Health Information Technology   HIT (Main)    Health IT Policy Reports Current

Health Information Technology Trends, Insights, and Policy Considerations

Reports and briefings are organized by publication year.  To learn more about health information technology (health IT) in Maryland, click here or visit the topic links on the left.  To access a variety of informational flyers, guidance, and other tools for health care providers, click here.

2023

Chapter 297 | Senate Bill 154 (2023) Public Health – Mental Health Advance Directives – Awareness and Statewide Database:  An Update of Activities (November)

Planning to build awareness of and access to mental health advance directives through the State-Designated Health Information Exchange, CRISP.

Spotlight:  Electronic Data Interchange Health Care Claims (November)

An overview of EDI in healthcare and the impact of electronic claims submissions.  

Interstate Telehealth Expansion Study - Summary of Recommendations (September)

A high-level summary of recommendations and supporting rationale to advance interstate telehealth informed by a study requested by the Health and Government Operations Committee.

Interstate Telehealth Expansion Study - Recommendations Report (September)

Recommendations based on findings from an interstate telehealth expansion study requested by the Health and Government Operations Committee in May 2022. 

Spotlight:  Electronic Advance Directives (August)

An overview of efforts supporting diffusion of electronic advance directives in Maryland since 2011. 

2021 and 2022 Legislation - CRISP Funding Update:  Briefing Paper (July)

A legislative update on funding sources for expanding use of health IT to support implementation of requirements in legislation passed in 2021 and 2022 by the Maryland General Assembly.

FQHC Spotlight:  Leveraging Data and Technology to Identify and Address Individual Social Needs (March)

Notable findings from an environmental scan of FQHCs' efforts to operationalize SDoH Interventions. 

Health Data Utility Framework - A Guide to Implementation (March) 

Developed in collaboration with Civitas Networks for Health and a National Advisory Council to inform the design and implementation of a Health Data Utility model in Maryland that supports multi-stakeholder needs by serving as a data resource for clinical and public health purposes.  A DPF version of the framework is available here.

Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2021 - Summary of Recommendations (January)

A high-level, one-page summary of telehealth recommendations and supporting rationale submitted to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee as required by Chapter 70/House Bill 123 and Chapter 71/Senate Bill 3 (2021). 

2022

Advancing Implementation of Health Data Utility Models:  Issue Brief (December) 

An overview of the history, current state, and drivers for the emergence of health data utility models, developed in collaboration with Civitas Networks for Health. 

Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2021 - Telehealth Recommendations Report (December)

Telehealth recommendations based on findings from a telehealth study as required by Chapter 70/House Bill 123 and Chapter 71/Senate Bill 3 (2021). 

Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2021 - Technical Findings Report (December)

Findings from a telehealth study conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago in accordance with Chapter 70/House Bill 123 and Chapter 71/Senate Bill 3 (2021) 

Consumer Data Privacy & Security Legislation:  A Legislative Scan to Access State-Level Protections for Patient Generated Health Data (December) 

Findings from an environmental scan of state-level protections for health-related data created and recorded by patients outside of a clinical setting. 

Electronic Data Interchange:  A Snapshot of Maryland and the Nation (November)

An overview of EDI use in health care and the estimated cost avoided to the industry for its use. 

Spotlight:  Health Care Data Breach Trends, 2018-2021 (October)

Trends and observations from an analysis of health care data breaches.

Spotlight:  Health Information Technology in Nursing Homes (April)

An overview of health IT use and perceived value among nursing homes in Maryland. 

2021

Briefing Paper:  Public Health – State Designated Exchange – Clinical Information (December)

A legislative update on funding availability and sustainability to support the requirements of Chapters 790 and 791 of the 2021 laws of Maryland.   

Urgent Care:  Information Sharing with Primary Care Providers (November)

Findings from a review of urgent care centers operating in Maryland and existing procedures to notify primary care providers about patient encounters.

Electronic Data Interchange in Health Care:  Examining Impact and Reasons for Paper Claims (October)

An overview of how EDI has impacted the health care industry and leading reasons why a small percentage of claims are submitted on paper. 

Expanding Telehealth Adoption in Ambulatory Practices:  A Grant Funded Program - Accomplishments (September)

Highlights from an MHCC telehealth grant to State-Designated Management Service Organizations to provide technical support and guidance to small ambulatory practices implementing virtual care options in response to COVID-19. 

Health Care Data Breaches, Perspectives on Breach Trends in Maryland and Comparative States (September)

Analysis of health care data breaches locally and nationally and insights into patient-generated health data and cybersecurity. 

