The proposed policy seeks to promote the use of electronic health records (EHRs) and technologies to improve the outcomes of more patients. The use of health technologies is a powerful approach that can transform the nature of healthcare delivery (Silow-Carroll, Edwards, & Rodin, 2012). The policy should be implemented immediately in order to ensure quality health services are available to every citizen.
Enacting the Proposed Policy
There are various laws and regulations that continue to support the use of EHRs. One of these regulations is that of meaningful use (Ramanathan, Schmit, Menon, & Fox, 2015). The proposed policy can therefore be enacted through a modification of the existing laws. The “meaningful use” policy outlines various stages and standards that should be met by different hospitals. The Electronic Health Information (EHI) law focuses on the best approaches that guide health institutions to use different technologies to improve healthcare delivery.
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act promotes the use of HIT to support the outcomes of both Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries (Ramanathan et al., 2015). Since 2012, meaningful use regulations have been implemented to streamline the use of health technologies.
The proposed policy will succeed if these laws are modified in such a way that they support more institutions, clinics, and private facilities to use EHRs. The proposed law should be able to support the needs of more practitioners (Ramanathan et al., 2015). This means that the targeted physicians, nurses, and practitioners will be empowered to use different health technologies to support the needs of more patients.
The existing laws describe how different technologies can be implemented in healthcare. The targeted advocacy efforts will be supported by the existing laws (Ramanathan et al., 2015). During the process, different policymakers and lobbyists will be guided by these laws. With a proper knowledge of the existing laws, the advocacy process will focus on the best approaches to expand the use of HIT.
Influencing Legislators and Policymakers
A powerful approach will be used to attract lobbyists, policymakers, and legislators to support the proposed policy. A properly designed campaign will inform more people about the benefits of the policy. Different players in healthcare will also be informed about the project. The “three legs” of lobbying will be the guiding principle throughout the process. The first one is called the Capitol leg (Silow-Carroll et al., 2012).
This leg will focus on different policymakers and legislators. These people will be guided and empowered in order to support the policymaking process. The second leg is known as the grassroots and focuses on the activities conducted in the community. This leg will be used to inform more people about the policy and its benefits. Forums and campaigns will ensure more people support the legislative process (Kern, Edwards, & Kaushal, 2015). The third leg focuses on the media. Different media houses, newspaper outlets, social media networks, and newsletter will be used to promote the policymaking process.
Obstacles and Solutions
The first obstacle one is objection from different policymakers and legal professionals. This hurdle might arise because some policymakers might be in favor of the existing laws. The lack of adequate finances can be a major challenge during the process. These hurdles will be addressed using a powerful strategy. The first one is attracting more lobbyists and healthcare professionals to inform more people about the benefits of the policy (Kern et al., 2015). This move will help more opponents to change their mindsets. The second hurdle will be addressed by identifying different donors, funders, and agencies to support the legislative initiative.
References
Kern, L., Edwards, A., & Kaushal, R. (2015). The meaningful use of electronic health records and health care utilization. American Journal of Medical Quality, 31(4), 1-12. Web.
Ramanathan, T., Schmit, C., Menon, A., & Fox, C. (2015). The role of law in supporting secondary use of electronic health information. Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, 43(1), 48-51. Web.
Silow-Carroll, S., Edwards, J., & Rodin, D. (2012). Using electronic health records to improve quality and efficiency: The experiences of leading hospitals. The Commonwealth Fund, 1(1), 1-40.