Quick Finds: HIT/Data

Health Center Resilience in the Face of Cyber Adversity: A Case Study of the Family Health Center of Worcester’s Ransomware Incident, February 2024 (2024). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The use of ransomware -- malicious software that restricts access to computer systems with financial demands -- has escalated, targeting health centers and putting countless lives at risk. This dire reality came to the forefront during the alarming ransomware attack on the Family Health Center of Worcester, Inc. (FHCW), where the personal health information and care continuity for thousands of patients were compromised. This resource uses FHCW's experience as a case study to demonstrate the imperative of preparedness and the strength of a community-centered response in ensuring the continuity of healthcare services amidst the ever-growing tide of cyber vulnerabilities. More Details...

How EHRs Can Be Leveraged to Streamline Social Needs Screening (2024). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Learn how screening for housing status and other Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) measures can be introduced or better integrated into health center clinical workflows. Presenters share guidance on implementing and systematizing social needs data collection in Electronic Health Records (EHRs), followed by a panel of expert health center representatives who that speak about their programs’ journeys with social needs screening programs. While this webinar will focus on health care for the homeless (HCH) health centers, anyone involved directly in social needs screening or interested in improving screening processes are welcome. Learning Objectives After this webinar, attendees will… ○ Describe the importance of capturing social needs screening data and how they relate to overall health center services. ○ Appraise their organization’s social needs screening workflow based on promising practices and examples of peer health center examples. ○ Describe strategies that could be applied to their health center to improve or streamline social needs screening process. ○ Identify which strategies demonstrated in the webinar can be introduced at their health center. More Details...

Cyber Insurance & HIPAA Breaches Tip Sheet (2024). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This Tip Sheet specifically addresses how cyber insurance coverage can support health centers in meeting their obligations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to respond to security incidents and to report breaches. More Details...

HITEQ Highlights: What to Do About Health IT Hazards Associated with Copy and Paste in the EHR: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Copy and paste functionality can support efficiency during clinical documentation, but may promote inaccurate documentation with risks for patient safety. This webinar discussed three key areas where health centers can consider implementing safe practice recommendations: Define copy and paste as a health IT safety issue by identifying the potential patient safety risks Review safe practice recommendations and implementation strategies to mitigate health IT-related hazards and safety issues Disseminate evidence, tools and practices for implementation More Details...

HITEQ Highlights: Crossing The Chasm of Innovation - One FQHC's Journey to Operationalize its Telehealth Strategy: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: In this HITEQ Highlights webinar, we focused on the intersection of telehealth strategy and operations. One health center\'s experience of leveraging telehealth as a tool for expanding service delivery and patient access will be a jumping off point from which to consider the benefits (and challenges) of dedicated telehealth resources within an organization. Participants learned how telehealth might benefit recruitment efforts and review relevant resources for ongoing telehealth support. More Details...

Improving Health Center Cybersecurity: Risk Assessment, Breach Defense, Mitigation and Response - Session 4: Virtual Learning Collaborative (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: It\'s time to reconsider your strategy if you still treat cyber risk as an annual project or initiative. Having a thorough ongoing program in place means that even in the worst-case scenario, you\'ll be ready to demonstrate that you did what was reasonable and appropriate to protect your systems and patient data. Nothing can guarantee that a cyberattack won\'t become a breach. Health Centers are a domain with a high potential for data breaches, and the risk continues to grow as health centers use new tools and the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI). As a result, it is crucial for health center leadership to adopt breach prevention strategies across their entire organization, as opposed to relegating it to the IT department. To support health centers in their cybersecurity strategy and implementation, the HITEQ Center is offering a free learning collaborative -- Improving Health Center Cybersecurity: Risk Assessment, Breach Defense, Mitigation, and Response. This learning collaborative will involve four structured virtual learning sessions. During the series participants engaged with subject matter experts and their colleagues in peer-to-peer learning and discussion. Topics included: health center breach mitigation tactics, operationalizing cybersecurity to better mitigate risks, cybersecurity implications of generative artificial intelligence in health centers, and incident response planning from a cybersecurity perspective. More Details...

