2008-2009 Mission Critical HIM Research and Policy Priorities

The 2008-2009 mission critical HIM research and policy priority areas with implications for improving quality, patient safety, and operational efficiencies towards a more affordable and accessible health care system are:

• Workforce: Shortages, current and future best practices in HIM resources and shared expertise from HIM professionals

• Best Practices: Identification and dissemination of HIM field practices through scientific evaluation may yield new policies along the lines of incentive programs such as paying for quality for HIT/HIM implementation in medically underserved areas; effective and efficient management practices of electronic health records

• HIM and EHR/EMR Workflows: Re-examining and re-engineering workflow processes needed for greater patient safety and operational efficiencies in an environment where unprecedented health information dissemination and uptake, is combined with rapid diffusion of health information technology

• Electronic Health Records: Unintended clinical consequences/patient safety; legal and regulatory issues and implications around electronic health information exchange such as variation in local and national security measures (authentification, access) and patient identification standards

• National Standard Terminology and Coding Classification Systems: Inform future development and evolution of classifications such as ICD-10-CM, CPT, SNOMED CT; and identifying promising coding accuracy practices towards better management of health information
• Personal Health Records: Promoting and increasing the consumer awareness through research of the importance of managing health information