Oklahoma State Department of Health

PROJECT PURPOSE

Enhance Critical Public Health IT Infrastructure, While Modernizing Oklahoma?s Local Public Health System? The primary investment would be to implement an Electronic Health Record (EHR) to replace a manual system of patient care and management throughout our local public health system. The new EHR would not only provide technology to support the services being provided to date, but also would allow for a telehealth expansion opportunity increasing access to care. The EHR would allow OSDH to collect demographic, symptom and treatment information and order laboratory tests for patients seen at the Local Health Department for conditions of public health significance. This information would then be available to work with the surveillance system for investigation and reporting, collect medical billing and offer participation in the state?s health information exchange. Successful implementation would create a national model healthcare delivery system that transforms rural health outcomes and economics. Further, this is a critical component to allow public health to integrate with the state?s rapidly developing Health Information Exchange (OKSHINE). Without an EHR, critical public health information would be absent from that system significantly limiting its potential to benefit Oklahoma. Further, an EHR coupled with a telehealth system will allow for remote clinical services, such as diagnosis and monitoring even in more rural settings, which often offsets barriers to care such as lack of transport, a lack of mobility, conditions due to outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics, decreased funding, or a lack of staff.

EVIDENCE

According to a systematic review of several studies on EHRs, the overall consensus is that the EHR can improve productivity and efficiency, which is beneficial to clients. It will also result in better data sharing making a person?s quality of care more comprehensive and less likely to result in error. Kruse, C. S., Stein, A., Thomas, H., & Kaur, H. (2018). The use of Electronic Health Records to Support Population Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Journal of medical systems, 42(11), 214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-018-1075-6

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Rural populations in Oklahoma have substantial healthcare limitations often resulting in poorer health outcomes. The County Health Departments (CHD) serve as a clinical point of entry for many Oklahomans that live in rural parts of the state. The implementation of an EHR within the CHDs will result in increasing operational efficiencies such as the ability of providers to streamline care and improve treatment outcomes, fewer errors, real time reporting of conditions, and improve public health and care coordination. These benefits will directly impact the health and wellness for rural Oklahomans.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

The EHR will assist the public health system by improving efficiencies, increasing positive patient outcomes, and population health in its entirety. Being able to capture and organize large amounts of patient data, safely and securely, is critical to establish data standards in support of the public health for Oklahomans. Project performance will be measured by the percentage increase in billing and the amount of data collected which was previously unavailable. A successful implementation would allow for OSDH to be able to capture, report, and interact with other data including but not limited to test ordering, case management, interoperability, and integration with vital records and lab test ordering.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma