Prepare: Review Resources On Healthcare Policy

To Prepare: Review the Resources On Healthcare Policy And Regulatoryle

To Prepare: Review the Resources on healthcare policy and regulatory/legislative topics related to health and nursing informatics. Consider the role of the nurse informaticist in relation to a healthcare organization’s compliance with various policies and regulations, such as the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). Research and select one health or nursing informatics policy (within the past 5 years) or regulation for further study. The Assignment: (1 page) Create a 1-page fact sheet that your healthcare organization could hypothetically use to explain the health or nursing informatics policy/regulation you selected. Your fact sheet should address the following: Briefly and generally explain the policy or regulation you selected. Address the impact of the policy or regulation you selected on system implementation. Address the impact of the policy or regulation you selected on clinical care, patient/provider interactions, and workflow. Highlight organizational policies and procedures that are/will be in place at your healthcare organization to address the policy or regulation you selected. Be specific.

Paper For Above instruction

The landscape of healthcare regulation and policy has become increasingly complex with the rapid expansion of health and nursing informatics. One prominent regulation within recent years is the 21st Century Cures Act, enacted in 2016, which aims to accelerate medical innovation, facilitate data sharing, and improve patient access to health information. As healthcare organizations implement this regulation, it significantly influences system deployment, clinical workflows, and patient-provider interactions, emphasizing the critical role of nurse informaticists in ensuring compliance and optimizing health IT systems.

The 21st Century Cures Act mandates the interoperability of health information technology (IT) and aims to improve real-time data sharing among providers, patients, and other stakeholders. This regulation impacts system implementation by requiring organizations to adopt more integrated and flexible electronic health records (EHR) systems capable of seamless data exchange. Healthcare providers, especially nurse informaticists, play a vital role in aligning system features with regulatory requirements, emphasizing data accessibility, security, and patient privacy. The shift towards interoperable systems enhances data accuracy, reduces redundancies, and supports clinical decision-making by providing comprehensive and timely health information.

In clinical care, the Cures Act fosters a more collaborative and transparent environment, improving patient/provider interactions through enhanced access to real-time health data. Patients can engage more actively in their care, review their health information, and communicate with providers via secure portals. For clinicians, this means more informed decision-making and the ability to coordinate care across different settings more efficiently, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes.

Workflow within healthcare organizations is reshaped by this regulation as processes evolve to accommodate data sharing requirements. Nursing workflows, in particular, are impacted by the need to document and access patient information efficiently while maintaining compliance with privacy and security standards. Organizations must establish policies that support staff training in new systems, protocols for data governance, and mechanisms for troubleshooting interoperability issues. These policies are essential to ensure that the technological advancements translate into actual improvements in patient care and operational efficiencies.

To address these regulatory requirements, healthcare organizations typically develop specific policies and procedures such as mandatory staff training on interoperability standards, data security protocols, and regular system audits. Many institutions also establish committees for health IT governance to oversee compliance efforts and ensure that workflows are adjusted to meet regulatory standards. These measures are vital for maintaining legal compliance, safeguarding patient information, and maximizing the benefits of health IT enhancements driven by the Cures Act.

References

• American Medical Association. (2021). The 21st Century Cures Act: What providers need to know. AMA Journal of Ethics, 23(2), E124-130.
• Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. (2020). Final rule on interoperability, information blocking, and the ONC health IT certification program. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Blumenthal, D., & Tavenner, M. (2010). The "meaningful use" regulation for electronic health records. New England Journal of Medicine, 363(6), 501-504.
• Williams, F., & Kessler, R. (2019). Implementing health information exchange: Challenges and solutions. Journal of Healthcare Quality, 41(3), 142-149.
• Adler-Milstein, J., et al. (2020). Interoperability in healthcare: Challenges and opportunities. Health Affairs, 39(5), 755-762.
• Hersh, W. (2019). Health information technology: What is the next frontier? Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(12), 1274–1278.
• US Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). Promoting innovation in health IT: The 21st Century Cures Act. HHS.gov.
• Friedman, C. P., et al. (2019). Toward a national health IT infrastructure. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(8-9), 785-794.
• Kellermann, A. L., & Jones, S. S. (2013). What it will take to achieve the as-yet-unfulfilled promises of health information technology. Health Affairs, 32(1), 63–68.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2021). Interoperability and patient access final rule. CMS.gov.