Improving Access to Health Through Collaboration: Lessons Learned from The Colorado Trust's Partnerships for Health Initiative Evaluation

This report presents findings from the evaluation of four Partnerships in Health Initiative grantees that were addressing access to health in their communities through the formation of collaboratives. Outcomes achieved by the grantees as well as lessons learned for others embarking on collaborative processes are described

Engaging Patients in Health System Transformation: The experience of the Maine Health Access Foundation\u27s (MeHAF) Advancing Payment Reform Initiative

In 2001, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) identified patient centeredness as one of six essential aims of “a new health care system for the 21st century”.1 Since that time, we have begun a gradual shift from a professionally driven system toward one that is more “patient centered” or “consumer centered,” recognizing and incorporating patients’ perspectives in decisions in clinical care, delivery system, and policies. As the health care system responds to new payment approaches and positions itself to achieve the Triple Aim (i.e. better care, lower cost, enhanced patient experience), it is important to assess how organizations that are moving to advance health care service delivery and payment reform are integrating patient engagement into the health system transformation process. Since 2011, the Maine Health Access Foundation’s Advancing Payment Reform initiative has funded 13 health system transformation projects. Diverse in their approach, each has undertaken efforts to achieve greater patient engagement ranging from involving patients and families as informed and active participants in their own health care (e.g. shared decision making, self-management) to involving patients at the organizational or policy-level through consumer advisory boards and other means to provide guidance for health system transformation. This brief summarizes the experience of these grantees in developing and implementing strategies to engage patients in payment reform and delivery system redesign.2 The purpose is to identify common themes and lessons within and across these initiatives to inform future patient engagement efforts

BioSense 2.0 final evaluation plan

In 2003 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched BioSense 1.0 as a nationwide integrated system for early detection and assessment of bioterrorism-related illness that would receive automated data feeds from hospitals and medical facilities operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD). In the years that followed, BioSense 1.0 added syndromic data from state health departments, anti-infective prescription data, and laboratory data from selected vendors. In June 2010 a 4-year effort, the BioSense Redesign project, was initiated to transform BioSense 1.0 to BioSense 2.0\u2014an all-hazards surveillance system that would provide multipurpose value and timely data for regional and national public health situation awareness, routine public health practice, and health outcomes and public health improvement.Drawing upon 8 years of programmatic experience, stakeholder meetings, U.S. Senate\u2019s input, General Accounting Office (GAO) reports, and a year of intensive user requirements gathering, the redesigned BioSense 2.0 aims to:\u2022 Incorporate state and local public health partners\u2019 input into the BioSense Program design and governance.\u2022 Promote a proactive, collaborative, and transparent community.\u2022 Support the transmittal of syndromic surveillance data to meet Meaningful Use requirements.\u2022 Support an open, distributed computing model.\u2022 Improve the utility of the data/data sources.\u2022 Facilitate real-time interjurisdictional communication and collaboration.\u2022 Promote innovative epidemiological methods and practices.\u2022 Enhance the capacity of the public health workforce for surveillance practice.BioSense 2.0 represents a significant realignment of structure and governance from the previous system. Now in its third year, the BioSense Redesign has focused on coordinating efforts across multiple stakeholders [CDC, Association of State and Territorial Health Officers (ASTHO), National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE)], and the International Society for Disease Surveillance (ISDS), enhancing program visibility and recognition, building local capacity through training and technical assistance, and supporting the expansion of BioSense 2.0 through targeted recruitment and onboarding activities. The BioSense Redesign effort now requires a formative evaluation to ensure it is on track to achieve BioSense 2.0 aims.RTI Project Number 0212633.002.0022013660

The Path to Health Information Technology Adoption: How Far Have We Reached?

Health Information Technology (HIT) is an overarching framework that describes the management of health information across various computerized systems and the secure exchange between consumers, providers, government, and insurers. It has been viewed as a promising tool for improving the overall quality, safety and efficiency of the health delivery system (Chaudhry et al., 2006). This capstone examines the problem of urban rural divide in the process of Health IT adoption especially with regard to Electronic Health Records (EHRs). This paper also tracks the progress made during years 2009 to 2013 to the process of Electronic Health Record adoption in the United States

HITECH Revisited

Assesses the 2009 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, which offers incentives to adopt and meaningfully use electronic health records. Recommendations include revised criteria, incremental approaches, and targeted policies

CHAC

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) convened a meeting of the CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STD Prevention and Treatment (CHAC). The proceedings were held on December 11-12, 2012 at the Hilton Rockville Hotel in Rockville, Maryland.201

Poverty, the Great Unequalizer: Improving the Delivery System for Civil Legal Aid

When individuals in the United States face civil justice issues, they are not entitled to legal counsel and therefore must secure paid counsel, proceed pro se or qualify for free legal assistance. As a result of the economic downturn, the number of Americans who are unable to afford legal counsel is now at an all-time high. In response to this ever-widening justice gap, the public interest community has launched multiple initiatives to supplement the underfunded legal aid system. Though valiant, this article argues that this approach has unfortunately created a complex, fragmented and overlapping delivery system for legal aid. This article first provides an understanding of the current civil legal landscape, especially as it impacts low-income and modest-means Americans. This article then examines the many initiatives developed as a means of closing the justice gap and whether such initiatives have helped or harmed underserved populations. Finally, this article proposes three specific reforms – the development of a comprehensive triage mechanism, the infusion of business process improvement within legal aid organizations and the creation of legal information exchange organizations – all of which, if implemented, will make great strides toward streamlining the delivery system for civil legal aid

Health Information Technology Adoption Among Health Centers: A Digital Divide in the Making?

This background paper describes the current status of efforts to implement health information technology in community health centers. It summarizes the benefits experienced by health centers that have pioneered the use of information technology and examines the challenges that have hindered wider adoption. The paper identifies a range of policy options that have been considered to promote broader use of information technology by health centers

Commonwealth Fund - 2006 Annual Report

Contains mission statement, president's message, program information, grants list, financial statements, project summaries, and list of board members and staff