The Omaha System in Minnesota:

Innovations in Policy

Diane Thorson, M.S., R.N., P.H.N.Director/CHS Administrator

Otter Tail County Public Healthdthorson@co.ottertail.mn.us

Karen Martin, R.N., M.S.N., F.A.A.N.Martin Assoicates

Karen Monsen, R.N., Ph.D., F.A.A.N.Universityof Minnesota School of Nursing

Presenter DisclosureD. Thorson

The following personal financial relationships with commercial interests relevant to this presentation existed during the past 12 months:

No relationships to disclose

Policy – Outcomes

Outcomes

Policy

SystemsEnvironments

EHR Mandate Minnesota statutes mandated local health

departments to have interoperable electronic health records (EHR) systems by January, 2015.

Health Information Exchange In 2010, a Health Information Exchange

(HIE) Work Group of the Minnesota State Community Health Services Advisory Committee was charged with recommending standardized methods for exchanging local public health data.

Process HIE Work Group members studied other

states’ interoperability efforts, examined local public health’s maternal and child health (MCH) business processes, and researched EHR and data exchange standards.

Conducted on-site business analysis sessions with local public health staff

Outputs Data dictionary for person-centric services

for Family/Targeted Home visiting programs workflow processes data exchange elements

Synthesis Common exchanges and processes were

then derived and vetted to provide a basis for recommending standards.

Recommendations

Recommendations

Lessons Learned The Omaha System was used widely to document

public health interventions and population health outcomes by Minnesota local public health agencies

Knowledge of the Omaha System among Minnesota policy makers had increased due to widespread dissemination of outcome reports from practice agencies.

State department of health staff, county commissioners, and local public health department directors valued the ability to describe public health interventions and population health outcomes.

Informatics Workgroup Promotes training in utilization of the Omaha

System Advocating for use of Omaha System with

personnel in the Office of the National Coordinator within the Continuity of Care Document Architecture

Advocating for use of Omaha System with the Standards and Interoperability Framework for reporting the work of public health practitioners.

On the horizon Many future possibilities

Public Health & Human Services

Omaha System

Public Health Record

Human Services Record