With the creation of the Internet and other major data sharing sources, things started changing dramatically in the way that information is transferred between many different sources. Using the web and data software for medical records retrieval, prior to government regulated action, did not really provide security or privacy for the patients whose records were being shared. Thus, HIPAA was born and protected health information became a reality. Time to explain what exactly HIPAA is and what does it cover as a law?
First, it is important to begin with a general definition of HIPAA. In 1996, the United States passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This act changed the way healthcare workers and providers are allowed to handle medical record retrieval and the sharing of personal healthcare information. This act is relevant for all Americans, whether they are infants, adults, or even deceased. HIPAA protected health information encompasses all walks of life and all sorts of professionals who may or may not need to access the private information of others. This act was passed to prevent the random access of information via networks, and makes it so that medical professionals and others who frequently use medical records have to obtain permission from patients to share or access this material.
Because HIPAA protected health information is protected under federal law, all states have to apply by these regulations, and can only add to them, not take away from their severity. Improper medical records retrieval can result in serious consequences. All punishment results in fines, and these fines can add up to over one million dollars, which to most people, is an exorbitant amount of money. Keeping patients safe and secure both physically and also record wise is crucial for patient safety and success.
HIPAA protected health information encompasses many areas of the medical field and several other professions. Essentially, all information about a patient is protected by this act. A patient has to give consent before anything, but his or her first name can be shared with others. Medical records retrieval is something that is needed in other professions as well, such as legal personnel. HIPAA protects patients from lawyers obtaining their information without court ordered documents. This makes sure that a patient's personal business is not put out there for just anyone to see and spread. By covering all information, there is no chance of anything being left up to chance regarding the security and safety of patients.
HIPAA protected health information is something that no one wants to have distributed publicly for the entire world to see. HIPAA protects every citizen of this country from the unlawful and unfair spreading of his or her personal medical information. Without explicit permission or a signed document, there is no way to get away from having to pay an expensive fine if one violates the HIPAA protection act. Medical records retrieval is something that might be considered a little time consuming since HIPAA has been signed into law, but it has become safer and more secure for everyone.
Baby Health Information - Three Tips You Might Not Know
When it comes to your baby, health information is some of the most important stuff that you need to pay attention to. If you are a new parent, there are probably lots of little tips and tricks that you will soon learn. But, to help you get started, here are three important bits of information concerning your baby's health that you might not have known before.
Keep your baby warm, but not too warm
Dr. William Sears, a father of eight children and a practicing pediatrician for over 30 years, advises new parents all the time. He says that many parents try to keep their baby too warm. A young child does not need to be at a temperature much higher than room temperature. Over-bundling your child can lead to a lot of health problems - foremost, overheating can lead to the disruption of a baby's neurological systems. This could cause your baby to stop breathing or to slow breathing to the point where brain damage might actually occur.
You should also be careful to keep your baby at a constant temperature. A baby's brain does not react well to abrupt changes in temperature. So, in the winter months when it is time to take your baby outside into the cold, you should bundle them up inside to allow their body heat to create a barrier to the cold. In the same way, during the summer you should always be mindful of taking your baby from an air conditioned home out into the heat.
Think about using baby massage
Baby massage techniques have been used for centuries throughout different cultures around the world - but, it still remains some of the least known baby health information in modern North America. A baby massage is the simple act of rubbing and massaging your baby very gently and with love. A 10 minute massage one or two times each week will really help to strengthen the parent-child relationship. Children need touch just as much as they need food, so setting some time aside to gently massage your baby is a great way to make them feel more comfortable with you and relax them at the same time.
Try swaddling
Swaddling refers to covering your baby from head to toe with a small blanket. Swaddling has been used in just about every culture and is really making some headway in the modern baby health information age. Swaddling does a lot to help nurture the relationship that a parent has with their child. However, it has some additional benefits as well. Swaddling helps to regulate a child's internal body temperature and it just makes the baby into a cute little package!
You can safely swaddle your child until they are about four months old. If they start to get a little bit squirmy, you can free their arms and give them a little bit more room to move. However, it is likely that your baby will get used to swaddling quickly and enjoy being so close to you.
Perhaps you have never heard of these baby health information tips, but I suggest that you look into them a bit further. You can always ask for advice or help from a midwife or a pediatrician. The bottom line is that you should find out what your baby really needs and make sure that they get it.
Keep your baby warm, but not too warm
Dr. William Sears, a father of eight children and a practicing pediatrician for over 30 years, advises new parents all the time. He says that many parents try to keep their baby too warm. A young child does not need to be at a temperature much higher than room temperature. Over-bundling your child can lead to a lot of health problems - foremost, overheating can lead to the disruption of a baby's neurological systems. This could cause your baby to stop breathing or to slow breathing to the point where brain damage might actually occur.
You should also be careful to keep your baby at a constant temperature. A baby's brain does not react well to abrupt changes in temperature. So, in the winter months when it is time to take your baby outside into the cold, you should bundle them up inside to allow their body heat to create a barrier to the cold. In the same way, during the summer you should always be mindful of taking your baby from an air conditioned home out into the heat.
