Health Information Managers Respond to Auditor General's Report on eHealth
Ontario
CHIMA, the national professional association, represents more than 4,500 certified Health Information Management (HIM(TM)) professionals from across
"CHIMA strongly supports the transition to electronic health records across
The Auditor General's report notes that while significant progress has been made in developing the eHealth infrastructure, little progress has been made with respect to content or in convincing healthcare practitioners to use the system. To date, CHIMA has not been consulted by eHealth Ontario or the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care on its eHealth initiatives. That too has been a source of frustration, because these deficiencies identified by the Auditor General were foreseen by CHIMA and are the areas in which CHIMA has expertise. We have the skills and knowledge to help with the Auditor's recommendations.
A key element in the existing eHealth strategy is consent management. As described in the Auditor's report, the issues of consent management has plagued eHealth and this is one area in which CHIMA has a wealth of experience from which to draw. Technology is the enabler, but the logistics, the processes, and the safeguards that are essential are an area in which CHIMA members have vast experience. Years of working with paper records has given the HIM professional a unique perspective on the nuances of consents and operationalizing processes.
In early 2009, CHIMA although not invited to provide a response to the eHealth strategy, did submit a detailed response in support of the eHealth initiatives and outlined areas of CHIMA member expertise. On
HIM professionals support care, patient safety, research, risk management, quality improvement, planning, funding and fiscal responsibility through the collection and analysis of health care data to produce quality information. Our Association hopes that as the eHealth agenda moves forward in Ontario that the HIM professionals are involved in these initiatives.
For further information: For further information: Gail Crook, CHE, CHIM, CEO & Registrar, CHIMA, Email: [email protected]
Share this article