Health Information Technology (HIT)

The Health Information Technology (HIT) Program of the IHP is funded by Michigan Medicaid to help achieve the goals of its Meaningful Use Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program and other Health Information Technology (HIT) programs. These programs improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of health care in Michigan. Current project activities include:

1. Assessing the effects of HIT, including ICD-9 “E” (external causes of injury) codes, redundant lab orders, electronic prescribing, recommended preventive service adherence, quality outcomes related to EHR adoption, and consumer perceptions of personal health records;
2. Describing the characteristics of eligible professionals who have successfully attested and received payments under the EHR incentive program;
3. Continued outreach for the Medicaid EHR Incentive program to eligible hospitals and professionals;
4. Analysis of clinician HIT use, including barriers to meaningful use of EHRs, physician workflow and decision-making behavior involving information technology tools;
5. Market analysis using tools such as geographical information systems (GIS) to help determine gaps in EHR incentive outreach, availability of HIE services, and resources to aid attainment of meaningful use;
6. Outreach efforts to address privacy and security concerns through education and outreach on HIPAA (as amended by HITECH), ONC policies, and state law; and
7. Evaluation of the outcomes related to meaningful use measures, such as the effects (if any) of providing patients with clinical summaries of each office visit.