Think about using baby massage
Baby massage techniques have been used for centuries throughout different cultures around the world - but, it still remains some of the least known baby health information in modern North America. A baby massage is the simple act of rubbing and massaging your baby very gently and with love. A 10 minute massage one or two times each week will really help to strengthen the parent-child relationship. Children need touch just as much as they need food, so setting some time aside to gently massage your baby is a great way to make them feel more comfortable with you and relax them at the same time.
Try swaddling
Swaddling refers to covering your baby from head to toe with a small blanket. Swaddling has been used in just about every culture and is really making some headway in the modern baby health information age. Swaddling does a lot to help nurture the relationship that a parent has with their child. However, it has some additional benefits as well. Swaddling helps to regulate a child's internal body temperature and it just makes the baby into a cute little package!
You can safely swaddle your child until they are about four months old. If they start to get a little bit squirmy, you can free their arms and give them a little bit more room to move. However, it is likely that your baby will get used to swaddling quickly and enjoy being so close to you.
Perhaps you have never heard of these baby health information tips, but I suggest that you look into them a bit further. You can always ask for advice or help from a midwife or a pediatrician. The bottom line is that you should find out what your baby really needs and make sure that they get it.
What Is the Healthcare Administration And Health Information Exchange?
The healthcare industry is one of the largest employment sectors in the country and is currently experiencing huge levels of growth. Healthcare administrators are responsible for keeping the industry running smoothly by performing duties that involve finance, management, and strategic planning. These individuals must be proficient in nearly every area required to manage a practice. Often, they are held responsible for the current nationwide electronic medical records conversion that will enable comprehensive health information exchange.
These highly skilled professionals play no small part in the operation of a healthcare facility. Involvement in the daily functioning of the facility is included in their job descriptions. In addition, they may take center stage when it comes to the government-mandated initiative to convert patient medical records from paper to electronic. This process involves installing an electronic medical records (EMR) system within the facility, a project that should not be underestimated and involves great attention to detail during the selection and installation phases.
Setting up the EMR Interface is the first step in a very complex process. Once the interface is established, physicians must be educated to perform CPOE, or computerized physician order entry. In the CPOE process, the physician enters patient orders electronically via a physician portal accessed through a tablet computer, PDA, laptop, or other device. In most cases, the administrator will be the one conducting the training, unless the facility is large enough to contract a trainer knowledgeable in this area.
EMR Integration is the next step and often requires the use of a skilled IT professional. Integrating the EMR system with those used by hospitals, labs, and health plans enables health data to be exchanged. A hospital or lab can log into the system and view the patient record created by the primary care physician. This multi-party access to identical information ensures the highest quality of care and eliminates redundancies and errors. Without the services of these IT workers, none of this would be possible.
Health care administrators are often not working alone in this process designed to make health information exchange more convenient and paper-free. They have the help of software professionals and vendors skilled in EMR Integration. Administrators at larger hospitals and labs may also find the assistance of a health information technology trainer very helpful because this individual can educate the staff on the use of the new system. Throughout the process, the administrator will likely serve as the go-to person for the facility.
These highly skilled professionals play no small part in the operation of a healthcare facility. Involvement in the daily functioning of the facility is included in their job descriptions. In addition, they may take center stage when it comes to the government-mandated initiative to convert patient medical records from paper to electronic. This process involves installing an electronic medical records (EMR) system within the facility, a project that should not be underestimated and involves great attention to detail during the selection and installation phases.
Setting up the EMR Interface is the first step in a very complex process. Once the interface is established, physicians must be educated to perform CPOE, or computerized physician order entry. In the CPOE process, the physician enters patient orders electronically via a physician portal accessed through a tablet computer, PDA, laptop, or other device. In most cases, the administrator will be the one conducting the training, unless the facility is large enough to contract a trainer knowledgeable in this area.
EMR Integration is the next step and often requires the use of a skilled IT professional. Integrating the EMR system with those used by hospitals, labs, and health plans enables health data to be exchanged. A hospital or lab can log into the system and view the patient record created by the primary care physician. This multi-party access to identical information ensures the highest quality of care and eliminates redundancies and errors. Without the services of these IT workers, none of this would be possible.
Health care administrators are often not working alone in this process designed to make health information exchange more convenient and paper-free. They have the help of software professionals and vendors skilled in EMR Integration. Administrators at larger hospitals and labs may also find the assistance of a health information technology trainer very helpful because this individual can educate the staff on the use of the new system. Throughout the process, the administrator will likely serve as the go-to person for the facility.
Streamlining Health Information Exchange
Health information exchange involves mobilizing healthcare information across organizations within a hospital system, community, or region. The details, captured as electronic medical records, or EMRs, are moved electronically between different health care information systems. This is done via an EMR interface that maintains the integrity of the information.
