In an effort to educate Louisiana residents about how to use available health information technology (HIT) tools, the state’s Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) is supporting a statewide patient engagement campaign.
The “Your Health in Your Hands” campaign, which launched Aug. 1, is a joint effort of DHH and the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum and makes Louisiana the first state to pioneer a direct-to-consumer campaign that engages patients and families in the use of health IT.
As part of the campaign, DDH and the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum launched a website, www.makemyhealth.me, where Louisiana residents can find information and resources about health IT tools such as electronic health records (EHRs), patient portals and the statewide health information exchange (HIE). And, the website features information about patient rights, such as how to request copies of their medical records and how to use those records to improve their health.
“The ‘Your Health in Your Hands’ campaign is another tool we're using to make sure Louisianans know that health IT improvements can directly improve their quality of care,” DHH Secretary Kathy Kliebert said in a statement. “Louisiana is one of the country's leaders in health IT, and this campaign keeps that trend going.”
“This is something that no other state has yet attempted,” Cindy Munn, CEO of the Quality Forum, said. “We are very excited and proud that Louisiana is leading the way and receiving so much positive national attention for these efforts.”
According to Munn, research has shown that patients who are engaged in their care tend to have better outcomes and lower costs, and “the goal of this campaign is to ensure that Louisiana residents have the knowledge and tools necessary to be engaged patients.”
Funding from Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act supports the ‘Your Health in Your Hands’ campaign.
