1st Edition

Health IT as a Tool for Prevention in Public Health Policies

By Divya Srinivasan Sridhar Copyright 2014
    292 Pages 3 B/W Illustrations
    by Productivity Press

    292 Pages
    by Productivity Press

    Health IT as a Tool for Prevention in Public Health Policies examines the current state of Health Information Technology (HIT) in the United States. It investigates the converging problems of chronic disease, societal welfare, childhood obesity, and the lack of healthcare for the economically disadvantaged in the U.S. It considers various providers of care for disadvantaged groups and outlines innovative public policy solutions to a wide range of community problems.

    The book starts by detailing the major problems the U.S. has faced with its healthcare system. Next, it describes current federal efforts to solve these problems and unveils novel solutions to these challenges. Each chapter examines a different technological solution that the U.S. is currently investing in and allocating time, resources, and energy to.

    Supplying a basic theoretical foundation on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, the book discusses the effects of geographic disparities and HIT at the meso, macro, and micro levels of society. It also demonstrates how individuals can use a range of HITs to improve prevention of health concerns, including mobile health apps, video games, self-management technologies, crowdsourcing, and other e-health technologies.

    The book describes HIEs, RHIOs, and NHIN and explains how they connect to Community Health Centers (CHCs). It also explains how CHCs can use HIT to improve care for the disadvantaged and Medicaid population. It includes a case study of electronic health literacy and cancer patients and another on how equipping private practice physicians with EMRs can help them tackle prevention and improve organizational functioning.

    The book concludes by providing a comparative perspective between the use of HIT in the U.S. and the United Kingdom and by suggesting the direction that the U.S. should take toward cloud-based solutions to its e-health infrastructure.

    INTRODUCTION

    Theoretical Underpinnings: Comparing the PPACA and HITECH Acts
    Introduction
    Theoretical Perspectives
         Social Cognitive Theory
         Measuring Progress and Outcomes
    Conclusion
    References

    GOVERNMENT AND TECHNOLOGY POLICIES

    Impact of E-Government on Electronic Health Literacy
    Introduction
    Theory
    Sources of E-Health Initiatives by E-Government
         Mobile Health Initiatives
         Initiatives to Reduce the Digital Divide
    Legislation Impacting E-Health Literacy
         Key Legislation for Furthering E-Health
    Health Insurance Exchanges
    RHIOs
    Web Design and E-Health
         Non-health-Related Legislation Furthering E-Health
    Policy Analysis: Summary of Importance of E-Government on E-Health Literacy
         Trust in Information Sources and Impacts on E-Health Literacy Outcomes
    Methods
         New Contribution to the Field: New E-Government Term
    Interpretation and Results
    Policy Recommendations and Conclusions
    References

    Financial, Social, and Environmental Impact of Government HIT Adoption Policies
    Assessment of the Barriers to Health Information Technology (HIT) Adoption across Organizations and the U.S. Policy Solutions
    Organizational Variation in EMR Adoption
    Barriers to EMR Adoption
         Economic Costs of EMR Adoption
              Economic Policy Strategies to Help Organizations with Slow Rates of Adoption
         Social Barriers to Technology Adoption
              Social Policies to Help Organizations that Are Unable to Adopt EMRs
         Environmental Barriers to Technology Adoption
              Environmental Policy Strategies to Help Organizations with Slow Rates of Adoption
    Conclusion
    References

    INDIVIDUALIZED TECHNOLOGICAL PREVENTIONSTRATEGIES FOR CHRONIC CONDITIONS

    Self-Management Technologies and Type 2 Diabetes
    The Effects of Self-Management Technologies on Type 2 Diabetes Patients
         Purpose
         Introduction and Background
              Policy Relevance
              Theoretical Backing
              Web-Based Technologies
              Mobile and Telephone Interventions
              Video Games
         Discussion
    Conclusion
    Limitation of the Chapter and Possible Sources of Bias
    References

    Individualized Prevention Solutions to Childhood Obesity
    Underlying Causes and Consequences of Childhood Obesity
    Consequences of Childhood Obesity
    National Policy Solutions
    State Policy Solutions
    Local Policy Solutions
         Environmental Policies
              Physicians and Health Providers
              Media Impacts
         Economic Policies
         Political Community Relationships/Partnerships
    Child Care Policies
         Technological Policies and Social Media
         Political Impacts
    Conclusion
    References
    Suggested Readings

    NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL IMPACTS OF HIT ONTHECOMMUNITY

    Health Information Technology in Community Health Centers
    The Formation of Community Health Centers (CHCs)
    Theory for the Design
    Literature Review
    Research Design
         Research Experiment 1: Randomized Experimental Design
         Research Experiment 2: The Survey Design
    Conclusion
    References

    Small-Practice Physicians and HIT
    Why HIT? What Is It and How Can It Help Small-Practice Physicians?
    Physicians and Organizational Leadership
    Literature and Theories Relating to Technology Diffusion
         Technology Diffusion
         Customer Service and Quality
         Barriers to Adoption
    Looking to the Future: New Research
         How Do Small Practices Deal with Change and Regulation?
              Methods
              Hypotheses
              Survey Findings
              Results and Analysis
         Conclusion and Recommendations
    References

    The Micro, Meso, and Macro Perspectives of HIT Adoption
    Introduction
    Macro-Level Policies and Considerations
    Meso-Level Challenges to Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Adoption
    Micro-Level Challenges to EMR Adoption
    Conclusion
    References

    Geographic Disparities in Healthcare
    Geographic Disparities in Health Resources
    Geographic Disparities in Healthcare Professionals
    Policy Solutions to Geographic Maldistribution of Resources and Care
         Solutions to the Shortage of Health Resources and Services: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs)
         Solutions to the Shortage of Health Resources and Services: Telemedicine Resources
         Solutions to the Shortage of Health Resources and Services: Concierge Medicine
    Conclusion
    References

    International Comparisons: Differences in U.K. and U.S. Preventive Health
    Applying the Reforms of the U.K. NHS to the U.S. Health System: A Comparative Perspective
         Introduction
    General Differences: The U.K. versus the U.S. Health System
    Reforms to the U.K. Health System in the Early 2000s
         The U.K.’s QOF System
    Criticisms of the U.K. Health Reforms and the QOF Comparing and Applying the U.K. to the U.S. Health System
    Comparisons and Additions of the U.K. QOF to Concierge Medicine
    Conclusion
    References

    Conclusion
    Putting It All Together

    Index

    Biography

    Divya Srinivasan Sridhar

    "There are many books on health systems and information technology, but none that are so easy to read. The illustrations/case studies add life to the book. The link with community health centers, which are growing in prominence in the U.S., is a unique feature of this book and is especially important as one considers health disparities and patient outcomes. The last section that compares and contrasts the use of technology in healthcare in the U.S. and the U.K. is important as some of the U.K.'s accomplishments may help the U.S. move forward in this area. The book concludes with a quick synopsis of each chapter, again helping readers understand key messages or decide which chapter is most pertinent for their work. This is a very good addition to health policy and healthcare systems books."
    —Carole A. Kenner, PhD, RN, FAAN, Council of International Neonatal Nurses, writing in Doody’s Book Reviews