HITECH act, or Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, is an important part of current nursing practice. Signed into practice by President Obama in 2009, the program aimed to establish the use of new technology in medical practice (What is the Hitech act, 2021). In particular, the use of electronic health records was expanded upon and widely promoted as a necessary measure.
The adoption of EHR allowed for better coordination of medical information between health providers, improved security, and efficient handling of data. The implementation of the new system has had severe implications for the healthcare sphere, where only 10% of providers used electronic records at the time (What is the Hitech act, 2021). HITECH act helped further incentivize hospitals to undertake costs connected with the introduction of new technology, and encourage widespread adoption (HIPAA News, 2020). In addition, the change in the industry signified an important shift in patient privacy. The ability to store information with password protection and specialized access made sure that only approved individuals could review medical records.
The existence of this act is an important fact for nurses and nursing practice. Firstly, it outlines the importance of electronic health records, compared to paper documents. With time, it becomes vital to remind medical professionals why common practices are put in place and their influence on the healthcare industry. In addition, knowing about the HITECH act encourages nurses to consider healthcare delivery as a continuous process of improvement. Nursing specialists are a vital component of change, being able to interact with doctors and patients alike. Enhancing nurse understanding of various healthcare programs improves their capacity to bring positive change into the industry. The use of evidence-based practice and learning can lead to further improvements in the sphere.
References
HIPAA News. (2020). Why is the hitech act important?. HIPAAnswers. Web.
What is the hitech act. HIPAA Journal. (2021). Web.