HITEQ Highlights: Enabling a Cyber-Resilient Health Center: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This HITEQ Highlight aimed to strengthen Health Centers\' capacity to build their cyber-resiliency. We covered risk management tools, methods for guarding against cybersecurity assaults, operationalizing cybersecurity to mitigate risks, and breach mitigation tactics. Participants focus on safeguarding data across the entire enterprise and examined approaches to implementing cybersecurity infrastructure through risk management frameworks and strategic risk assessment. More Details...

HITEQ Highlights: Health Centers as Actors (in Information Blocking)!: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: The HITEQ Center discussed approaches to balance patient confidentiality, sensitive situations, vulnerable populations, and meeting the provisions in CURES act and information blocking. How health centers should best prepare themselves and their staff to meet the information blocking provisions and better serve the patient population was also discussed. More Details...

FAQ: How will the upcoming changes to the Information Blocking and EHR certification requirements impact health centers?: October 2022 (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: When will the new information blocking and EHR certification requirements be in effect? What are the upcoming changes? How will these changes impact health centers? How will the scope of Information Blocking requirements change? How should health centers expand their EHI scope? How will EHR certification requirements change? How should health centers leverage the new FHIR R4 capabilities? More Details...

Navigating Compliance Challenges with the Information Blocking Rule: A Collection of Case Studies: HITEQ Center and Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP, September 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) 21st Century Cures Act Information Blocking Rule (Info Blocking Rule) prohibits covered actors – including health care providers, health IT developers of certified health IT, and health information exchanges/health information networks– from engaging in practices likely to interfere with, prevent, or materially discourage access, exchange, or use of electronic health information (EHI). The Info Blocking Rule includes eight exceptions that provide actors with certainty that, when their practice interferes with the access, exchange, or use of EHI and meets the conditions of one or more exception, such practice will not be considered information blocking.1 More Details...

National School-Based Health Care Census (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The School-Based Health Alliance conducts a triennial national survey of school-based, school-linked, mobile health, and telehealth programs called the National Census of School-Based Health Centers. More Details...

National School-Based Health Care Census (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The School-Based Health Alliance conducts a triennial national survey of school-based, school-linked, mobile health, and telehealth programs called the National Census of School-Based Health Centers. More Details...

Health Center Guidelines for Implementing FHIR and the Information Blocking Rule: HITEQ Center, September 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: The 21st Century Cures Act and the ONC Health IT Certification Program include rules for technical configuration and use of Health Level 7® (HL7) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources® (FHIR) for health data exchange and accessibility. Health centers are directed to enable and publish their healthcare data locations, known as FHIR endpoints,* to and from their electronic health record (EHR). Part of the Cures Act, known as the Information Blocking Rule, mandates that patients have “easy” access to their digital medical information, costs and claims associated with their health record, and whom the data can be shared with. More Details...

Cybersecurity: Ask Me Anything: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This session sought to motivate and educate Health Center staff and leadership on current critical cybersecurity threats, concepts, and methods for the defense of health data. A panel of cybersecurity experts addressed questions on how to best protect the health center from both internal and external network leaks, through malware such as ransomware, and through physical means on-site. More Details...

FAQ: How can health centers comply with both 42 CFR Part 2 and the Information Blocking Rule?: July 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: What are the HIPAA guidelines related to PHI and PII? What is 42 CFR Part 2? What is the Information Blocking Rule? How can my health center comply with both 42 CFR Part 2 and the Information Blocking Rule? How can my health center safeguard EHI on the patient portal following 42 CFR Part 2? How can I find out if 42 CFR Part 2 applies to my health center? Where can I find sample Information Blocking policies, procedures, and templates? More Details...

Interoperability Readiness Scorecard: HITEQ Center, July 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Template. Description: Many health centers struggle to reap the benefits of technological advancement and investments in health information technology (health IT), while others embrace them and reap rewards. Interoperability is one such example; requiring health centers assess systems, relationships, and implementation. There are keys to successful interoperability implementation for which health centers must develop processes, stand up infrastructure (within the system, internally and externally, and organization), and then take action. Process refers to structured processes, policies, and procedures within the health center. Infrastructure refers to structural capacity and ability within the health center’s technology and staffing structure. Action refers to full implementation to the point of active and ongoing use and engagement. This scorecard encourages health centers to consider their processes, infrastructure, and action in a number of key areas. Each area key to interoperability are to be self-graded on a scale of 1 through 5, where 1 is poorly or not yet developed and 5 is well developed. Health centers can also use this to guide discussions and monitor progress over time. evaluate once steps have been completed. More Details...

