Fall 2010 SPPD 511 SYLLABUS – Health Information Systems

School of Policy, Planning and Development

University of Southern California

Gail Hybl Medeiros760-696-3568(H) 760-859-7993 ©

(please indicate in subject of email: USCSPPD)

James Hale 213.284.3984(c) 323.866.8492(o)

Dates: Session I: September 17,18 2010

Session II: November 12,13 2010

Time: Friday: 1:00-8:30 PM & Saturday: 9:30-5:00 PM

Location: RGL Room 100

Course Overview

Purpose and Scope

The nation's healthcare system is undergoing a transformation in an effort to improve quality, safety and efficiency of care. Consumers, providers and the government are united in these goals. Many believe that revolutionary developments in information technology hold the promise to the successful transformation in healthcare. The Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs are designed to support providers in this period of transition, but the impact of this historic change on both providers and patients will stretch far beyond the duration of these programs.

The Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs provide a financial reward for the meaningful use of qualified, certified EHRs to achieve health and efficiency goals. By implementing and meaningfully using an EHR system, CMS believes that providers will reap benefits beyond financial incentives - like reduction in errors, availability of records and data, reminders and alerts, clinical decision support and e-prescribing / refill automation.

Yet the degree to which healthcare information technologies are able to deliver on these promises depends greatly on how these technologies are deployed and managed. This course will examine approaches to planning, selecting, implementing, and evaluating health information technology. We will consider clinical requirements, regulatory environment and changes in healthcare consumerism. We will consider issues facing HIT adoption within various healthcare settings.

Regulatory impact will specifically reference the ARRA legislation:.

On Feb. 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), a critical measure to stimulate the economy. Among other provisions, the new law provides major opportunities for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), its partner agencies, and the States to improve the nation’s health care through health information technology (HIT) by promoting the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR) via incentives.

For a copy of the full bill, go to:

The ARRA authorizes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide reimbursement incentives for physician and hospital providers who are successful in becoming “meaningful users” of an EHR by 2011 with penalties following in 2015 if they are not actively utilizing an EHR. We will explore the definition of meaningful use of electronic health records as recommended by the Meaningful Use Work Group of the Health IT Policy Committee.

Evaluation of websites, social media and other emerging consumer tools will address theemerging power of the voice of the consumerin healthcare information technology design. Given the context of this class in the SPPD, we will consider what special accommodations should be given to consumers with special needs in the design of information management tools in healthcare.

Demonstrations of emerging HIT and Telehealth will bring real world implementation challenges to light, reveal results and future applications. .

Designed to provide a broad perspective, we will examine the newest steps our government and healthcare institutions are taking toward adoption of interoperability of health information technology and remaining challenges.

Patient connectedness with their medical information and ownership of their medical record will be explored through evaluation of current and emerging tools including online resources for storing patient history, patient online communities and medical record information.

Goals & Objectives

Goal: The goal of the course is to provide students with a broad understanding of the challenges facing health executives in selecting and implementing a health information system. The course is also designed to provide context for the growing discussion on electronic medical records,health information exchange and its impact on the internal and external environments shaping the healthcare industry.

Objectives: The objective of the course is to provide students with an understanding of the:

  • Challenges facing healthcare executives relative to HIT in different institutional settings.
  • Exposure to emerging new technologies in HIT such as robotics, tele-medicine, and social media.
  • Case studies which highlight implementation challenges and success with health information technology implementations.
  • Consider tools and approaches to help providers communicate effectively with diverse patient populations and patients with disabilities.
  • Review meaningful use requirements to qualify for CMS incentive.
  • Understanding how Enterprise Resource Planning software packages are used within the healthcare field
  • Understanding Project Management
  • Examine the emergence of the empowered patient consumer , changing demands, personal health records, privacy concerns

Recommended Texts (not required) and Online Research:

A basic healthcare IT Primer reference:

Managing Healthcare Information Systems - A Practical Approach for Healthcare Executives,

Karen A. Wager, Frances Wickham Lee, and John P. Glaser

An Executive Primer

Medical Informatics: An Executive Primer

Kenneth R. Ong, MC, MPH, Editor

Other references:

The New Rules of Marketing and PR

David Meerman Scott , author

Health Online: How To Find Health Information, Support Groups, And Self Help Communities In Cyberspace (Paperback)

Tom Ferguson, author-$13 on Amazon

or read link to White Paper: “The Autonomous Patient”

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES / LINKS:

Blackboard for this course contains many website links for your reference and class assignments

Friday-September 17thDay One:Start Time 1:00 p.m.

Introductions

Remote Presence Telemedicine Technology / Demonstration

  • Demo from Telehealth Vendor or Remote Presence Telemed Robotics
  • Discussion of Project mgt with Telemed implementation in a clinical setting
  • Breakout session: Group Case Study: Implementation of Telemedicine Robot: Pathways around Roadblocks. Participate as a member of the implementation team. Develop a project plan and policy.
  • BREAK

  • “Designing Websites for Limited Literacy Population for Health Education”

Link to article for reference for Website/Social Media Project:

  • Discussion of consumer requirements for healthcare online tools design.

