Glossary
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ARRA
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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 to provide a stimulus to the U.S. economy in the wake of the economic downturn. The Act includes federal tax cuts, expansion of unemployment benefits and other social welfare provisions, and domestic spending in education, health care, and infrastructure, including the energy sector. In included in the ARRA legislation is a HITECH provision focused on health information technology adoption and funding.
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CCHIT - Certification Commission for Healthcare IT
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CCHIT serves as the recognized US certification authority for electronic health records (EHR) and their networks. In September 2005, CCHIT was awarded a 3-year contract by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop and evaluate the certification criteria and inspection process for EHRs and the networks through which they interoperate. CCHIT serves one of the ONC-ATCB for electronic health record (EHR) certification. CCHIT was certified by the ONC on September 3, 2010 and is authorized to certify complete EHR and EHR modules
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CCOW - Clinical Context Object Workgroup
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CCOW is an HL7 standard protocol designed to enable disparate applications to synchronize in real-time and at the user-interface level. It is vendor independent and allows applications to present information at the desktop and/or portal level in a unified way
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CDR - Clinical Document Repository
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CDR enables hospitals to build a life-long health record environment using stored health records for the purpose of better treatment, clinical research and health statistics for policy making
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CCR - Continuity of Care Record
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CCR is an XML-based standard for the movement of “documents” between clinical applications. Furthermore, it responds to the need to organize and make transportable a set of basic information about a patient’s health care that is accessible to clinicians and patients. Read Understanding the Continuity of Care Record white paper.
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CDA - Clinical Document Architecture
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HL7 CDA uses XML for encoding of the documents and breaks down the document in generic, unnamed, and non-templated sections. Documents can include discharge summaries, progress notes, history and physical reports, prior lab results, etc. HL7’s CDA defines a very generic structure for delivering “any document” between systems. CDA was previously known as the Patient Record Architecture (PRA).
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CHPL - Certified Health IT Product List
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The Office of the National Coordinator has organized a Certified Health IT Product List for Ambulatory and Inpatient facilities looking to purchase a complete EHR or EHR module certified for the Meaningful Use incentive program. Each complete EHR and EHR module listed has been certified by an ONC-ATCB and reported to the ONC for use in the list. You can find a list of the reported certified complete EHR and EHR modules at http://onc-chpl.force.com/ehrcert.
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DICOM - Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine
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DICOM is a common format for image storage. It allows for handling, storing, printing, and transmitting information in medical imaging. Visit DICOM website
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EDI - Electronic Data Interchange
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EDI is a standard format for exchanging business data. The standard is ANSI X12, developed by the Data Interchange Standards Association. An EDI message contains a string of data elements; each represents a singular fact, such as a price, product model number, and is separated by delimiter. The entire string is called a data segment. One or more data segments framed by a header and trailer form a transaction set, which is the EDI unit of transmission (equivalent to a message). A transaction set often consists of what would usually be contained in a typical business document or form. The parties who exchange EDI transmissions are referred to as trading partners.
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EHR - Electronic Health Record
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EHR, as defined in Defining Key Health Information Technology Terms (The National Alliance for Health Information Technology, April 28, 2008): An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff across more than one health care organization.
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EMR - Electronic Medical Record
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EMR, as defined in Defining Key Health Information Technology Terms (The National Alliance for Health Information Technology, April 28, 2008): An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health care organization.
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EP - Eligible Professionals
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The HITECH Act recognizes three types of payers eligible for incentive payments under Meaningful Use. Those types are 1) Medicare Fee For Service (FFS), 2) Medicare Advantage (MA) and 3) Medicaid. The subsequent definition of an eligible professional differs according to Medicare and Medicaid. Eligible hospitals can be acute care (excluding long term care facilities), critical access hospitals and children’s hospitals. Eligible providers include non-hospital-based physicians who receive reimbursement through Medicare FFS program or a contractual relationship with a qualifying MA organization. Eligible providers are widely considered to be physicians whose practices are less than 90% inpatient and ER. Visit Everything HITECH for detailed information on eligible professionals. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has outlined the Meaningful Use Core Measures for Eligible Professionals as a part of the EHR Incentive Program.
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Health IT Policy Committee
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Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), The Health IT Policy Committee will make recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology – ONC - on a policy framework for the development and adoption of a nationwide health information infrastructure, including standards for the exchange of patient medical information.
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Health IT Standards Committee
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The Health IT Standards Committee will make recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (HIT) on standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for the electronic exchange and use of health information. In developing, harmonizing, or recognizing standards and implementation specifications, the HIT Standards Committee will also provide for the testing of the same by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST).
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HIE - Health Information Exchange
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HIE focuses on the mobilization of healthcare information electronically across organizations within a region or community. HIE provides the capability to electronically move clinical information between disparate health care information systems while maintaining the meaning of the information being exchanged. The goal of HIE is to facilitate access to and retrieval of clinical data to provide safe, and efficient patient-centered care.