Assessing Patient Satisfaction with Telehealth at Community Health Centers: A Policy Brief (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This brief describes findings from a national assessment of health center patients’ experiences with telehealth and the policy implications of these findings. The assessment focused on three key aspects of telehealth utilization, including 1) ease of use, 2) interaction with the clinician, and 3) overall comfort/satisfaction. More Details...

The HITEQ Center Podcast: Sharing Virtual Care Success Stories and Lessons Learned in 2022 and 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Podcast. Description: HITEQ is highlighting stories of leveraging the EHR, health IT, digital health tools, and other virtual care supports for health center recovery and stabilization during the COVID-19 pandemic and thereafter in this series of podcasts. We are lifting up stories that demonstrate the promise of digital and health IT tools to address the timely needs of health centers and their patients, emphasizing those that support high value, equitable care for all health center patients and that reduce provider burden. More Details...

Promoting Cybersecurity Awareness for Patients: Protecting yourself when using patient portals, health apps, and online medical devices, June 2023. (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This training guide provides patients with knowledge and awareness about cybersecurity threats to protect their personal health data and to minimize risks from computer viruses and malware. More Details...

Health IT Optimization for Effective PrEP Services: HITEQ Center, June 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: 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. More Details...

Sensitive Information and the Electronic Patient Record: HITEQ Center, June 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: With nearly 100% of community health centers utilizing electronic health records (EHR) to care for patients, focus has pivoted from implementation and new workflow development to enhancement in order to drive value and reflect patient needs and population trends. EHR technology presents potential opportunities and significant constraints. Providers frequently document and share potentially sensitive information in the EHR, such as risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), consistent offers of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), or patient sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). More Details...

Addressing IPV/HT with New OCHIN Smartform (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Developed in partnership with OCHIN, this Health Information Technology (HIT) Memo discusses how health centers (HCs) can partner with HIT platforms to improve patient quality of care and privacy. This resource explains the lessons learned from our recent development of the OCHIN EHR Smartform and publicizes its availability to OCHIN members and others. More Details...

A Guide to Essential Cybersecurity Tasks for Health Centers: For health centers with limited resources, developed in June 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: In an increasingly connected healthcare landscape, health centers face a dual challenge: the rising tide of cyber threats and the need to comply with stringent data protection regulations, all while managing limited resources. The ever-evolving nature of cyberattacks and the complexity of compliance requirements make it essential for health centers to prioritize cybersecurity tasks effectively. More Details...

The Managed Care Data Set - Video: Developed with Starling Advisors in 2022 (2023). Resource Type: E-Learning. Description: This is the second in a three module value based care basics series from the HITEQ Center. This module was developed by Starling Advisors in 2022. More Details...

Clinical Quality Measures for Eligible Professionals: 2023 Update: A crosswalk of Clinical Quality Measures for UDS and other reporting from The HITEQ Center (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: This spreadsheet developed by the HITEQ Center provides a crosswalk of Clinical Quality Measures and their electronic specifications as defined in the 2023 update for Eligible Professionals (Clinicians). Fields include the crosswalk of measures with related information about CMS, NQF, and MIPS ID, and Telehealth Eligiblity, as well as inclusion in HRSA BPHC Uniform Data System (UDS) CY2023, Million Hearts, CMS Quality Payment Program (QPP) - APM Performance Pathway (APP) Measures, Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP)/ CMS ACO Shared Savings Program, CMS Core Set (Child Core Set Medicaid / CHIP): HEDIS Specified, CMS Core Set (Adult Core Set Medicaid): HEDIS Specified, Core Quality Measures Collaborative (ACO / Primary Care). Links are included throughout. More Details...

Community Health Center Chartbook: 2023 (2023). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The annual Community Health Center Chartbook highlights data on Federally Qualified Health Centers, including Health Center Program Grantees and Look-alike organizations. The chartbook includes summary data on health center patients, services, staffing, quality outcomes, and impact on access to care and health equity. More Details...

Clinical Data Elements for UDS eCQMs and their Lookback Timeframes: Useful for EHR transition planning; developed in 2023. (2023). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: 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. More Details...

