Resource Search Results

How to Effective Manage Social Media within the Health Center Setting: A HITEQ infographic of key principles (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This article written by Dr. John Halamka, CIO at Harvard Medical School and a Health IT adoption thought-leader, provides examples from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center on best practices for healthcare providers in trying to manage social media efforts. This article written by Dr. John Halamka, CIO at Harvard Medical School and a Health IT adoption thought-leader, provides examples from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center BIDMC on best practices for healthcare providers in trying to manage social media efforts. Topics covered include communication strategies, responding to positive and negative comments, and staff awareness. These topics, while garnered from Mr. Halamka's experience with being CIO for BIDMC  are discussed in a way that is relevant to all health care settings, including health centers. Included in this article are straightforward policies or concepts that are easily adopted into an organization's social media policies no matter what their size. Click on the link below to gain access to the related article... More Details...

Using the Systems Usability Scale to Assess Patient Portal Systems: English and Spanish Templates (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: When deploying personal health information systems such as patient portals Health Centers will often encounter challenges in effectively engaging their patient population. Understanding where these challenges are originating can at times be difficult to determine. One obvious area of evaluation is in determining whether the system being deployed is appropriately usable for the population. When deploying personal health information systems such as patient portals Health Centers will often encounter challenges in effectively engaging their patient population. Understanding where these challenges are originating can at times be difficult to determine. One obvious area of evaluation is in determining whether the system being deployed is appropriately usable for the population. Patient perception of the overall usability of the patient portal system can be evaluated through use of survey instruments such as the Systems Usability Scale (SUS). SUS is a well-established and validated usability scale that helps to determine the value, ease and interest of users of a particular system. Located in the Downloads section below are English and Spanish SUS survey instruments. Also located below is a link to further information on leveraging the SUS measures.  More Details...

Guide to Improving Care Processes and Outcomes in Health Centers: An approach to quality improvement (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The quality improvement QI approach outlined in this Guide can be used to augment current QI approaches used in your health center, or can serve as a placeholder QI methodology when there isn’t already a robust QI process in place. It provides a framework and tools for documenting, analyzing, sharing and improving key workflows and information flows that drive performance on high-stakes care performance measures, and related improvement imperatives. This webpage provides strategies and tools that health centers and their partners can use to enhance care processes and outcomes targeted for improvement, such as hypertension and diabetes control, preventive care, and many others. More Details...

Professional Organizations and Associations for Health IT/Quality Staff: Resource Listing and Background (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This is a list of professional and industry organizations and associations that can serve as a resource for staff interested in Health IT and quality and for those wanting to become more immersed in the field. Some of these may be appropriate for staff to join. This is a list of professional and industry organizations and associations that can serve as a resource for staff interested in Health IT and quality and for those wanting to become more immersed in the field. Some of these may be appropriate for staff to join. They offer resources such as training, conferences, research, literature, networking, and in some cases, certification. More Details...

Job Postings: A template for Human Resources and Hiring Managers (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The following resource provides links to organizations that include job postings for Health IT and Quality jobs. This may be helpful to those both seeking employment or simply looking to learn more about the field and the kinds of positions that are available. The following resource provides links to organizations that include job postings for Health IT and Quality jobs. This may be helpful to those both seeking employment or simply looking to learn more about the field and the kinds of positions that are available. Job titles are not standard across the industry so perusing the various job openings will give a sense of the types of functions people perform in the Health IT/Quality area. In addition, employers may post openings on many of these sites. More Details...

Building Resources to Support Civil Legal Aid Access in HRSA-Funded Health Centers (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This issue brief describes how health centers used supplemental funding to anchor MLP services as part of enabling services activities. It shares the experiences of health centers from Hawai’i to New Hampshire that received expanded services awards from HRSA and used them for legal-related enabling services, and extrapolates lessons for other health centers about the impact of collaborations between health centers and civil legal aid services and how to leverage funding opportunities for fostering medical-legal partnerships. More Details...

Using Health Center Needs Assessments To Address Legal Needs (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This fact sheet outlines how health centers can use community needs assessments to understand and meet their patients’ health-harming civil legal needs. More Details...

Health IT Staff Resume Screening Tool: A template for Human Resources and Hiring Managers (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This is a list of key words and phrases that can be used to pre-screen resumes for HIT/QI jobs to help quickly identify candidates for an additional screen. More Details...

Health IT Staff Recruitment Strategies: A template for Human Resources and Hiring Managers (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This resource provides ideas about the latest recruiting tips used by community health centers as well as leading organizations from other industries. Review the strategies and identify ones that could work in your organization.  Adapt them as necessary to fit your particular needs and resources. This resource provides ideas about the latest recruiting tips used by community health centers as well as leading organizations from other industries. Review the strategies and identify ones that could work in your organization.  Adapt them as necessary to fit your particular needs and resources. More Details...

