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Integrated State Health Information Systems
Examples
Presenters: Ben Steffen, Deputy Director for Data Systems and Analysis,
Maryland Access and Cost Commission, Baltimore, MD.
Nancy Hoffman, Systems Development Administrator, Missouri Health Strategic Architectures and Information Cooperative
(MOHSAIC), Missouri
Department of Health, Jefferson City, MO.
(Walter) Pete Bailey, Chief, Health and Demographics, South Carolina Budget and
Control Board, Office of Research and Statistics, Columbia, SC.
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In this session participants explored in-depth integrated health information efforts in three States:
Maryland, Missouri, and South Carolina.
Maryland
Ben Steffen provided an overview of Maryland's health
care environment, reviewing Maryland's health maintenance organization (HMO) penetration, the increase in uninsured in recent
years, and physician supply. He then examined State reform initiatives and opportunities, and
explained that information integration was a theme of Maryland's initiative and that legislative
support for data collection is strong.
Missouri
Nancy Hoffman defined the Missouri Health Strategic Architectures and Information Cooperative
(MOHSAIC), and then demonstrated electronically how it works. She outlined the following critical
factors to implement an integrated health information system successfully:
- High level support.
- The authority to act.
- Centralized information systems resources.
- Adequate funding.
South Carolina
After defining an integrated system, Pete Bailey cited a number of benefits of online, retrospective
systems. Specifically, these systems can:
- Integrate retrospective views by client across programs.
- Support studies of the demographic and social characteristics of people who use or
do not use services, their outcomes and risk factors.
- Analyze the comparative outcomes of providers and case managers.
Mr. Bailey also reviewed some of the data South Carolina has collected and analyzed and made a strong case for
the importance of intra-agency integration. On gaining support for building a system, he shared the
following thoughts:
- Be fair.
- Come to the table without an agenda.
- Do not seek to control.
- Do not ask for money.
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