The American Health Information Management Association has named its top seven health IT initiatives for health IT professionals to focus on in the coming year, CMIO reports.
The guide was published in the January edition of the Journal of AHIMA (Gale, CMIO, 1/5).
Top Seven Issues
According to AHIMA, the top health IT initiatives for health information management professionals are:
- ICD-10, as organizations will intensify efforts to modify their systems to meet the Oct. 1, 2013, implementation deadline for ICD-10 medical codes;
- Accountable care organizations, as ACO networks are expected to grow in 2012 among independent and private payers;
- Meaningful use, as the final rule for Stage 2 will be released this year, and discussion will start on Stage 3 requirements;
- Health information exchange, as state-level exchanges are expected to develop sustainability plans in 2012 (Rodak, Becker's Hospital Review, 1/5);
- Privacy and security, as CMS is expected to release final rules on HIPAA modifications under the HITECH Act;
- Electronic health records, as the use of patient portals will place demands on health IT professionals to ensure that data are accurate and confidential (CMIO, 1/5); and
- Data, as the creation, management and use of data will be important, and because of the role of data in calculating reimbursement (AHIMA release, 1/4).