Author: Emily Hughes
CSRS Integration with NC HealthConnex
NC HealthConnex is working with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Division of Mental Health to build a single sign-on from the NC HealthConnex clinical portal to the state’s prescription-drug monitoring program, called the Controlled Substances Reporting System (CSRS), utilizing the Appriss application programming interface (API).
This integration creates an additional pathway for providers to access the CSRS to meet STOP Act requirements and helps combat the opioid epidemic in North Carolina.
NC HealthConnex clinical portal users will soon be able to access the NC CSRS within the NC HealthConnex clinical portal. NC HealthConnex participants who have completed the access request process will begin onboarding in August 2020.
ONC’s Cures Act Final Rule is Now Effective
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) 21st Century Cures Act Final Rule is effective as of June 30, 2020. The 21st Century Cures Act Final Rule provides that health care providers and payers give patients secure access to their health information. Please click here for detailed information about the rule.
Since the 21st Century Cures Act Final Rule became effective June 30, 2020, the 2014 Edition from ONC’s Health IT Certification Program will now be retired. This includes all 2014 Edition certification criteria and related standards, terms, and requirements, which will be removed from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Additionally, the rule made changes to the 2015 Health IT Certification Criteria including introducing a small number of certification criteria, revised some criteria and removed several criteria. The 2015 Edition also established that the data required by the United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) standard should be met instead of the Common Clinical Data Set. For more information regarding these changes, click here.
Additionally, ONC has released new data on ways that substance use disorder treatment facilities managed health information throughout 2017. The data revealed that more than half of these facilities utilized both electronic and paper methods when collecting and exchanging patient records. To read the complete brief, click here.
NC DHHS: Immunization Reminder Feature
The Standards for Child and Adolescent Immunization Practices and the Standards for Adult Immunization Practices recommend that providers develop and implement aggressive tracking systems that will both remind parents of upcoming immunizations and recall children who are overdue. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) supports the use of reminder/recall systems by all provider types. Patient reminders and recall messages are messages to patients or their parents stating that recommended immunizations are due soon (reminders) or past due (recall messages). The messages vary in their level of personalization and specificity, the mode of communication, (e.g., postcard, letter, telephone), and the degree of automation. Both reminders and recall messages have been found to be effective in increasing patients keeping appointments and improving vaccination rates in various settings.
Providers can create reminder and recall systems that help them remember which patients’ routine immunizations are due soon or past due. Examples of reminder/recall messages are:
- A computer-generated list that notifies a provider of the children to be seen that clinic session whose vaccinations are past due.
- A stamp with a message such as “No Pneumococcal Vaccine on Record,” that a receptionist or nurse can put on the chart of a person age 65 years or older.
- An “Immunization Due” clip that a nurse attaches to the chart of an adolescent who has not had HPV vaccine.
- An electronic reminder which appears when providers access an electronic medical record.
Source: NC Division of Public Health Immunization Registry
COVID-19 Response
For legislative updates and more information about mandated deadlines, please visit our FAQ page.
NC HIEA Calendar of Events
- How to Connect Call – Monday, July 27, at 12 p.m. Interested providers are invited to join a monthly "How to Connect" call to learn about who we are, the state mandate, steps to connect, as well as value-added features.
- NC HIEA Advisory Board Meeting – Wednesday, September 30, at 2 p.m.
In the News
How a Rural Hospital Leveraged Health IT to Combat COVID-19 - A small, non-profit hospital, located in a rural town of roughly 15,000 people, was confronted with the most COVID-19 cases per capita in Missouri. www.ehrintelligence.com
Enhancing Technology to Better Communicate Advance Care Planning Information - Encouraging individuals to “plan for care in advance” has been a challenge for decades. Statistically, less than 40% of American adults complete advance care plans, and far fewer of these documents are found by providers when they are needed. The reasons for this are complex, involving a range of legal, cultural, and other issues, but technology can help significantly improve the odds if applied well. www.ncmedicaljournal.com
Interoperability Rules Are Delayed: Why That’s Good News And Bad News - In April, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced they would delay the enforcement of its Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rules until 2021. www.forbes.com
Encounter notifications spur a better transition of care that prevents readmissions - The transition of care is a critical time for patient intervention to prevent readmissions and emergency room visits, according to Dr. Holly Dahlman, CEO and lead physician of Green Spring Internal Medicine in Maryland. www.healthcarefinancenews.com
NCDHHS to Deploy Up to 300 Free Testing Sites in Underserved Communities - The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today launched the Community testing in High-priority And Marginalized Populations (CHAMP) Initiative to increase access to no-cost COVID-19 testing for African American, LatinX/Hispanic and American Indian communities that currently have limited testing sites. www.ncdhhs.gov
$50 billion spent on health care in NC – here's who pays the most - An analysis of insurance claims highlights which parts of the state are paying more for health care. www.bizjournals.com/triangle/