SDOH Screening & Referrals to Support Diabetes Control: Screening & Coding, Care Team Optimization, Referrals to the Community & Closing the Loop (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: In this three-part webinar series hosted by the National Nurse-led Care Consortium (NNCC), participants can expect to learn about the importance of SDOH screenings and whole-person wellness to improve diabetes management and outcomes. Presenters will share their knowledge of executing patient centered SDOH screening tools and referrals to support services while managing diabetes. This series will discuss implementing best practices for patient-centered approaches to care by utilizing SDOH screening and care team optimization and coordination. More Details...

Demonstrating Quality in Medical Respite Care: The Importance of Data (2023). Resource Type: E-Learning. Description: Identifying and tracking outcomes in medical respite is an important way to identify program progress and demonstrate effectiveness of medical respite care. This course provides an overview on ways to identify and track outcomes within medical respite care programs. More Details...

Telehealth Office Hour: Telehealth Policy Updates (2023). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: As telehealth policy continues to change throughout the Public Health Emergency (PHE), it is imperative for health centers to understand what steps to take throughout the PHE and when it concludes. Join NACHC and the Center for Connected Health Policy as we review the most recent telehealth policy updates in 2023 that could impact your operations. More Details...

Children's Health and Education Mapping Tool (2022). Resource Type: Online Self-Paced Learning Modules. Description: The Children's Health and Education Mapping Tool, developed in partnership with HealthLandscape, allows users to harness the power of geographic information systems technology for data-driven decision-making. Users can search, map, and download data on child health, education, and socioeconomic status at the county level compared to national averages. The tool can map, filter, and view critical characteristics of public schools, school-based health centers, and other healthcare facilities. These abilities can help users plan where to target new services, collaborate with and learn from others in their area, advocate, and fundraise with compelling visuals and relevant data for grant applications. More Details...

Children's Health and Education Mapping Tool (2022). Resource Type: Online Self-Paced Learning Modules. Description: The Children's Health and Education Mapping Tool, developed in partnership with HealthLandscape, allows users to harness the power of geographic information systems technology for data-driven decision-making. Users can search, map, and download data on child health, education, and socioeconomic status at the county level compared to national averages. The tool can map, filter, and view critical characteristics of public schools, school-based health centers, and other healthcare facilities. These abilities can help users plan where to target new services, collaborate with and learn from others in their area, advocate, and fundraise with compelling visuals and relevant data for grant applications. More Details...

Electronic Exchange of Data and “Closing The Loop” (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Building the electronic exchange of data directly into the EHR is needed to reduce inefficiencies, document patient connection with available legal services, and track patient legal outcomes. This Case Study provides a concrete example of how a medical-legal partnership (MLP) in Iowa set up electronic referrals in the EHR as well as the ability to “Close the Loop” via electronic updates from the legal partner. Those updates are delivered directly to the EHR and describe whether the patient is connected with legal assistance and the legal outcomes of that assistance. More Details...

Performance Measure Data Definition Worksheet (2022). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: The Performance Measure Data Definition Worksheet can be used during the Quality Improvement (QI) process to assess the alignment of your health center’s workflows and documentation and your EHR vendor’s reporting logic processes. More Details...

Performance Measure Data Definition Worksheet (2022). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: The Performance Measure Data Definition Worksheet can be used during the Quality Improvement (QI) process to assess the alignment of your health center’s workflows and documentation and your EHR vendor’s reporting logic processes. More Details...

Using Teledentistry to Improve Prenatal Care (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This publication describes how the University of California, Irvine Family Health Center provides synchronous teledentistry services to pregnant patients. More Details...

HITEQ Highlights: Deploying Smartphone Apps to Advance Mental Health in Primary Care: HITEQ Highlights Webinar (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Patient engagement through electronic health apps are one solution to the need for timely and ongoing patient support. This session discussed a program to support mental health through an integrated behavioral health model using a mental health app at Cambridge Health Alliance. More Details...

Telehealth Office Hours: Telehealth Reimbursement (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: NACHC Telehealth Office Hours targets health center, PCA, and HCCN staff who have questions or want to share information about telehealth related policy and operational activities. In addition to updates and Q&A, each session will focus on a specific topic of concern. More Details...

