Most providers of LTPAC have HIT electronic connectivity with CMS in order to be paid. The ARRA/HITECH legislation and subsequent regulations have expanded the use of electronic HIT to include transitions of care between eligible hospitals and professionals. LTPAC has adopted the strategy that even though the LTPAC providers are not included in the legislation it is important to the patients under LTPAC care and to the ultimate success of the program that LTPAC providers and vendors adopt standards and electronic health records for transition of care.

Tools and Resources 

Implementation: 

• Stratis Health Toolkit: The Health Information Technology Toolkit for Nursing Homes can be used for implementing a comprehensive HIT or EHR system, for acquiring individual applications, or for overhauling existing systems.

Return on Investment (ROI):

• CIO Consortium ROI Tool Kit 

Grants and Funding:

• Health Information Exchange Challenge Grant Program: A grant program to encourage breakthrough innovations for health information exchange that can be leveraged widely to support nationwide health information exchange and interoperability.
• Beacon Community Program: A grant program for communities to build and strengthen their health information technology (health IT) infrastructure and exchange capabilities. These communities will demonstrate the vision of a future where hospitals, clinicians, and patients are meaningful users of health IT, and together the community achieves measurable improvements in health care quality, safety, efficiency, and population health.
• ONC Health Information Exchange Toolkit for Vulnerable Populations: This module has been designed to help guide HIE activities in planning to support inclusion of vulnerable populations with post acute care (PAC), long term care (LTC) and behavioral health (BH) needs.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Funding Opportunities: Since 2004, AHRQ has awarded $260 million dollars in grants and contracts to support planning, implementation, and evaluation of health IT, and to foster health information exchange.