SEARHC's Digitization of Medical Records - The 21st Century Cures Act, enacted in 2016, aimed to improve healthcare by advancing interoperability and patient access to electronic health information (EHI), including those previously stored in paper records, by prohibiting "information blocking" and requiring secure and free access to patient data. Information blocking includes restricting access to EHI, implementing non-standard ways of exchanging information, or using practices that increase the burden of accessing or using EHI. This legislation impacted healthcare digitization by encouraging and facilitating the transition from paper-based records to electronic health records (EHRs). The Act promoted the exchange of health information between different healthcare providers and systems, regardless of whether they use paper or electronic records. The Cures Act gave patients more control over their health information, including the ability to access, share, and manage their records. Indian Health Services (IHS) has undergone a Health IT Modernization Program to improve healthcare delivery ensuring that new technologies and systems meet the unique needs and cultural contexts of tribal communities While SEARHC completed a previous transition to a shared electronic EHR system, patient records prior to 2017 are still in paper format. Healthcare providers and patients have limited accessibility to these records with retrieval taking several hours to days. In accordance with the Cures Act, if an individual requests a paper copy of their EHI and the healthcare organization has a paper copy, it is expected that the provider will be able to give the individual the paper copy requested. Therefore, if SEARHC has a patient request for medical information in paper form that is related to the patient’s requested EHI, healthcare providers must provide that information expeditiously. SEARHC’s proposed project will fully adopt and demonstrate meaningful use of this law resulting in improved care, privacy, and efficiency, while also ensuring patient access to their records. SEARHC plans to continue improving its health management structure by digitizing 4,000 boxes of hard copy medical records using a professional, HIPAA compliant medical record scanning service. SEARHC’s Digitization of Medical Records project has identified a health technology firm, Verisma, to provide a phased pilot compliant solution for managing and accessing medical records. Verisma will image patient paper medical records converting them to a digital format, unitize each record for identification, and export using a secure file transfer protocol service. Digitizing medical records and integrating them with SEARHC’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) system will streamline healthcare operations by enabling seamless access to patient data, improving efficiency, and enhancing patient care and operational workflows. SEARHC healthcare providers will have the ability to access historical patient information quickly and efficiently comply with the Cures Act. Providing a central repository for patient data will reduce barriers to accessing clinical records and clinical notes, increase transparency and communication/sharing of information, and prioritize ease of access to records using technology. Upon successful completion of the pilot program, SEARHC will send the remaining paper medical records for conversion with the expectation that the multi-year project will be completed in 36 months.