Health IT Interviewing Questions: Examples for Human Resources and Hiring Managers (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This resource provides a list of sample questions that can be used to interview job candidates. The questions are organized into four categories: 1) questions for HIT staff positions; 2) questions for quality improvement staff positions; 3) questions for either position; and 4) questions for senior HIT or Quality positions.   This resource provides a list of sample questions that can be used to interview job candidates. The questions are organized into four categories: 1) questions for HIT staff positions; 2) questions for quality improvement staff positions; 3) questions for either position; and 4) questions for senior HIT or Quality positions.   These questions are intended to be a menu of items that an organization can pick or choose from, adapt to meet their organization’s needs, or use to generate additional/new questions. More Details...

Access to Information about Database Structures: Issues and Suggestions for Contract Negotiations (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This issue brief discusses a critical concern during health center’s health IT contracting process – the need to have access to the underlying database structures to the health IT applications (e.g., EHR, reporting system… etc.) The lack of access to database structure will hinder the health center’s ability to access the data captured in the system, and risk vendor lock-in and have records trapped in data silos in the future. Electronic health record (EHR) system customers that can access their data have found that they also need information about the database structure used by the EHR technology developer in order to effectively use the data for custom reports or to even understand the customer’s own patient population and the unit costs of care. Some EHR technology developers are reportedly unwilling to provide data models or “data dictionaries” or are charging significant fees for information that helps the customer understand how the data is held in the EHR and may be efficiently extracted and used for other purposes. More Details...

Ability to Use Data Without Excessive Charges: Issues and Suggestions for Contract Negotiations (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This issue brief discusses a critical concern during health center’s EHR contracting process – the need to preserve the ability to use data without excessive charges, which had hindered many health center’s ability to meet UDS and other reporting requirements. Electronic health record (EHR) systems and related technology are increasingly important as health centers face additional quality reporting requirements and are expected to bear more risk in accountable care organizations (ACOs) and other alternative payment models.  Some health centers have found that their decision to use a hosted EHR (rather than operating the EHR on their own hardware) and the terms of data access in those arrangements are important factors in how well they can respond to these changing requirements. More Details...

Hiring Test to Screen Possible Candidates for Data Knowledge: Gauging an Applicant’s Basic Data Knowledge and Abilities (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This test is intended to gauge an applicant’s basic data knowledge and abilities.  Applicants are to go through all the tabs in order and follow the instructions in the red boxes. Included is an answer key that accompanies the Hiring Test. After giving a candidate the test, the hiring manager can use the Answer key to assess how the candidate did on the test. This test is intended to gauge an applicant’s basic data knowledge and abilities.  Applicants are to go through all the tabs in order and follow the instructions in the red boxes.  Hiring managers can administer this test as they see fit: they can email it to the applicant after a phone interview to see if they want to offer them an in-person or second interview it can be completed after the interview to determine whether the applicant has the basic skills needed for the position if the person is the right choice for the company because of mission-fit and soft skills, it can be used as a training assessment This also allows employees to assess if the job is the right fit for them. Note: Patients listed are fictitious examples More Details...

Motivating Factors for Engaging in Health IT Enabled QI: Guidance for Health Center Leadership and Partners (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This white paper explores what is bringing a health center to the world of Health IT Enabled QI and lays out some motivating factors and barriers as well as what skill areas may need further consideration in planning next steps. Health centers across the country have a high EHR adoption rate and most have been using an EHR for several years. However, we know that the proliferation of EHRs and their companion reports have not always lead to accurate and robust data that can be used for quality improvement. Many challenges have been identified, including provider workflow and training issues, challenges with scalability, and limitations to data that can be extracted from various EHR systems. In response, a need has been identified for tools and resources that can guide health centers and those working with health centers through some key skill areas in the pursuit of Health IT Enabled QI. More Details...

Engaging the Data Creators: Involving Front-Line Staff in the Health IT Enabled QI Process (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This brief discusses the importance of including frontline staff such as front desk, intake staff, and medical assistants in Health IT Enabled QI process, as they are often the ‘data creators’ or the ones entering the information into the system. Real world examples as well as suggested approaches and further resources are included. The data that is generated within health centers through entry into the EHR or practice management system and used for myriad purposes such as decision support, reporting, and quality improvement is often input by front-line staff. This may include front desk staff who enter information on intake forms, medical assistants who enter height, weight, and vital signs, among others. Another way to look at it is the information that health center leadership, providers, and payers are using to make decisions is often ‘created’ by entry level staff that may have less training and higher turnover. For these reasons, it is critically important to consider these ‘data creators’ in quality improvement activities that are undertaken. More Details...

