Oversight Problems Hinder Calif.’s HITECH Efforts, Report Finds
California should address fundamental vision and governance issues as it continues to implement aspects of the HITECH Act, according to a report released by the California HealthCare Foundation, FierceEMR reports.
CHCF publishes California Healthline.
Under the HITECH Act, California has received $3 billion in federal funds to improve health information technology initiatives across the state.
Report Findings
According to the report, California has used the funds to successfully boost electronic health record implementation.
However, the state has experienced setbacks since HITECH's passage, including:
- The closure of Cal eConnect, the state's health information exchange governance entity; and
- A low rate of e-prescribing adoption (Hall, FierceEMR, 12/20/12).
Report Recommendations
The report recommends that the state:
- Consolidate the governance of the California Telehealth Network, HIEs and regional extension centers to reduce program overlap and improve coordination between programs;
- Develop a statewide approach to unify current HITECH implementation efforts and align them with payment reform and health system reform efforts under the Affordable Care Act; and
- Recruit and retain strong leadership for HITECH implementation efforts (CHCF report, December 2012).