption, transitioning between EHRs, meaningful use, and patient safety issues.

Implementing EHR
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.

Assessing Provider Satisfaction
Assessing Provider Satisfaction

Assessing Provider Satisfaction

Provider satisfaction is of critical importance for health centers to promote safety and workforce stability. A 2013 survey found that dissatisfied physicians were 2-3 times more likely to leave medical practice than their more satisfied colleagues. This may be unsurprising given that another recent study found that physicians spend almost half of their day on the EHR and desk work. Even during the patient visit, 37 percent of the time in the exam room is spent on these tasks. The increase in clerical and documentation burden related to EHR adoption was cited as a contributor to provider dissatisfaction. This resource puts forth several options for assessing provider satisfaction or burden, with a focus on health IT. Results of recent research as to the challenges that providers experience are outlined, and then several possible health IT interventions are profiled.

Assessing the Care Team Tech Experience: A Digital Health Tool Toolkit
Assessing the Care Team Tech Experience: A Digital Health Tool Toolkit

Assessing the Care Team Tech Experience: A Digital Health Tool Toolkit

This toolkit helps health center electronic health record (EHR) and Information Technology (IT) departments to deliver effective EHR training for staff, whether for new hires, rolling out new EHR modules, or providing ongoing training support. The guidance and tools included will support EHR trainers to create customized trainings and digital tool solutions for care teams. By improving staff proficiency with digital tools, health centers can increase value to patient experiences and reduce the burden on staff.
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.

Creating a Leadership Team for Successful EHR Implementation
Creating a Leadership Team for Successful EHR Implementation

Creating a Leadership Team for Successful EHR Implementation

This resource is intended to aid providers and health IT implementers in identifying a leadership team for a successful EHR implementation.  Selecting the right people for an EHR implementation team is a critical step in a successful implementation. In general, members of the team should be enthusiastic, well-respected and forward thinking. Team members should bring differing perspectives on how the EHR will be used and provide a wide array of skills and knowledge. The size of a practice will determine the size of the implementation team. For smaller practices, one person may be managing several of the areas of responsibility included. 

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.

Developing a Data Dashboard for PRAPARE Data
Developing a Data Dashboard for PRAPARE Data

Developing a Data Dashboard for PRAPARE Data

Health centers are interested in using social determinants data to manage and improve the health of their patient population and community, and are at different places on the population health management (PHM) and social determinants of health (SDH) adoption curve. The Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks, and Experiences (PRAPARE) is a national effort to help health centers and other providers collect the data needed to better understand and act on their patients’ social determinants of health. In this webinar, the Colorado Community Managed Care Network (CCMCN), a Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN) highlighted a Tableau data dashboard that they have developed to help their health centers make decisions on population health management. They discussed the rationale for developing the tool, challenges and facilitators to integration, and how their health centers benefit from data sharing across Tableau.

EHR Implementation Timeline for Health Centers
EHR Implementation Timeline for Health Centers

EHR Implementation Timeline for Health Centers

To ensure successful and smooth implementation or migration of electronic health record (EHR) systems, it is critical for health center staff to carefully plan the process. This timeline document highlights key events and milestones that should take place in the months before, and immediately following, the EHR go-live date.

EHR Optimization Series: Part One of Three
EHR Optimization Series: Part One of Three

EHR Optimization Series: Part One of Three

The first of a three-part EHR Optimization series focused on establishing goals and expectations for optimizing EHR utilization and sharing proven strategy/tools for optimizing EHR utilization, including slides and related tools. 

EHR Optimization Series: Part Three of Three
EHR Optimization Series: Part Three of Three

EHR Optimization Series: Part Three of Three

The third of a three-part EHR Optimization series focused on establishing goals and expectations for optimizing EHR utilization and sharing proven strategy/tools for optimizing EHR utilization, including slides and related tools. 

EHR Optimization Series: Part Two of Three
EHR Optimization Series: Part Two of Three

EHR Optimization Series: Part Two of Three

The second of a three-part EHR Optimization series focused on establishing goals and expectations for optimizing EHR utilization and sharing proven strategy/tools for optimizing EHR utilization, including slides and related tools.

FAQ: How will the upcoming changes to the Information Blocking and EHR certification requirements impact health centers?
FAQ:  How will the upcoming changes to the Information Blocking and EHR certification requirements impact health centers?

FAQ: How will the upcoming changes to the Information Blocking and EHR certification requirements impact health centers?

During the 4th quarter (October to December) of 2022, there are two major health information technology (HIT) requirement changes, with potential for significant implications to health centers. Read this FAQ to find out how your health center can respond.