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HIPAA
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The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1996. Title II of HIPAA, known as the Administrative Simplification (AS) provisions, requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers. This is intended to help people keep their information private, though in practice, it is normal for providers and health insurance plans to require the waiver of HIPAA rights as a condition of service. The Administration Simplification provisions also address the security and privacy of health data. The standards are meant to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation's health care system by encouraging the widespread use of electronic data interchange in the U.S. health care system.
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HIPPA - Business Associate
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A person or entity that performs certain functions or activities that involve the use or disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI) on the behalf of, or provides services to, a covered entity. A member of the covered entity’s workforce is not a business associate. A covered health care provider, health plan, or health care clearinghouse can be a business associate of another covered entity. The Privacy Rule lists some of the functions, activities, and services that make a person or entity a business associate, if the activity or service involves the use or disclosure of protected health information (PHI) covered under HIPAA. The types of functions or activities that may make a person or entity a business associate include payment or health care operations activities, and other activities regulated by the Administrative Simplification Rules.
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HIPAA - Protected Health Information (PHI)
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Protected health information (PHI) under HIPAA, is any information about an individual’s health status that identifies or relates to an individual's past, present or future physical or mental health, the provision of health care to the individual, or the past, present or future payment for health care. Information is deemed to identify an individual if it includes either the individual's name or any other information that could enable someone to determine the individual's identity.
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HITECH
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As a part of the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) refers to the portion of the ARRA that is used to increase the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) by physicians and hospitals. This legislation provides immediate funding for health information technology infrastructure, training, dissemination of best practices, telemedicine, inclusion of health information technology in clinical education, and State grants to promote health information technology.
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HL7 – Health Level Seven
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HL7 is a Standards Developing Organization accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to author consensus-based standards representing a board view from healthcare system stakeholders. HL7 has compiled a collection of message formats and related clinical standards that define an ideal presentation of clinical information, and together the standards provide a framework in which data may be exchanged. Visit the HL7 organization website or HL7Standards.com for more HL7 information.
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ICD-9
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ICD-9 is a classification used in the medical field that stands for International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision. This classification is predominately the standard classification of diseases, injuries, and cause of death for the purpose of health records. The World Health Organization (WHO) assigns, publishes, and uses the ICD to classify diseases and to track mortality rates based on death certificates and other vital health records. Medical conditions and diseases are translated into a single format with the use of ICD codes.
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IHE - Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise
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IHE is an initiative by healthcare professionals and industry to improve the way computer systems in healthcare share information. Visit the IHE website.
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LOINC - Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes
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LOINC applies universal code names and identifiers to medical terminology related to the EHR and assists in the electronic exchange and gathering of clinical results (such as laboratory tests, clinical observations, outcomes management and research). See What are LOINC Codes?
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NCPDP - National Council for Prescription Drug Programs
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The NCPDP creates and promotes the transfer of data related to medications, supplies, and services within the healthcare system through the development of standards and industry guidance. Visit the NCPDP website.
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NIST - National Institute of Standards and Technology
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Founded in 1901, NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. NIST's mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. NIST have made solid contributions to image processing. Visit the NIST website.
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ONC - Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Located within the Office of the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) coordinates nationwide efforts to support the adoption of health information technology and the promotion of health information exchange to improve health care. The ONC position was established in 2004 with an Executive Order and legislatively mandated in the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) of 2009.
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ONC-ATCB - ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies
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Following the Meaningful Use stage one final rule in July of 2010, the Office of the National Coordinator selected six organizations to assume responsibility for the certification of complete EHR and EHR modules. These ONC-ATCB are required to certify based upon the certification requirements outlined in the Standards and Certification Criteria Final Rule. According to the ONC, "Certification by an ATCB will signify to eligible professionals, hospitals, and critical access hospitals that an EHR technology has the capabilities necessary to support their efforts to meet the goals and objectives of Meaningful Use."
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PHR - Personal Health Record
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PHR, as defined in Defining Key Health Information Technology Terms (The National Alliance for Health Information Technology, April 28, 2008): An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be drawn from multiple sources while being managed, shared, and controlled by the individual.
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PMS - Practice Management System
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PMS applications facilitate the day-to-day operations of a medical practice. PMS software enables users to capture patient demographics, schedule appointments, maintain lists of insurance payers, perform billing tasks, and generate reports. It handles the administrative and financial matters for a practice.
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Surescripts LLC
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Surescripts LLC serves one of the ONC-ATCB for electronic health record (EHR) certification. Surescripts LLC was certified by the ONC on December 23, 2010 and is authorized to certify EHR modules for e-prescribing, privacy and security. Visit the Surescripts LLC website