Oklahoma

Team Description

The health care field is working to develop a way to share health records electronically among providers. RTI International has awarded contracts to 34 states and territories to look at their privacy and security policies, laws, and business practices. These groups are working to develop standards for health information technology and policy. Such standards will allow health records to be safely and securely transmitted over computer networks to providers across theU.S.

Oklahoma has been selected to participate in this project. It is known as the Oklahoma Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (OKHISPC). Governor Brad Henry's office, the Oklahoma State Department of Health, and the University of Oklahoma are partners in this project. They are working to build partnerships among the state's health care providers, individual consumers, and anyone who is interested in this project to examine privacy issues, information security policies, and state laws. The partners will develop ways in which the information can be protected, yet be able to be shared among health care providers.

OKHISPC has the following objectives:

  • Examine various information security policies and state laws that affect health information exchange (HIE) in Oklahoma
  • Identify and propose practical solutions that protect privacy and security while still allowing HIE
  • Develop implementation plans for Oklahoma, and, if applicable, the federal level

How to get involved

You can help with this project. You can:

  • Volunteer to serve on a Working Group, or
  • Volunteer to review Working Group draft reports, or
  • View periodic progress and draft reports on OKHISPC efforts

For more information, contact Vincent DeBerry at 405-325-0519 or by email, okhispc@oucpm.org 

OKHISPC is forming Working Groups to meet the project objectives. These groups will examine privacy and security policies, business practices for HIE, and Oklahoma legal requirements related to these policies.  Below are brief descriptions of the proposed Working Group responsibilities.

State Variations Working Group (SVWG) - this group will examine variations in business policies and practices. They will categorize them as barriers, best practices, or as having no impact.  The group will work closely with the SLWG to produce the interim assessment of variation report.
State Legal Working Group (SLWG) - this group will assess privacy and security regulations, court cases, etc. It will also identify legal barriers to health information exchanges.  The group will work closely with SVWG to produce the interim assessment of variation report. It will also work with the SSWG and SIPWG to consistently and accurately interpret the various laws throughout this process.
State Solutions Working Group (SSWG) - this group will review the SVWG-identified barriers and develop preliminary solutions to address these barriers which will be laid out in the Interim analysis of solutions report
State Implementation Plan Working Group (SIPWG) - this group's responsibility will be to review the SSWG interim solutions report and to propose preliminary implementation plans in the interim implementation plan report.
Ad Hoc Working Groups (AWG) - these are subgroups of specific stakeholder groups that will undertake any work needed to support the SVWG, SSWG, SLWG, and SIPWG.

Contact:

Title: The University of Oklahoma, The Center for Public Management
Project Manager
Name: Deborah Thompson

 

Title: The University of Oklahoma, The Center for Public Management
Project Liaison
Name: Vincent DeBerry
Email: vince@ou.edu

 

Title:  The University of Oklahoma, The Center for Public Management
WebContent Manager
Name: Mike Kennedy

 

Title: The Oklahoma State Department of Health
HIPAA Privacy Officer
Name: Robn Mitchell

 

Title: The Office of the Governor
Agency Liaison and Public Policy Specialist
Name: L'Toya Knighten

Milestones

October 2006 Interim Assessment of Variation
Oct/Nov 2006 Regional Meetings
November 2006 Interim Analysis of Solutions
December 2006 Interim Implementation Plan
March 2007 Final Assessment and Analysis of Solutions
March 2007 Final Implementation Plans
March 2007 National Meeting
April 2007 Nationwide Summary
 

Links to relevant web pages

Agencies and Organizations involved in OK HISPC:
Oklahoma State Department of Health
http://www.health.state.ok.us
RTI International
http://www.rti.org
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
http://www.ahrq.gov/
News Release: HHS Awards Contracts to Advance Nationwide Interoperable Health Information Technology
http://archive.hhs.gov/news/press/2005pres/20051006a.html
Further information on Health Information Technology:
http://healthit.ahrq.gov/
Further information on Health Information Technology:
http://www.healthit.gov
Further information on Health Information Technology:
http://www.ehealthinitiative.org/