Accessing your Data: Questions to Consider with your EHR Vendor (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Intended to assist in ensuring full use and understanding of capabilities of current system and assessing the need for additional population health management or data integration tools, this checklist describes the steps health center quality improvement and IT staff can take to ensure they are maximizing the population health management and other capacity of current systems. It Included are questions around the system itself, report generation, training, and resulting data, as well as considerations before and after you contact your vendor. This checklist describes the steps health center quality improvement and IT staff can take to ensure they are maximizing the population health management capacity of their current EHR system. It is intended to assist health centers in ensuring they are utilizing the full capabilities of the current system and assessing the need for additional population health management tools. Included are questions around the system itself, report generation, training, and resulting data, as well as considerations before and after you contact your vendor.  It’s important to note that these questions are just meant for consideration. Not all of the features or aspects discussed will be relevant for your health center, and no system nor approach will check all the boxes. Use this to guide your thinking and discussions so you are able to get a robust understanding of what your EHR is capable of, and what you may need to find elsewhere or find other ways to address. Download the checklist below. More Details...

Samples of Job Functions for a Quality Improvement Specialist: Skills and Job Descriptions (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This job description tool provides a position summary for a Quality Improvement Specialist, sample job functions, sample skill requirements, and sample education and experience requirements. This tool is intended to be used like a menu.   This job description tool provides a position summary, sample job functions, sample skill requirements, and sample education and experience requirements. This tool is intended to be used like a menu.  HR staff can share it with supervisors to identify the types of functions a position will be responsible for, and the skills and experience necessary to accomplish the job. The various functions can be used as a menu to pick and choose from different categories to build a job description. More Details...

Samples of Job Functions for a Quality Director: Skills and Job Descriptions (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This job description tool provides a position summary for a Quality Director. This position is responsible for identifying, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the overall clinical and organizational quality at a site, coordinating Joint Commission compliance activities and Information Technology functions. Quality Directors are responsible for collecting and analyzing data to identify improvement opportunities and recommending action plans to address quality concerns. This job description tool provides a position summary for a Quality Director. This position is responsible for identifying, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the overall clinical and organizational quality at a site, coordinating Joint Commission compliance activities and Information Technology functions. Quality Directors are responsible for collecting and analyzing data to identify improvement opportunities and recommending action plans to address quality concerns. This job description tool provides a position summary, sample job functions, sample skill requirements, and sample education and experience requirements. This tool is intended to be used like a menu.  HR staff can share it with supervisors to identify the types of functions a position will be responsible for, and the skills and experience necessary to accomplish the job. The various functions can be used as a menu to pick and choose from different categories to build a job description. More Details...

Samples of Job Functions for a Clinical Informatics Specialist: Skills and Job Descriptions for Health IT Staff (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This job description tool provides a position summary for a Clinical Informatics Specialist. HR staff can share it with supervisors to identify the types of functions a position will be responsible for, and the skills and experience necessary to accomplish the job. The various functions can be used as a menu to pick and choose from different categories to build a job description. This job description tool provides a position summary, sample job functions, sample skill requirements, and sample education and experience requirements. This tool is intended to be used like a menu.  HR staff can share it with supervisors to identify the types of functions a position will be responsible for, and the skills and experience necessary to accomplish the job. The various functions can be used as a menu to pick and choose from different categories to build a job description. This role provides analytic support to follow clinical outcomes for proper disease management and population health management.  Helps develop, implement, and support clinical information systems.  Works across the organization to provide continuous clinical information system support, troubleshooting, and identify improvements. More Details...

Samples of Job Functions for a Clinical Informatics Coordinator: Skills and Job Descriptions for Health IT Staff (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This job description tool provides a position summary for a Clinical Informatics Coordinator. sample job functions, sample skill requirements, and sample education and experience requirements. This role coordinates efforts to follow clinical outcomes for proper disease management and population health management. This job description tool provides a position summary, sample job functions, sample skill requirements, and sample education and experience requirements. This tool is intended to be used like a menu.  HR staff can share it with supervisors to identify the types of functions a position will be responsible for and the skills and experience necessary to accomplish the job. The various functions can be used as a menu to pick and choose from different categories to build a job description. This role coordinates efforts to follow clinical outcomes for proper disease management and population health management. Serves as a liaison between front-line care teams and the Information Technology team to continuously improve the electronic health record and related clinical systems.  Provides data management support and statistical analyses for Health IT projects. Works across the organization to provide continuous clinical information system support, troubleshooting, and identify improvements. More Details...