Appendix to Hitech Act

Posted February 26, 2009 by   · Print This Post Print This Post

Key Definitions
(which build upon existing definitions under the Social Security Act and HIPAA).

Electronic health record – an electronic record of health-related information on an individual that is created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized health care clinicians and staff.

Personal health record – means an electronic record of individually identifiable health information on an individual that can be drawn from multiple sources and that is managed, shared, and controlled by or for the individual.

Certified EHR technology .–The term `certified EHR technology’ means a qualified electronic health record that is certified pursuant to section 3001(c)(5) as meeting standards adopted under section 3004 that are applicable to the type of record involved (as determined by the Secretary, such as an ambulatory electronic health record for office-based physicians or an inpatient hospital electronic health record for hospitals).

Enterprise integration .–The term `enterprise integration’ means the electronic linkage of health care providers, health plans, the government, and other interested parties, to enable the electronic exchange and use of health information among all the components in the health care infrastructure in accordance with applicable law, and such term includes related application protocols and other related standards.

Health information technology .–The term `health information technology’ means hardware, software, integrated technologies or related licenses, intellectual property, upgrades, or packaged solutions sold as services that are designed for or support the use by health care entities or patients for the electronic creation, maintenance, access, or exchange of health information.

Qualified electronic health record.– The term qualified electronic health record’ means an electronic record of health-related information on an individual that– includes patient demographic and clinical health information, such as medical history and problem lists; and has the capacity–

(i) to provide clinical decision support;

(ii) to support physician order entry;

(iii) to capture and query information relevant to health care quality; and

(iv) to exchange electronic health information with, and integrate such information from other sources.

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