To Prepare:

• Review the Resources on healthcare policy and regulatory/legislative topics related to health and nursing informatics.
• Consider the role of the nurse informaticist in relation to a healthcare organization’s compliance with various policies and regulations, such as the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).
• Research and select one health or nursing informatics policy (within the past 5 years) or regulation for further study.
  • **** Telehealth services for mental health for patients with Medicare **

The Assignment: (1 page not including the title and reference page)
Create a 1-page fact sheet that your healthcare organization could hypothetically use to explain the health or nursing informatics policy/regulation you selected. Your fact sheet should address the following:

• Briefly and generally explain the policy or regulation you selected.
• Address the impact of the policy or regulation you selected on system implementation.
• Address the impact of the policy or regulation you selected on clinical care, patient/provider interactions, and workflow.
• Highlight organizational policies and procedures that are/will be in place at your healthcare organization to address the policy or regulation you selected. Be specific.
• Use APA format and include a title page, in-text citations, and reference page.

Use the Safe Assign Drafts to check your match percentage before submitting your work.

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Policy/Regulation Fact Sheet

This fact sheet focuses on the policy on an increase in telehealth services for mental health under Medicare. This policy has been developed to overcome the limitation of remote care for Medicare beneficiaries through telecommunication. It is crucial to note this regulation, given the current demand for mental health services and constraints related to people being physically present for consultations, especially in rural areas.

Impact on System Implementation

The implementation of this policy means that healthcare organizations will have to incorporate telehealth technologies into their existing framework. This includes procuring quality, reliable video conferencing that meets the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards and enhances the privacy and confidentiality of patients (Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA), 2018). Furthermore, healthcare workers require knowledge of operating telehealth platforms to ensure that quality healthcare can be provided through such means, as noted by Haleem et al. (2021). The policy also requires redesigning electronic health record (EHR) systems to document telehealth encounters comprehensively and support the bidirectional communication between the providers and patients (Quinn et al., 2019).

Impact on Clinical Care, Patient/Provider Interactions, and Workflow

In this respect, Gajarawala and Pelkowski (2021) argue that enhancements of telehealth services enhance clinical care since they improve access and convenience among patients. For providers, it provides the ability to connect with patients who might otherwise have challenges with physical mobility to get to an appointment or those who lack transportation means. Physician-patient communication as a process becomes less rigid, as remote consultations allow avoiding travel and may take less time. System redesign requires providers to juggle in-person and telehealth visits and technical telehealth logistics (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2023). However, such a shift can lead to more effective use of time and resources, thus improving patient experience and results.

POLICY/REGULATION FACT SHEET

Organizational Policies and Procedures

To adhere to this policy, our healthcare organization needs to achieve the following: policies on the conduct of telehealth appointments, the use of only HIPAA-compliant telehealth technologies, ongoing staff and provider training in best practices, and the use of newer and advancing telehealth technologies (Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA), 2018). There are also issues related to billing and reimbursement, as telehealth services need to be correctly coded for Medicare reimbursement. As such, policies need to cover encounters in EHR and guarantee patient information protection and availability for the subsequent treatment phases.

Summary

Telehealth services for mental health under Medicare are one of the changes that would go a long way toward improving mental health care access. Through effective use of technology, healthcare facilities can deliver better care services that are convenient and responsive to patient needs. Notably, this policy entails strategic integration of telehealth systems, adequate provider education on the policy, and solid organizational practices to enhance compliance and quality of care.

References

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA). (2018, October 19). Laws & regulations. HHS.gov. https://www.hhs.gov/regulations/index.html

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2023, June 9). MACRA. CMS.gov. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality-initiatives-patient-assessment-instruments/value-based-programs/macra-mips-and-apms/macra-mips-and-apms.html

Gajarawala, S., & Pelkowski, J. (2021). Telehealth benefits and barriers. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(2), 218–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.09.013

Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Singh, R. P., & Suman, R. (2021). Telemedicine for healthcare: Capabilities, features, barriers, and applications. Sensors International, 2(2). NCBI. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sintl.2021.100117

Quinn, M., Forman, J., Harrod, M., Winter, S., Fowler, K. E., Krein, S. L., Gupta, A., Saint, S., Singh, H., & Chopra, V. (2019). Electronic health records, communication, and data sharing: challenges and opportunities for improving the diagnostic process. Diagnosis, 6(3), 241–248. https://doi.org/10.1515/dx-2018-0036