Welcome to HIMSS’ Health IT Policy Update, bringing you the latest news on health IT legislative and regulatory developments from HIMSS’ Government Relations team.  We welcome your feedback.  If you’re reading this complimentary newsletter online or receiving it as a forward, please subscribe!
 
Congressional Affairs
 
 
Early Friday morning, just hours past the midnight deadline for a government shutdown, Congress took bipartisan action that ushered in big wins for two key HIMSS priorities – expansion of telehealth and passage of a budget vehicle to allow for increased health spending.
 
Federal Affairs
 
 
In this letter, HIMSS leverages its members' expertise in providing feedback on how clinical decision support (CDS) software helps providers, and ultimately patients, identify the most appropriate treatment plan for their disease or condition.
 
 
 
As previously laid out in the HIMSS 2017 Congressional Ask, and reiterated in this letter, HIMSS and PCHAlliance, strongly encourage the FCC to adopt policies that prepare the RHC Program to support technologies beyond telehealth.
 
State Affairs
 
 

Discussions focused on telehealth, the opioid epidemic, cyber security, cyber insurance, data storytelling, and care coordination and information exchange.
 
 
 

This prescription monitoring program (PMP) data allows clinicians to view a patient’s history of controlled substance prescriptions across state borders and providers.

 
 
 

Remote patient monitoring is used to provide healthcare to patients with chronic diseases like congestive heart failure, diabetes as well as other illnesses.
 
HIMSS News
 
 
To facilitate improved outcomes in any organization, strong communication is absolutely essential. In a healthcare setting, the importance of communication is so crucial, lives depend on it. Modern digital health innovations like the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) ℠ have assisted in streamlining communications for providers and patients alike.
 
 
 
2018 marks the 19th year for the IHE North American (NA) Connectathon sponsored by IHE USA, a HIMSS sponsored organization. The event brought together health IT vendors, government agencies and technology users in a unique setting where all professions – despite differences in the scope of their work – could connect as a group to network, brainstorm and ultimately work together to advance the adoption of more interoperable health IT systems.
 
 
 
Last October we announced the launch of our exciting new student case competition, Defining the Future of Transformative Care Today. The case study challenge provides students with the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience that isn’t always accessible in a typical classroom or lecture hall setting. Working together with a team of bright and like-minded health IT students, the student groups rolled up their sleeves and quickly got to work navigating HIMSS-supplied case studies.
 
 
 

Most healthcare data today exists in healthcare organizations within various data silos. Information sharing is either absent or extremely limited.


There exists vast, unlocked value in sharing healthcare data in a targeted, secure manner to help enable improved quality of patient care and reduced healthcare costs.
 
Upcoming Events
 

Feb 10, 2018
8:00 am – 4:30 pm CST
CAHIMS Bootcamp | Belmont University College of Pharmacy

Belmont University | Frist Lecture Hall | Nashville, TN
 
 

Feb 13, 2018
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CST
 
 

Feb 15, 2018
11:30 am – 1:00 pm CST
2018 February Lunch & Learn | San Antonio Chapter of HIMSS

Old San Francisco Steak House | 10223 Sahara Drive | San Antonio, TX 78216
 
 

Feb 15, 2018
1:00 pm CST
 
 
Click here to view additional events.
 
 
HIMSS TV kicks off live at HIMSS18! Tune in >>
 
Renew Your HIMSS Membership
 
Your membership dues contribute to the education, resources, and thought leadership necessary to drive your career and our industry forward. Take a moment today to login to your account to ensure that your membership is up to date. If you need a paper invoice, request via email at membersupport@himss.org. Thank you for your support!
 
 
Health IT Policy Update is a weekly online newsletter published by HIMSS.

Copyright© 2016 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission. Contact HIMSS Publications at 33 West Monroe Street, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60603-5616; avenditto@himssmedia.com


For information on Health IT Policy Update:
Samatha Burch
Senior Director, Congressional Affairs
HIMSS North America
sbburch@himss.org, 703-562-8847


Advertising inquiries:
HIMSS Media Solutions


The inclusion of an organization name, product or service in this publication should not be construed as a HIMSS endorsement of such organization, product or service, nor is the failure to include an organization name, product or service to be construed as disapproval.