Technological advancement is witnessed in almost all sectors. In healthcare, various technological devices are used in enhancing patient safety. There has been increased digitization of health information, and this aims at improving health services. However, one major setback for this is that it has brought about information security risks. Any breaches to the health information can expose sensitive patient data to unauthorized users. As technology continues to advance, hackers have adopted more advanced means of accessing information. They have continued to use new ways of exploiting the smallest vulnerabilities in hospital systems and networks.
Given the sophisticated approaches used by hackers in accessing health information, healthcare facilities and hospitals have been forced to have in place robust security measures. The Minnesota Department of Health joined 30 other states in coming up with a means of protecting health information (HealthIT.gov, 2018). This was through implementing HISPC frameworks. According to Ecclesiastes 4:9 “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor”. The 31 states set a structure that would enable their health departments in ensuring that all health care facilities and hospitals protect patient information. Over three years, Minnesota and other states collaborated to ascertain and solve all security and privacy obstacles to interstate and intrastate health information exchange. The recommendations of the collaborative efforts focused on securing a nationwide personal health information exchange (HealthIT.gov, 2018).
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Before the HISPC, Minnesota and other states did not have in place interoperable health information exchange, nor did they have an awareness of the extent of the barriers. At the time, most health departments focused more on adopting various health information technologies. However, there were no laws or regulations in place that governed the information exchange procedures. The Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration efforts by Minnesota are essential as it laid down recommendations and frameworks for the electronic exchange of clinical information. Health information exchange is critical for all organizations as it will help in improving health care quality (Esmaeilzadeh & Sambasivan, 2017). Medical and medication errors can bring about adverse health outcomes if not managed. However, through the HISPC, the health care quality and patient outcomes were improved.
Moreover, through HISPC, there was a reduction of redundant and unnecessary health services which made the provision of care less efficient. After HISPC, all the people who have contact with the patient can access the same information at once. Moreover, there was a reduction of complex administrative tasks, and this leads to reduced costs. Health information exchange allows for effective patient engagement (Esmaeilzadeh & Sambasivan, 2017). The patients have more time to get involved in their health care. Likewise, there is reduced time used in manually filling paperwork and briefing providers about their medical histories as the information can electronically be accessed from any location. The health ministry introduced a new guideline for health care facilities in the country referred to as the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization In this framework, the meaningful use component transitioned into becoming one of the four elements of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (Jones et al., 2016). Therefore, through HISPC, Minnesota and other states could achieve meaningful use.
It is the duty of any government, whether local, state or federal to ensure that its citizens have quality health care services. Minnesota was part of the HISPC program which aimed at identifying and lowering these security and privacy obstructions to health information exchange. Health information exchange is essential as it improves patient outcomes, efficiency in health care services provisions such as reduced medical and medication errors, redundancy in services and reduces administration costs. The heritage of HISPC is that it proves that through collaboration, anything is achievable.
References
Esmaeilzadeh, P., & Sambasivan, M. (2017). Patients’ support for health information exchange: a literature review and classification of key factors. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making , 17 (1), 33.
HealthIT.gov. (2018, September 6). Health Information Security & Privacy Collaboration (HISPC). Retrieved from https://www.healthit.gov/topic/health-information-security-privacy-collaboration-hispc
Jones, L. K., Raphaelson, M., Becker, A., Kaloides, A., & Scharf, E. (2016). MACRA and the future of value-based care. Neurology: Clinical Practice , 6 (5), 459-465.
