Resource Search Results

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...

What Questions Should I Ask About My Health Insurance (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This publication is for patients to provide basic information about how health insurance may affect the cost of a visit. This document is editable and can be modified by the health center. More Details...

Que Preguntas Deberia Hacer Sobre Mi Seguro Medico (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This publication is for Spanish-speaking patients to provide basic information about how health insurance may affect the cost of a visit. This document is editable and can be modified by the health center. 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...

Job Function Decision Tree: A Matrix of Skills and Job Descriptions for Health IT Staff (2016). Resource Type: Template. Description: The following document is intended to assist health center staff create new job descriptions and/or modify existing job descriptions to more clearly incorporate Health IT and quality-related responsibilities. The matrix provides responsibilities across three categories of roles: Medical Leadership, Quality, and Health IT. It differentiates these responsibilities based on typical job functions (e.g., Quality Improvement, Compliance, Meaningful Use). More Details...

Job Description for Senior Programmer/Analyst: Skills and Job Descriptions (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This is an actual job description for a Senior Programmer/Analyst in a well-staffed Health IT department of a health center. Job Description: Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Informatics and Data Services, the Senior Programmer/Analyst provides programming and data management for projects at the Health Center. More Details...

Job Description for Junior Programmer/Analyst: Skills and Job Descriptions (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This is an actual job description for a Junior Programmer/Analyst in a well-staffed Health IT department of a health center. Job Description: Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Informatics and Data Services, the Junior Programmer/Analyst provides programming and data management for projects at the Health Center. More Details...

Job Description for Health IT/QI Project Director: Skills and Job Descriptions (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This is an actual job description for a Project Director in a well-staffed Health IT department of a health center. Job Description: Reporting to the Associate Director of Informatics and Data Services, the Project Director assumes the major responsibility for the operation and implementation of multiple research projects and uses this leadership role to collaborate and develop new research projects. More Details...

Job Description for Health Informatics Specialist: Skills and Job Descriptions (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This is an actual job description for a Health Informatics Specialist in a well-staffed Health IT department of a health center. Job Description: Under the supervision of the Health Informatics Manager, the Health Informatics Specialist provides data management support and statistical analyses for projects conducted at the Health Center. More Details...

Job Description for Health Informatics Manager: Skills and Job Descriptions (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This is an actual job description for a Health Informatics Manager in a well-staffed Health IT department of a health center. Job Description: Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Informatics and Data Services, the Health Informatics Manager provides programming and data management support for projects at the Health Center. More Details...

Job Description for Data Team Research Assistant: Skills and Job Descriptions (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This is an actual job description for a Data Team Research Assistant in a well-staffed Health IT department of a health center. Job Description: Reporting to the Project Manager, the Research Assistant assists in the performance of current research studies and projects in the department, in collaboration with the Health Center. More Details...

Job Description for Data Management Assistant: Skills and Job Descriptions (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This is an actual job description for a Data Management Assistant in a well-staffed Health IT department of a health center. Job Description: Reporting to the Health Informatics Specialist, assists in managing data for current projects in the department, in collaboration with the Health Center. More Details...

Job Description for Clinical Data Specialist: Skills and Job Descriptions (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This is an actual job description for a Clinical Data Specialist in a well-staffed Health IT department of a health center. Job Description: Under the supervision of the Health Informatics Manager, the Clinical Data Specialist provides data management support and statistical analyses for research studies and evaluations conducted in the Health Center. More Details...