 

FHIR 101: Opportunities to Improve Interoperability across Health Centers
FHIR 101: Opportunities to Improve Interoperability across Health Centers

FHIR 101: Opportunities to Improve Interoperability across Health Centers

Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is an HL7® standard for electronic healthcare data exchange. This next generation exchange architecture is advancing interoperability in healthcare. FHIR provides a standard way to express and share information across health centers, providers, and related organizations independent of how local EHRs display or store data. For UDS+ and other information exchange needs, all health centers, PCAs, and HCCNs will want to be familiar with the basics of the HL7 FHIR standard. In this session we will discuss what FHIR is, what it basically does, how it impacts your EHR, and what it might mean to your health center and patients.

Getting a New Workflow and Process Started during COVID-19 Pandemic
Getting a New Workflow and Process Started during COVID-19 Pandemic

Getting a New Workflow and Process Started during COVID-19 Pandemic

Health centers are having to dramatically change approaches to patient care as the COVID-19 public health emergency keeps patients at home and ramps up the demands of telehealth and other remote care modalities. This resource is a quick start guide for health centers making this change. 

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks
Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Are you capturing information like immigration or refugee status, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact or substance use disorder, or other information that brings up questions about how to document or code while respecting the patient’s privacy?

This health center learning collaborative series presented health center case examples that explore the privacy and data sharing considerations of EHR documentation of sensitive patient information, such as social history and social risk, and encourage participants to discuss the implications for health centers and their patients. 

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks
Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Are you capturing information like immigration or refugee status, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact or substance use disorder, or other information that brings up questions about how to document or code while respecting the patient’s privacy?

This health center learning collaborative series presented health center case examples that explored the privacy and data sharing considerations of EHR documentation of sensitive patient information, such as social history and social risk, and encouraged participants to discuss the implications for health centers and their patients. 

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks
Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Are you capturing information like immigration or refugee status, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact or substance use disorder, or other information that brings up questions about how to document or code while respecting the patient’s privacy?

This health center learning collaborative series presented health center case examples that explored the privacy and data sharing considerations of EHR documentation of sensitive patient information, such as social history and social risk, and encouraged participants to discuss the implications for health centers and their patients. 

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks
Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks

Are you capturing information like immigration or refugee status, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact or substance use disorder, or other information that brings up questions about how to document or code while respecting the patient’s privacy?

This health center learning collaborative series presented health center case examples that explored the privacy and data sharing considerations of EHR documentation of sensitive patient information, such as social history and social risk, and encouraged participants to discuss the implications for health centers and their patients. 

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks: Introduction
Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks: Introduction

Health Center Case Examples in Coding and Documenting Social Risks: Introduction

Are you capturing information like immigration or refugee status, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact or substance use disorder, or other information that brings up questions about how to document or code while respecting the patient’s privacy?

This health center learning collaborative series will present health center case examples that explore the privacy and data sharing considerations of EHR documentation of sensitive patient information, such as social history and social risk, and encourage participants to discuss the implications for health centers and their patients. 

Health Center EHR Transition
Health Center EHR Transition

Health Center EHR Transition

The HITEQ Center has a number of EHR transition tools that may be helpful for health centers that are considering a transition from one EHR to another. This resource brings together all these tools for easy access.

Health Center Health IT/ EHR Assessment Tool
Health Center Health IT/ EHR Assessment Tool

Health Center Health IT/ EHR Assessment Tool

HITEQ created this template to assist HCCNs, PCAs, or other organizations in conducting health IT assessments of multiple health centers. 

Health IT Optimization for Effective PrEP Services
Health IT Optimization for Effective PrEP Services

Health IT Optimization for Effective PrEP Services

Health centers are increasingly interested in embedding oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) programs into primary care, which calls for the embedding of PrEP care processes into electronic health record (EHR) systems. Health centers have had success with automation in HIV testing, and are looking to apply automated algorithms, order sets, and templates to the development of PrEP programs. This resource outlines EHR and health information technology (IT) configurations and tools that support PrEP care processes and provides examples of successful implementation from health centers and primary care settings.

Lessons Learned in Social Need Screening
Lessons Learned in Social Need Screening

Lessons Learned in Social Need Screening

In recent years, health centers have become increasingly interested in and charged with not only addressing the health concerns of their patients, but centering and responding to patient’s social needs. According to Healthy People 2030, social needs, also known as the social determinants of health, are the conditions in the environments where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. Social needs encompass the quality of and access to resources such as housing, transportation, safety, employment, food, and more. Identifying and addressing unmet social needs as part of the clinical encounter provides the opportunity to deliver higher-quality, whole-person care, advance population health, and reduce healthcare costs.

Acknowledgements

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