Research and Projects: AHRQ THQIT and SRD Portfolio

Tennessee

Technology Exchange for Cancer Health Network (TECH-Net)

Description:  Implements a systematic care program to improve cancer management in rural communities by building upon an innovative approach to total clinical decision support to provide access to oncology, hematology, and other specialists through a dedicated telehealth network.

Abstract:  DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): The Technology Exchange for Cancer Health Network (TECH-Net) is a collaborative, multistate effort to implement a systematic care program to improve cancer management in the rural communities of west Tennessee, north Mississippi and east Arkansas. This Health Information Technology (HIT) project builds upon a two-pronged approach to total clinical decision support. The first component provides access to oncology, hematology, and other specialists through the dedicated telehealth network of the University of Tennessee's Health Science Center (UTHSC). The second component involves a distributed electronic health record (EHR) integrated with decision support systems, online management of cancer protocols, electronic orders, and medication management systems. The primary goal of this implementation project is to determine the extent to which a multi-state HIT collaborative network can contribute to measurable and sustainable improvements in the cost, safety, and overall quality of cancer care for a region. The specific aims of the project focus on the implementation of technology, personnel, and workflows, the impact Tech-NET has on patient care, and the dissemination of findings to other programs interested in developing similar services: Specific Aim #1: To implement a collaborative, multi-state Health Information Technology System that meets the needs of patients, families and providers in a rural cancer care setting. Specific Aim #2: To improve access to appropriate care, increase the quality and safety of care and achieve better health outcomes at equal or lower cost for cancer patients in rural communities through an integrated Health Information Technology System. Specific Aim #3: To produce and distribute a generalizable, replicable model for implementing an integrated Health Information Technology System for cancer care. TECH-Net will link thirteen separate cancer outreach clinics in a tri-state area with the specialists and researchers of UTHSC and with a major tertiary care hospital of Methodist Healthcare for comprehensive care and communications across the spectrum of adult cancer care. Implementation of this telehealth and EHR program will take a phased approach, sequentially building clinical decision support into existing workflows. Evaluation will examine qualitative and quantitative data to measure the success of TECH-Net's implementation and to determine the impact on patient safety, cost, access to care and overall patient outcomes.

Year 1 Funding:  $482,936

Estimated Total Funding:  $1,429,265

Principal Investigator:  Karen Fox

Applicant Institution:  University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center

City/Town:  Memphis, Tennessee

State:  Tennessee

Grant Number:  UC1 HS15437

Category:  Implementation Grants (THQIT)

Thesaurus Terms:  cancer information system, computer assisted medical decision making, health care quality, neoplasm /cancer, patient safety /medical error, rural area, telemedicine, automated medical record system, computer network, cooperative study, health care cost /financing, health care service availability, hematology, interdisciplinary collaboration, medically underserved population, medicine, oncology, online computer, patient care management, behavioral /social science research tag, clinical research, health services research tag, human subject

Project Start Date:  Sep 30, 2004

Project End Date:  Sep 29, 2007