Please consider submitting a comment on the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (IT) Policy Committee's draft recommendation to make patient Industry and Occupation information criteria for a certified electronic health record, and join NIOSH in an effort to improve the nation's health and the overall well-being of every worker.
Background information and how to submit comments are provided below and in these links:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ehr/
http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/hitpc_stage3_rfc_final.pdf
http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=HHS-OS-2012-0007-0001
Did You Know?
We currently have an opportunity to improve the overall health and well-being of the working population, and we are asking you to let your voice be heard. By speaking out now we can make a difference in individual and population health, and strengthen public health activities such as monitoring work-related health problems. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) strongly supports including work information, namely industry and occupation, in electronic health records (EHRs) as part of certification criteria under the proposed Stage 3 recommendations for Meaningful Use of EHRs.
What Can I Do to Help?
State your position, submit a public comment, and distribute widely! The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (IT) Policy Committee is seeking public comment on their draft Stage 3 recommendations for Meaningful Use. Consider: 1.stating in your comments, to the extent that you agree, support for the inclusion of industry and occupation as data elements in certified EHR software; 2.submitting your organization’s and your individual comments to the Health IT Policy Committee http://goo.gl/Wpf2Z
by January 14 (be sure to reference SGRP 104 when commenting on industry and occupation); and 3.distributing this information to your members, constituents, colleagues, and others that might be interested in the opportunity to comment and help improve healthcare delivery, individual health, and population health by including industry and occupation in EHRs. NOTE: The deadline to submit comments to the Committee for consideration is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 14, 2013.
Why should I do this?
If EHRs included industry and occupation information, they could improve the prevention, clinical diagnosis, and management of work-related injuries and illnesses; enable public health agencies to track and prevent significant causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States; reduce health disparities; assist healthcare providers in guiding patients back to work; and assist patients and their families in promoting their health and preventing disease. Nearly 5,000 people die from work-related injuries each year and another 50,000 from illnesses attributed to work. As well, more than 3 million workers report nonfatal injuries and illnesses annually—many of which require emergency care or hospitalization. These preventable occurrences cost our Nation more than $250 billion a year and affect the lives of people every day. More than ever we are seeing that our jobs can affect our health, and in turn, our health can affect our ability to work safely and productively. Yet information about our work is not routinely captured in the medical record. Through the effective implementation of EHRs—including ensuring industry and occupation are data elements in certified EHR software—healthcare providers can have the critical information needed to guide prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of both work-related and non-work-related health conditions.
Thank you in advance to those who have already submitted public comments on this topic, and we thank everyone for your thoughtful consideration of this important issue. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/ehr
or go to http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/hitpc_stage3_rfc_final.pdf
to read the Health IT Policy Committee’s Request for Comment document.
Background information and how to submit comments are provided below and in these links:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ehr/
http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/hitpc_stage3_rfc_final.pdf
http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=HHS-OS-2012-0007-0001
Did You Know?
We currently have an opportunity to improve the overall health and well-being of the working population, and we are asking you to let your voice be heard. By speaking out now we can make a difference in individual and population health, and strengthen public health activities such as monitoring work-related health problems. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) strongly supports including work information, namely industry and occupation, in electronic health records (EHRs) as part of certification criteria under the proposed Stage 3 recommendations for Meaningful Use of EHRs.
What Can I Do to Help?
State your position, submit a public comment, and distribute widely! The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (IT) Policy Committee is seeking public comment on their draft Stage 3 recommendations for Meaningful Use. Consider: 1.stating in your comments, to the extent that you agree, support for the inclusion of industry and occupation as data elements in certified EHR software; 2.submitting your organization’s and your individual comments to the Health IT Policy Committee http://goo.gl/Wpf2Z
by January 14 (be sure to reference SGRP 104 when commenting on industry and occupation); and 3.distributing this information to your members, constituents, colleagues, and others that might be interested in the opportunity to comment and help improve healthcare delivery, individual health, and population health by including industry and occupation in EHRs. NOTE: The deadline to submit comments to the Committee for consideration is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 14, 2013.
Why should I do this?
If EHRs included industry and occupation information, they could improve the prevention, clinical diagnosis, and management of work-related injuries and illnesses; enable public health agencies to track and prevent significant causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States; reduce health disparities; assist healthcare providers in guiding patients back to work; and assist patients and their families in promoting their health and preventing disease. Nearly 5,000 people die from work-related injuries each year and another 50,000 from illnesses attributed to work. As well, more than 3 million workers report nonfatal injuries and illnesses annually—many of which require emergency care or hospitalization. These preventable occurrences cost our Nation more than $250 billion a year and affect the lives of people every day. More than ever we are seeing that our jobs can affect our health, and in turn, our health can affect our ability to work safely and productively. Yet information about our work is not routinely captured in the medical record. Through the effective implementation of EHRs—including ensuring industry and occupation are data elements in certified EHR software—healthcare providers can have the critical information needed to guide prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of both work-related and non-work-related health conditions.
Thank you in advance to those who have already submitted public comments on this topic, and we thank everyone for your thoughtful consideration of this important issue. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/ehr
or go to http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/hitpc_stage3_rfc_final.pdf
to read the Health IT Policy Committee’s Request for Comment document.