Q: What’s the role of DHCF in health information technology (HIT)/health information exchange (HIE)?
For more information on DHCF’s HIT/HIE program, please contact [email protected].
A: The Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) serves as the State Health IT Coordinator and leads health IT and health information exchange (HIE) policy for the District. Through collaboration with local, regional and national partners, there are tremendous opportunities to achieve the District’s goal by 2021 to: design and implement an electronic network that provides actionable health-related information whenever and wherever it is needed, to support person-centered care and improve health outcomes.
For more information on DHCF’s HIT/HIE program, please contact [email protected].
Q: What guides DHCF’s HIT/HIE strategy?
A: DHCF, through its 2018 State Medicaid Health IT Plan (SMHP), presents a multi-year strategy and roadmap to guide the District’s investments in Health IT and HIE. The SMHP is the culmination of a 10-month stakeholder engagement effort to better understand the health IT needs of stakeholders, including beneficiaries and providers in the District. To drive progress in these areas, the report includes a Health IT Roadmap, which establishes the priorities, processes, and timeline for health system redesign projects and programs in the District funded through enhanced funding from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
Read the 2018-2023 SMHP and Health IT Roadmap >>
DHCF is dedicated to transparently tracking and reporting progress on the District’s health IT projects. By understanding when and how HIE services are used, the District can help improve the health IT program. In the 2018 SMHP, DHCF developed a comprehensive evaluation framework and defined a corresponding set of metrics to evaluate access, exchange and use of health IT in the District:
- Provider access and use of DC HIE tools and services (i.e. Encounter Notification, Patient Care Snapshot)
- Provider exchange with DC HIE (sending encounter data and sharing clinical data)
- DC Promoting Interoperability Program enrollment and Meaningful Use achievement
- Health IT and HIE technical assistance services participation
The number of active CRISP DC users (10,442 as of September 2020), demonstrates the effectiveness of the strong partnership between Enlightened Inc, Zane Networks, DCPCA, CRISP DC, and Children’s National Medical Center to connect District organizations to the DC HIE. During Fiscal Year 2020, there was been a 17% increase in the number of active CRISP DC Users and a 46% increase in the number of CRISP DC Users accessing Patient Care Snapshot to conduct patient lookups.
DHCF works with its partners at CRISP DC and Enlightened Inc. to publicly display metrics in Microsoft Power BI that evaluate access, exchange, and use of health IT in the District. To access the interactive visualizations and view additional metrics, please click below:
The DC Health Information Exchange (The DC HIE)
The DC HIE aims to advance health and wellness for all persons in the District of Columbia by providing actionable information whenever and wherever it is needed. Its mission is to facilitate and sustain the engagement of all stakeholders in the secure exchange of usable health-related information to promote health equity, enhance care quality and improve outcomes in the District of Columbia. Learn more about the DC HIE.
HIE Policy Board
In 2012, the Mayor of the District of Columbia established the HIE Policy Board to provide recommendations on the secure and protected exchange of health information in the District. The District’s HIE efforts are guided by this twenty-two (22) member volunteer Board that includes representatives from District-based provider associations, hospitals, health systems, payers, providers, Medicaid beneficiaries, information technologists, and District of Columbia Government agencies. DHCF provides administrative support to the HIE Policy Board. Learn more about the HIE Policy Board.
Health IT Initiatives
The Department of Health Care Finance recently awarded six grants to local organizations to support new telehealth services for residents in Wards 7 and 8 as well as residents of homeless shelters and public housing developments.
Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program
The DC Medicaid EHR incentive Program has rewarded hundreds of District providers who have adopted, electronic health records and demonstrated Meaningful Use of certified EHR technology in ways that improve quality, safety, and effectiveness of patient-centered care.