"At the state level, we are working aggressively to create a health information network in Oregon that prioritizes patient privacy in a single, connected system," Kulongoski told a meeting of health care professionals, educators and public officials at Oregon Health and Science University. "We want to ensure that all our citizens' health records are available to them and their healthcare providers anytime and anywhere, and that those health records are confidential and secure at all times."
As part of the effort to achieve that goal, Oregon will participate in a national program to assess how privacy and security safeguards -- together with business practices -- affect the electronic exchange of information. The state has concluded a contract with the National Governors Association that provides $349,000 to engage a broad group of stakeholders in Oregon with the other 34 states participating in the project.
Ultimately, said the Governor's Office in a release, the key to achieving the governor's objective lies with installation of the needed equipment and software in physicians' offices and clinics. The state needs help from the federal government to pay for that installation.
Pettit chaired the state's Electronic Health Records and Healthcare Connectivity Subcommittee under the Oregon Health Policy Commission in 2005. The Commission endorsed the subcommittee's recommendation to promote use of electronic medical records and promote interconnectivity of health information data across the state.
Pettit is also the director of the Oregon Health Information Infrastructure project of the Oregon Healthcare Quality Corporation, a collaborative effort to improve the quality of healthcare. One of the corporation's chief goals is to build a regional health information organization in Oregon.
A board-certified internist, Pettit practices part-time as faculty with the Department of Medical Education at Providence Ambulatory Care and Education Center, the Department of Medicine Faculty Practice at St. Vincent's, and with Legacy Health Systems in Portland. She is also is a clinical assistant professor at the OHSU Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology. She earned her medical degree from Medical College of Virginia. She holds a master's degree in health and wellness administration and a BS in general science from the University of Iowa.
Under a contract with Research Triangle International and the Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Oregon and other states will assess how privacy and security laws and business practices affect exchange of interoperable electronic health information. Each state will develop an implementation plan to address organization-level business practices and state laws that affect privacy and security practices in order to permit interoperable health information exchange.
The project will include the following elements:
- Examine privacy and security policies and business practices regarding electronic health information exchange and the current legal requirements in the state that may be driving those policies.
- Identify challenges that privacy and security policies might pose to interoperable health information exchange.
- Identify best practices and solutions for maintaining privacy and security protections while enabling operation of a health information network.
- Develop an implementation plan to address organization-level business practices and state laws that affect privacy and security practices in order to permit interoperable health information exchange.
- Convene and work closely with a wide range of stakeholders in the state, including clinicians, physician groups, health facilities and hospitals, payers, public health agencies, government health agencies, pharmacies, long-term care facilities and nursing homes, and consumer organizations.
- Identify and organize a steering committee to lead the effort within each state.
- Participate in regional and national meetings with other states to share knowledge and collaborate on health information exchange privacy and security issues and related issues.
