Health information technology

HIT Toolkit for Family Physicians
TAFP has made available a library of tools and resources to help family physicians earn health information technology incentive payments available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, otherwise known as the federal stimulus bill. Physicians have the opportunity to earn up to $44,000 through Medicare or up to $63,750 through Texas Medicaid to help them at any stage in the process of “getting wired,” whether implementing HIT for the first time, upgrading an existing system, or improving an EHR to meet newly defined standards. The materials in the HIT toolkit were developed by the California Academy of Family Physicians with grant support from The Physicians Foundation. They have been adapted for Texas and were posted in March 2011.

> EHR Incentive Program Basic Facts
> Five Things to Do NOW
> A Physician’s Guide to Working with the HIT Regional Extension Centers in Texas
> Why Implement an Electronic Health Record?
> Determinants of Successful EHR Implementation
> Patient Volume Information
> CAFP EHR Readiness Assessment Tool
> Summary of Meaningful Use Objectives for Eligible Professionals
> What Do Federal EHR Incentives and Meaningful Use Mean to You?
> EHR Vendor Selection and Contracting
> Vendor Selection Tools (Chart)
> Available HIT Tools and Resources (Links)
> Health Information Technology in Primary Care: A Bibliography

AAFP Center for Health Information Technology
Stay informed on the latest news, tools and tutorials of cutting-edge technology through AAFP’s Center for Health Information Technology. Just for you, the center can help you improve the quality and safety of your medical care and increase the efficiency of your medical practice. Plus, use the physician product reviewer and EHR user directory to access reviews searchable by regional availability, initial cost, hosting models, and operating system.
> Center for Health Information Technology

Get help with your EHR with the Texas RECs
To help physicians implement health information technology, federal legislation created HIT Regional Extension Centers. There are four in Texas. The RECs support physician practices at any stage of EHR implementation through on-site consulting. Whether starting with a paper-based system or looking to optimize your current EHR to qualify for the federal incentives, the Texas RECs can help you fully realize the benefits of electronic health records in improving efficiencies and patient care. Plus, primary care physicians qualify for a grant that lowers the annual price of services to $300 per physician.
> Learn more about the Texas RECs, available incentives, REC and incentive eligibility, and meaningful use at www.texmed.org/rec.

TMA HIT offers free phone consultations
Need help with health information technology? TMA members can receive a free 30-minute phone consultation on electronic health records, e-prescribing, federal incentives, and meaningful use. TMA’s HIT staff will talk with physicians one-on-one to answer their questions: What EHR incentive program is right for me? Will EHRs be mandatory? What steps are required to earn EHR incentives? How long will incentives be available? Where can I turn for on-site technical consulting?
> Schedule a consultation by e-mailing HIT@texmed.org with your name, phone number, and preferred contact time (morning, afternoon, evening), or by calling the TMA HIT helpline at (800) 880-5720.