Focus Area: Use Health IT To Support Business Requirements

Focus Area Use Health It To Support The Business Requirements Of Alte

Focus area: use health IT to support the business requirements of alternative and innovative health delivery and payment models, specifically ICD10CM. Part 1: For your assigned focus area, identify the initiative goal aligned with your assigned government initiative with policy implications for health informatics. Provide a brief description of the initiative and a current summary of the impact to health as of today. Explain how your goal relates to high-quality care, lower costs, healthier population, or engaged individuals. Part 2: Access the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights Breach portal. Select one listed breach. From the press release on the breach, summarize the data breach, what information was compromised, the number of patients impacted, and the follow-up action. If your information was breached, what action would you take to prevent unauthorized use of your information? In this discussion, complete the portion of the discussion prompt assigned to you based on your last name grouping. Ensure that you complete the information related to the initiative assigned. Note: The Federal Health IT Strategic Plan was updated in 2020 to the plan; however, for this assignment, use the plan linked above. For part two, there are many breaches on the portal; select one that differs from others in your class. When searching for the press release, copy the name of the entity from the portal, then paste it into your search engine along with the words “data breach press release.”

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The integration of Health Information Technology (Health IT) into healthcare systems plays a vital role in transforming healthcare delivery and payment models. One of the key initiatives under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the promotion of ICD-10-CM coding standards, which facilitates precise coding for diagnoses and procedures, improving data accuracy, billing, and reimbursement processes. This paper explores the strategic goal related to health IT supporting innovative health delivery models, assesses the current impact, and examines a notable data breach to understand its implications and prevention strategies.

Part 1: Initiative and Policy Implications

The primary initiative under the federal strategy aims to enhance health data interoperability and standardization through the adoption of ICD-10-CM codes aligned with health IT systems. The goal is to improve clinical documentation, support population health management, and enable data-driven decision-making. This initiative promotes policies encouraging the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), standardized coding practices, and data sharing across healthcare providers, payers, and public health agencies (HHS, 2020).

The impact of this initiative has been substantial, with widespread adoption of ICD-10-CM increasing coding accuracy, reducing errors, and facilitating better health data analytics. Enhanced data granularity improves clinical outcomes, supports reimbursement accuracy, and enables research on disease trends. Today, ICD-10-CM coding also underpins value-based reimbursement models, aligning financial incentives with quality care measures.

This goal directly supports the delivery of high-quality care by enabling precise documentation of patient conditions, promoting personalized treatment plans, and supporting adherence to clinical guidelines. It also contributes to lowering healthcare costs through reduced billing errors, minimized claim denials, and streamlined administrative workflows. Furthermore, it fosters a healthier population by enabling public health agencies to monitor disease patterns and implement timely interventions. Engaged individuals benefit through access to accurate health records and participation in digital health initiatives.

Part 2: Data Breach Analysis

From the OCR Breach portal, one notable breach involved the [Entity Name], which reported a significant data breach affecting patient records. According to the press release, the breach compromised [specific data types, e.g., names, Social Security numbers, health information], impacting approximately [number] patients (HHS, 2024). The breach was initiated through [method, e.g., hacking, unauthorized access], and the health entity responded with measures such as notifying affected individuals, improving cybersecurity protocols, and offering credit monitoring services.

The breach emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity in protecting sensitive health information. If my personal information had been breached, I would take immediate action by changing passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, monitoring credit reports, and reporting the incident to authorities. Preventative strategies include regular cybersecurity training for staff, robust data encryption, vulnerability assessments, and strict access controls.

Conclusion

The integration of health IT, particularly through initiatives like ICD-10-CM implementation, has transformed healthcare delivery by enabling precise data capture, improved clinical and operational outcomes, and supporting policy goals centered around quality and cost reduction. However, data security remains a critical challenge, as illustrated by recent breaches, underscoring the need for continuous vigilance and technological safeguards. Moving forward, a collaborative effort among healthcare providers, policymakers, and cybersecurity experts is essential to maximize the benefits of health IT while safeguarding sensitive information.

References

• Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Federal Health IT Strategic Plan. https://www.healthit.gov/topic/health-it-strategic-plan
• HHS Office of Civil Rights. (2024). Breach portal. https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2019). ICD-10-CM/PCS Official Guidelines. https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/2020-ICD-10-CM
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