Work as a Social Driver of Health: How La Casa Family Health Center Identifies Farmworkers (2022). Resource Type: Podcast. Description: What happens when health center care teams know more about a patient’s occupation? This data can be especially important if the patient is an essential worker, as the Health Choice Network, a health center-controlled network based in Miami, and their partners at La Casa Family Health Center in New Mexico, learned during the COVID pandemic when treating a high-risk group of dairy farmworkers. This episode of NACHC’s podcast, Health Centers on the Front Lines, takes us behind the scenes at a health center and its partner network as they change the culture around disclosure of occupation among patients. More Details...

Teledentistry Readiness Assessment (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This document outlines key areas for the successful implementation of teledentistry. It also includes a readiness assessment for community health centers to determine the level of readiness in their organization for teledentistry. More Details...

Connections to Housing: Everything You Need to Know on HMIS and Becoming a Coordinated Entry Access Point (2022). Resource Type: Webinar. Description:  Homelessness Continuum of Care (CoC) is the primary resource for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability in their local community. Access points within a CoC are vital organizational partners that conduct assessment and screening for prioritization of housing resources. This pre-recorded module and accompanying resource document will provide information to health centers interested in becoming an Access Point within their CoC. More Details...

Managed Care Data Checklist: Companion Document to Video Module: Payer Data: The Managed Care Data (2022). Resource Type: Toolkit. Description: This checklist will walk you, the health center, through a series of common considerations for contracts you may receive from payers with a specific focus on contracts that include value-based payment components. This document assists organizations in understanding the necessary data and data-related tools for managing population health within a managed care environment. More Details...

COVID-19 & the HCH Community: Calculating Vaccination Rates (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This issue brief describes how to calculate vaccination rates among PEH, provides methodology examples from six major cities, and outlines action steps to better document vaccination rates among PEH and better inform ongoing public health policies and practices. More Details...

Webinar: Closing the Loop on the Referral (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: In this HRSA-supported webinar, Siouxland Community Health Center discussed how they joined forces with an HCCN and their civil legal services MLP colleagues to “close the loop on the referral.” The team shared best practices to help other health centers advance their MLP practice beyond screenings and referrals. View the webinar recording to learn how to conduct real-time tracking and analysis of legal needs interventions in the EHR. More Details...

Using Health IT and EHRs to Address the Burden Providers Experience: Takeaways for primary care safety net settings including federally qualified health centers and look-alikes. June 2022. (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Providers are burnt out and most expect it to get worse. Burnout is typically defined as a psychological response to job stressors characterized by emotional exhaustion, detachment, and a sense of ineffectiveness. Investigations of burnout in primary care have usually focused on factors associated with burnout among individual clinicians. But, it may be more useful to think about organizational-level burnout, which can shift the focus from individual responsibility to organizational solutions. More Details...

Teledentistry User's Guide (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Teledentistry is an emerging trend to  help improve access to oral health care, improve the dental care  delivery system, and lower costs. NNOHA has worked with health centers  since Spring 2020 to develop and test a variety of strategies to deliver  dental services via synchronous teledentistry. This User’s Guide gives  an overview of teledentistry, describes its use in health center dental  programs, and includes practical tools for implementing teledentistry. More Details...

Market Assessment Toolkit for Health Centers (2022). Resource Type: Publication. Description: By utilizing a Market Assessment, health centers can analyze their markets and service areas in geographic, demographic, and economic terms in order to make informed observations and guide strategic decisions. More Details...

Telehealth Office Hours: Remote Self-Monitoring Blood Pressure Program (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: NACHC offers monthly Telehealth Office Hours for health center, PCA, and HCCN staff who have questions or want to share information about telehealth related policy and operational activities. In addition to updates and Q&A, each session will focus on a specific topic of concern. More Details...

Connecting Health and Social Care - The Status of Efforts in CA (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This webinar will highlight efforts of CPCA member organizations to connect patients to social care supports using closed-loop referrals. Presenters will provide an overview of efforts across the state, discuss challenges (and solutions) to implementing referral systems, and provide recommendations for primary care clinics interested in expanding their own referral systems. More Details...

Considerations for Sustaining a Culture of Cybersecurity: Part II: Cybersecurity Risk and Preparation (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: With the rise in cyberattacks of government agencies and large-scale companies, organizations large and small are questioning if they are doing all they should to protect their data. More Details...