IT Healthcare Systems: Implications and Use of IT in the Healthcare System

Running head: IT HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS 1
IT Healthcare Systems
Students Name
Institution Affiliation

IT HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS 2
Abstract
Globally, healthcare is changing rapidly. There is an increase in the elderly population, which
has improved the demand for services and the prerequisite to manage the healthcare plan.
Technology has become a significant influence both in payments and healthcare service delivery.
Info IT has the capacity to advance the safety, quality, and efficacy of the healthcare sector. The
essence of (EHR)electronic health records is to offer better care for patients and aid in achieving
health equity. The EHR provides a platform the supports the recording of patient’s information
to improve service delivery in the healthcare sector and allows the analysis of data for the
medical practitioners, the government, and other medical-related agencies. This paper will
discuss the implications and use of IT in the healthcare system; in addition, it will outline the
applicable statutes and regulations, penalties and incentives set to control electronic health
records in the United States
Introduction
For quality healthcare facilities delivery, the relevant stakeholders must integrate
complex information from different sources, which consequently Increases the ability of the
medical practitioners to access and use the correct data from the patients readily. Also,
accessibility of information by the patient is essential is promoting efficient and quality of care
as they can access data, which aids them better manage their disorder and connect with their
healthcare service providers. Information technology enables medical practitioners and other
healthcare stakeholders to access and acquire new information quickly (Bornstein, 2012). IT
offers a remarkable feature that provides a platform that disseminates information that is
accessible on a global level regarding the prices of healthcare services and commodities. The
platform allows the recording and analysis of patient data. The data can be retrieved and used in

IT HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS 3
the implementation of significant policies that impact the healthcare sector to prevent and treat
the spread of some conditions.
Quality of healthcare has improved through the incorporation of IT in the healthcare
sector. Quality of care is delivered by offering correct patient records and allows medical
practitioners to comprehend the medical history of their patients (Slight et al., 2015). With a
comprehensive medical history, the medical practitioners can offer perfect remedies to the
patients’ problems hence reducing the instances of over-prescriptions that may be fatal to the
patients. The system guarantees patients' safety, decreases medical errors, and has improved the
interaction between patients and medical practitioners.
At least 96 percent of the healthcare providers in the US use certified EHR technology as
mandated by the HITECH 2009. The healthcare sector through the IT for Economic and Clinic
Health Act is allocated more than $35 billion government funding to encourage the
implementation of IT through EHR program (Slight et al., 2015). Incorporation of EHR in the
sector will help the medical practitioners evade medical errors, cut down on needless costs,
reduce bookkeeping, and consequently advance the quality of healthcare throughout the country
(Wright, Henkin, Feblowitz, McCoy, Bates & Sittig, 2013). Medicaid and Medicare EHR
programs offer financial incentives to qualified specialists who are in a position to prove
meaningful use of the certified EHR technology.
Meaningful Use Certified EHR Technology
Meaningful use signifies that the interested medical personals must demonstrate that they
are incorporating certified electronic health records in approaches that can be quantified in
quantity or quality. The main intention of meaningful use was to enhance the collaboration

IT HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS 4
between public and clinical healthcare, improve patient-centered preventive care and promote the
continued development of robust, and controlled exchanges of data (Slight et al., 2015). The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 indicates that there are three necessary
approaches to define meaningful use including;
1. The incorporation of certified EHR in a meaningful way, for example, in
e-prescribing.
2. The incorporation of certified EHR of health data to enhance the quality of
healthcare services.
3. The incoporation of certified EHR technology to offer quality measures as
well as other measures.
Medical specialists that are qualified for the Medicare EHR incentive program includea
the doctors of medicine and osteopathy, chiropractors, dentists, optometrists, and podiatrists
(Appari, Eric & Anthony, 2013). Medicaid HER incentive program encompassed qualified
professionals including doctors, nurses, midwives, and dentists. The two programs exclude
medical social workers, physical therapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, and
dieticians.
The named medical practitioners who wish to be qualified for the Medicaid EHR
incentive program must have a at least 30 percent Medicaid patient volume under their care. The
pediatricians are required to have at least of 20 percent of the patient’s capacity (Slight et al.,
2015). Or they practice predominately in federally fit healthcare or rural healthcare facilities with
a 30 percent minimum patient level associated with needy people.