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Health Information Technology In Health Care Essay

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In 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) provision was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). It was created to help strengthen and reinforce the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) which protects a patients’ health information, as well as uncover fraud in the health care system. With the creation of HITEC Act, there was a push created for the implement of Electronic Health Records (EHR) among providers. With the HITECH Act comes stronger penalties for neglect, fraud and abuse. Breach notifications are required as well as allowing patients and some third parties to be allowed to access their own personal health information (PHI). …show more content…

The providers have to meet requirements for the reimbursements showing utilizing the EHRs. This has resulted in improving efficiency, care coordination and patient safety. Other benefits of meaningful use are improving public health, and engaging patients and their families.
HITECH also provides funding for periodic audits. Audits by both federal and healthcare organizations help to ensure compliance with security rules. In regards to enforcement of breach notification, charges can be brought for violations of the healthcare security and privacy rules. Organizations and individuals can be fined and victims compensated. These fines and penalties for HIPAA violations can be as high as $1.5 million per violations. In an attempt to avoid disclosures of personal health information, a regulation of minimum necessity is implemented.
I feel that the HITECH Act serves to strengthen the protection of a patient’s protected information. It helps to attempt to create a widespread adoption of EHRs and in doing so provide better patient care, care coordination, efficient cost savings, and management of a patients overall

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