Insights Brief:  Use of Health Information Technology Among Dental Practices (April)

Insights on dentists’ adoption of health IT, including electronic health records (EHR), health information exchange (HIE), and telehealth (or teledentistry).

Telehealth Policy Workgroup (February)

Leading observations from a Telehealth Policy Workgroup representing a variety of stakeholder perspectives and interests.  For more information on the workgroup, click here.

2020

Electronic Data Interchange:  2019 Activity (December)

An overview of EDI among private and government payers in 2019.

Remote Patient Monitoring:  Value for Patients and Applications During a Public Health Emergency (May)

Overviews the benefits of remote patient monitoring for patients, featuring specific uses during a public health emergency.

Understanding the Value of Remote Patient Monitoring (April)

Key considerations for health care providers 

Dental Health IT:  Key Findings from a National Survey (March)

A dashboard highlighting adoption and use of EHRs and teledentistry among dentists nationally.

Health Care Data Breaches:  An Assessment of Breach Trends in Maryland and the Nation (January)

Breach trends and statistics over the last decade (2010-2019) in Maryland and the nation.

2019

School-Based Telehealth Final Report (October)

Recommendations for advancing telehealth in schools centering on awareness building, privacy and security, oversight and innovation, and funding.  For more information, click here.

Ambulatory Surgery Centers:  Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) Adoption (October)

An assessment of leading benefits and barriers to EHR diffusion among ambulatory surgical centers.

House Bill 115 Electronic Prescription Records System (July)

Findings from a legislative study on the benefits and feasibility of developing a system to collect and make available information on non-controlled dangerous substances, as required by Chapter 435 passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2018.

Health Information Technology:  An Assessment of Maryland Acute Care Hospitals (June)

Current trends and the future direction of health IT adoption among acute care hospitals in Maryland.

Health Information Technology:  A Snapshot of Diffusion in Nursing Homes (June)

Overviews use of health IT in Maryland comprehensive care facilities (or nursing homes).

Senate Bill 896 Health Record and Payment Integration Program Advisory Committee (May)

Findings from a legislative study on the feasibility of creating a health record and payment integration program, as required by Chapter 452 passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2018.

HIE During a State of Emergency:  Policy Guidance (February)

Policy guidance to assist HIEs in making protected health information (PHI) accessible to incident responders during a state of emergency.

2018

Health Care Data Breaches: 2017 Findings (September)

An analysis of breaches reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in 2017 in Maryland and the nation.

Adoption of Telehealth:  Office-Based Physicians (April)

Use of telehealth among office-based physicians, including current trends, leading barriers, and adoption by specialty and geography.

Previous Reports & Briefings

CRISP Connectivity:  Ambulatory Practices (2017)

Ambulatory practices' connectivity to CRISP, including progress towards bidirectional exchange of clinical data.

Remote Patient Monitoring Telehealth Grants:  Brief and Final Reports (2017)

Lessons learned from a telehealth demonstration project demonstrating use of remote patient monitoring to support chronic care management.

Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) Permit Distribution:  A Physician Assessment (2017)

An assessment of CDS permit distribution among physicians statewide.

Physician Adoption of Electronic Health Records:  An Information Brief (2017)

Growth in EHR adoption from 2011 – 2016 by practice specialty, geographic location, and ownership type.

Health Care Data Breaches:  A Changing Landscape (2017)

An analysis of breaches reported to OCR since 2010 in Maryland and the nation.

Health Care Data Breaches:  How Maryland Compares (2017)

An analysis of breaches reported to OCR from 2013 - 2016 in Maryland and the nation. 

Hospital Cybersecurity:  Evolving Threats Require New Approaches (2016)

Key findings from an assessment of hospital efforts in preparing for and managing cyber risks.

Hospital Image Exchange:  Exploring Opportunities for a Statewide Image Repository through the State-Designated Health Information Exchange (2016)

Benefits, challenges, and financing opportunities for an image sharing repository managed by CRISP.

Long Term Care and Hospital Telehealth Project Grants: Brief and Final Reports (2016)

Lessons learned from three telehealth demonstration projects focused on improving transitions of care between hospitals and nursing homes.

Ensuring the Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information:  Keeping Pace with an Evolving HIE Landscape (2016)

Highlights the need to amend the definition of an HIE to ensure privacy and security standards apply to all HIEs operating in Maryland.


Last Updated: 12/13/2023