The goal of health information exchange is to simplify the process of accessing and retrieving clinical data. Doing so allows patient care to become safer and more efficient, timely, and effective. Included in the information being exchanged are details obtained via computerized physician order entry, or CPOE, which are medical professional instructions regarding the treatment of a patient.
A system of information exchange assists physicians, hospitals, and laboratories with meeting high standards regarding patient care. They are able to participate with each other electronically for the continued care of a patient. EMR integration expands access to medical information crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment.
In addition to increased collaboration and communication, benefits include a reduction in treatment expenses. Duplicate tests, the time involved to obtain missing health information, the cost to print, mail, scan, or fax health records, and time on the phone verifying their delivery are all eliminated. According to one study, this equates to a $17,160 annual reduction in expenses. That money can instead be used to pay for new testing and diagnosis technology for the physician office, lab, or hospital.
Heath information exchange is made simpler due to the emergence of organizations that design and install the EMR interface between the hospital or lab and the physician office. Development and installation of this component is a complex process due to the various EMR systems in existence. Organizations like this play a vital role in enabling labs and hospitals to remain competitive in a healthcare environment that changes on a daily basis.
The goal of health information exchange is to simplify the process of accessing and retrieving clinical data. Doing so allows patient care to become safer and more efficient, timely, and effective. Included in the information being exchanged are details obtained via computerized physician order entry, or CPOE, which are medical professional instructions regarding the treatment of a patient.
A system of information exchange assists physicians, hospitals, and laboratories with meeting high standards regarding patient care. They are able to participate with each other electronically for the continued care of a patient. EMR integration expands access to medical information crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment.
In addition to increased collaboration and communication, benefits include a reduction in treatment expenses. Duplicate tests, the time involved to obtain missing health information, the cost to print, mail, scan, or fax health records, and time on the phone verifying their delivery are all eliminated. According to one study, this equates to a $17,160 annual reduction in expenses. That money can instead be used to pay for new testing and diagnosis technology for the physician office, lab, or hospital.
Heath information exchange is made simpler due to the emergence of organizations that design and install the EMR interface between the hospital or lab and the physician office. Development and installation of this component is a complex process due to the various EMR systems in existence. Organizations like this play a vital role in enabling labs and hospitals to remain competitive in a healthcare environment that changes on a daily basis.
Future Steps For Health Information Exchange
Through a process called health information exchange, medical information can be shared electronically across organizations within a geographic area or hospital system. Integrating disparate systems that contain electronic medical records, or EMRs, has become a necessary step to remaining competitive within the ever-evolving healthcare industry. Clinical data can be accessed more safely and quickly than in the past.
Through EMR integration designed to permit the exchange of information, healthcare quality is improved, treatment and processing costs are lowered, and medical errors are reduced. Healthcare providers such as hospitals, primary care physicians, and laboratories can access and update medical records from various locations. Using a physician portal, a surgeon can even deliver updates from the patient's bedside.
By providing physicians with the ability to access patient medical information via laptops, tablet computers, and smartphones used at the point of care, improved treatment and minimization of duplicate or conflicting tests or prescriptions result. From a larger-scale perspective, healthcare entities experience streamlined work processes and improved efficiencies. This reduces costs, something that provides much-needed assistance to healthcare systems at risk of going defunct.
The U.S. is currently in the process of developing and implementing state and federal regulations regarding the exchange of, and technology used to capture, health information. Considered a new industry, government regulations, state-sponsored organizations are already changing the playing field. In addition, HL7, a global authority regarding standards for the interoperability of health information technology, is playing a strong part.
Only about 25 health information exchange communities have been established in the U.S. The electronic transition has a long way to go, with the majority of the established entities still being tied to independent or government grant funding to stay in operation. As more communities arise, each will need to find a way to be self-sustainable in order for this endeavor to be successful. In this situation, failure really is not an option.
Through EMR integration designed to permit the exchange of information, healthcare quality is improved, treatment and processing costs are lowered, and medical errors are reduced. Healthcare providers such as hospitals, primary care physicians, and laboratories can access and update medical records from various locations. Using a physician portal, a surgeon can even deliver updates from the patient's bedside.
By providing physicians with the ability to access patient medical information via laptops, tablet computers, and smartphones used at the point of care, improved treatment and minimization of duplicate or conflicting tests or prescriptions result. From a larger-scale perspective, healthcare entities experience streamlined work processes and improved efficiencies. This reduces costs, something that provides much-needed assistance to healthcare systems at risk of going defunct.
The U.S. is currently in the process of developing and implementing state and federal regulations regarding the exchange of, and technology used to capture, health information. Considered a new industry, government regulations, state-sponsored organizations are already changing the playing field. In addition, HL7, a global authority regarding standards for the interoperability of health information technology, is playing a strong part.
Only about 25 health information exchange communities have been established in the U.S. The electronic transition has a long way to go, with the majority of the established entities still being tied to independent or government grant funding to stay in operation. As more communities arise, each will need to find a way to be self-sustainable in order for this endeavor to be successful. In this situation, failure really is not an option.
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