Assignment of Project that will be Due Friday,November 12, 2010

  • Design a website, social mediaor other telehealth toolfor a specific healthcare topic. Demonstrate how the website addresses specific needs of the targeted audience, consider limited literacy, vulnerable populations or other limitations of the anticipated audience, and cite the added value of the website to consumers. Present website or social media tool design/concept in class on November 12th.

OR

  • Written 5 page paper: Evaluate Healthcare Website, social media or other telehealth tool’s Effectiveness: ease of navigation, content, design. Must address how the website or online tool addresses how tool can accommodate populations with specific needs (limited literacy, ethnic, vulnerable populations or other limitations of the anticipated audience) and cite the added value of the website to consumers? Suggest improvements. Paper due November 1st. Please email to Gail Medeiros.

Saturday September 18th Day Two: Start Time 9:30 A.M.

Theory in Practice

  • Discussion of Case Study
  • BREAK
  • Introduction to Enterprise Resource Planning
  • What is an ERP
  • Why are they used
  • Who uses them
  • How is the decision made as to which one to buy?
  • Introduction to ERP Project Management
  • What is Project Management?
  • The phases of Project Management
  • Project Management Best Practices

Stakeholder Perspectives on ERP and Project Management

  • Case Study ePharmacy
  • What was the problem?
  • How was it solved?
  • In class presentation/discussion
  • Project Assignment
  • Presentation
  • Final Paper
  • Presenting to Key Stakeholders

ERP Project Outline due Friday October 15, 2010 9:00 p.m. (5% of grade)

Please email copy to both professors

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2010 email Gail FINAL PAPER on website evaluation if you have chosen that option for Evaluating Healthcare website / online tool evaluation . If you are presenting your website evaluation then you do NOT need to submit a paper.

Friday,November 12th Day Three: Presentations Start Time 1:00 p.m.

  • DUE TODAY: Evaluating Healthcare Website or Online toolsStudent Presentations of Website or Social Media Design OR Website Evaluation Paper submission

Healthcare Trends & Policy Review

  • Review National Trends & Research in Health Information Technology :

Healthcare Trends & Policy Review : ARRA, meaningful use - Gail

  • Group Project Planning Classroom Exercise -James

Final Project Group Wrap up time for teams to review final ERP presentation & clarify any questions.

Saturday, November 13th Day Four: Presentations

Start Time 9:30 a.m.

DUE TODAY: Final ERP Project Presentations

  • Project presentations
  • Feedback, Q&A
  • Evaluation

Class Format

The class will be taught in two intensive weekends. Students are required to come to the first class prepared to actively participate in class discussion, breakout sessions and presentations in class. Designed to provide a real life view of the challenges facing health information technology adoption, the course will integrate a number of topics ranging from consumer-driven healthcare, remote monitoring, interoperability, system selection, project management and implementation. This is an overview of Healthcare Information Technology to expose future healthcare managers to the trends, emerging healthcare technologies and resources to keep abreast of this ever-changing aspect of healthcare. Material presented by the guest speakers will not be found in the text book and/or policy briefs. Students are therefore strongly encouraged to attend the full days for both weekends.

Recognizing that the course is designed for graduate students who will ultimately be seeking positions in the healthcare industry, the class assignments are designed to develop and test skills required as successful healthcare administrators. Managers, for example, are required to hear multiple perspectives, understand and process the information, and make strategic decisions based on the various input. Successful managers also make organizational decisions based on their understanding not only of their particular institutional challenges but of the environment in which the organization works. This is not a technology class on developing software programming for electronic medical records.

Lastly, as healthcare involves multiple service providers, understanding the potential stakeholders and their often times competing perspectives is essential for improved collaboration. To this end, students will be asked to solve a critical problem using an innovative HIT solution and be asked to participate in group projects.

Evaluation & Grading- Please email James Hale and Gail Medeiros copies of completed assignments. If you would like a graded paper returned please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your paper.

In class Case Study Participation (15%)

Ability to capture, and recall the perspectives presented, synthesize the material and provide a thoughtful presentation on in class assignments.

1)Evaluating Healthcare Websites /Social Media Effectiveness with Consideration of Limited Literacy or other Disabled or Special Need Populations (40%)

Written assignment: Evaluate Healthcare Social Media/Website’s Effectiveness, ease of navigation, content, design and accessibility to target population, considers limited literacy or other limitations of the anticipated audience, addresses public health concerns? Suggest improvements. Due Monday, November 1, 2010

(OR)

Design a website for a specific healthcare topic. Demonstrate how the website addresses specific needs of the targeted audience, considers limited literacy or other limitations of the anticipated audience, and cite the added value of the website to consumers.. Present design to class with 15 minute presentation.

Student present Assignmenton November 12,2010 at 1:00 p.m.

2) Team Challenges of anEnterprise Resource Planning Implementation (40%)

PowerPointPresentationby Teams

Ability to capture and recall the perspectives presented, synthesize the material and provide a thoughtful presentation on the Challenges of and Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation

The midterm will consist of an outline of the final team ERP project. The final project will be comprised of at least 10 slide presentation that discusses the benefits and challenges of an Enterprise Resource Planning implementation.Your team will have 20 minutes to present with 5 minutes following for Q&A.

Project Outline due Friday October 15,20109:00 p.m. (5%)

Final Project due Saturday November 13,2010 9:30 a.m(40%)