The ultimate goal of widespread adoption of health information technology – to save American lives through improved coordination of care – is particularly relevant to persons with mental and addictive disorders. According to an eight-state study issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in December 2006, individuals with serious mental illnesses served by public mental health authorities die – on average – 25 years sooner than other Americans.
SAMHSA directly linked this troubling mortality data to the high incidence of untreated co-occurring chronic medical conditions in this patient population including cancer, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and cardio-pulmonary conditions. It has been reported that hospitalized patients with bipolar disorder have mortality rates that ranged from 35% to 200% higher than any other patients; again, the cause of death was co-occurring chronic diseases.
Health information technology (HIT) is the essential cornerstone of efforts to address this emerging public health crisis. HIT will enable behavioral health and substance abuse providers to effectively coordinate care across mental health and substance abuse service systems, primary care entities, and specialty medicine.
Psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment centers are critical parts of the overall healthcare delivery system, and these organizations have made great strides in beginning to implement health IT to help improve the delivery of behavioral health care and to better coordinate with overall health care.
Psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment centers treat a high proportion of Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Much more needs to be done, and financial support by the federal government will be critical to ensuring that behavioral health providers will be able to take the next step in fully implementing health IT along with other hospitals and healthcare providers.
NABH is also working as part of the Behavioral Health Information Technology Coalition to educate Congress about the need to extend health IT incentives to behavioral health.
2/17/2017 | Partnership to Amend 42 CFR Part 2 comment letter to SAMHSA on a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking on “Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records” |
2/16/2017 | HHS/SAMHSA: "Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records; Delay of Effective Date" (delayed to 3.21.17) |
1/18/2017 | HHS/SAMHSA final rule: "Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records" |
1/18/2017 | HHS/SAMHSA proposed rule: "Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records" |
1/13/2017 | Partnership to Amend 42 CFR Part 2 release: "SAMHSA Final Rule Well Intended, Falls Short; Coalition to Urge Congress to Take Next Steps" |
10/21/2016 | OCR/HHS guidance: "Sharing Consumer Health Information? Look to HIPAA and the FTC Act" |
10/19/2016 | HHS final rule: "ONC Health IT Certification Program: Enhanced Oversight and Accountability" |
9/30/2016 | Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC): 1) Health IT Playbook (on EHR and IT implemetnation); 2) EHR Contracts Untangled: Selecting Wisely, Negotiating Terms, and Understanding the Fine Print |
9/20/2016 | "Partnership to Amend 42CFR Part 2:" Principles of coalition committed to aligning 42 CFR Part 2 with HIPAA “to allow appropriate access to patient information that is essential for providing whole-person care” |
3/23/2016 | NAPHS comment letter on SAMHSA/HHS proposed rule on “Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records” |
3/10/2016 | Behavioral Health IT Coalition letter to Senate HELP Committee urging support of a mental health reform amendment to provide financial incentives for EHRs for mental health/addictions providers |
3/3/2016 | CMS Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services state Medicaid Directors letter (SMD#16-003) detailing an initiative to bring interoperable technology to a broader universe of healthcare providers (including behavioral health providers, substance abuse treatment centers, and other providers). Also see a CMS blog on "Bridging the Healthcare Digital Divide: Improving Connectivity among Medicaid Providers." |
2/9/2016 | HHS proposed rule: "42 CFR Part 2: Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records" |
1/27/2016 | Behavioral Health IT Coalition letter to the Senate Finance Committee Chronic Care Working Group urging EHR interoperability and inclusion of mental health and addiction providers in the HITECH Act. |
6/5/2015 | NAPHS statement on Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, H.R. 2646 ("NAPHS Commends Rep. Tim Murphy for Bipartisan Reintroduction of Legislation to Address the Nation’s Mental Health Emergency"), See fact sheet on bill. |
4/10/2015 | CMS proposed rule on "Mental Health Parity for Medicaid and CHIP." Also see CMS fact sheet. |
11/21/2014 | Behavioral Health Information Technology Coalition (of which NAPHS is a member) launches new website at http://www.bhitcoalition.org/ |
10/2/2014 | Behavioral Health IT Coalition letter to Reps. Upton and DeGette: Include behavioral health IT in your “21st Century Cures Initiative” |
8/12/2014 | Behavioral Health IT Coalition letter to Senate Finance Committee urging EHR interoperability and inclusion of mental health and addiction providers in the HITECH Act. Also see coalition news release. |
3/10/2014 | 2014 Advocacy Priorities: 1) End discrimination (modify the Medicaid IMD exclusion); 2) Fix gaps (support H.R.3717); 3) Support Medicare/Medicaid funding for health information technology. |
9/30/2013 | Behavioral Health Information Technology Coalition (BHITC) comment letter responding to Senate Finance Committee open letter seeking input on how to improve the US mental health system |
9/30/2013 | Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) comment letter responding to Senate Finance Committee open letter seeking input on how to improve the US mental health system |
9/20/2013 | NAPHS comment letter responding to Senate Finance Committee open letter seeking input on how to improve the US mental health system |
9/13/2013 | Mental Health Liaison Group letter to Reps. Murphy and Barber in support of H.R.2957, the Behavioral Health Information Technology Act of 2013 |
9/3/2013 | Dear Colleague letter: "EMRs Improve Mental Health Outcomes and Save Money" (Reps. Murphy & Barber) |
7/31/2013 | Behavioral Health IT Coalition release: “Mental Health and Addiction Services Organizations Applaud Rep. Murphy & Rep. Barber for Introducing the Behavioral Health Information Technology Act” (H.R.2957) |
7/2/2013 | ONC releases final Health IT Patient Safety Action and Surveillance Plan. Also see an ONC fact sheet and an HHS news release. |
1/25/2013 | HHS final rule: "Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy, Security, Enforcement, and Breach Notification Rules" |
7/2/2012 | NAPHS statement on introduction of H.R.6043, the Behavioral Health Information Technology Act of 2012 [View] |
3/1/2012 | Health Affairs abstract: "Hospitals Ineligible for Federal Meaningful-Use Incentives Have Dismally Low Rates of Adoption of Electronic Health Records" (vol. 31 no. 3 505-513) [View] |
5/5/2011 | Final rule: Medicare & Medicaid: Changes Affecting Hospital and Critical Access Hospital Conditions of Participation: Telemedicine Credentialing and Privileging [View] |
3/10/2011 | Sen. Whitehouse introduces S.539, the Behavioral Health Information Technology Act of 2011 [View] |
5/7/2010 | Mental Health Liaison Group letter in support of H.R.5040, the Health Information Technology Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act of 2010 [View] |
3/12/2010 | NAPHS comment letter: Children's hospital definition [View] |
4/1/2006 | NAPHS Information Technology Principles [View] |