Tennessee

State Demographics
RUPRI Demographics & Economic Profile: Tennessee

Rural Assistance Center (RAC) State Profile

U.S. Census Bureau State & County Quick Facts

Legislation
Tennessee Telemedicine Legislation
State telemedicine legislation addresses various providers, including physicians, dentists, chiropractors, nurses, and other health professionals. This site includes telemedicine-related laws; however, it does not include all appropriations bills that fund telemedicine initiatives.

Telemedicine
Home Telehealth Programs
Telehealth programs listed by state.

Telemedicine Information Exchange
A list of telemedicine and telehealth programs for all states.

Telemedicine To Be Used at Community Clinics in Tennessee
Telemedicine technology by the end of 2007 will be installed at 43 federally funded community health centers in Tennessee to boost access to specialty care for uninsured rural residents, the Tennessean reports.


Health Information Exchange (HIE) and Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO)
HIMSS HIT Dashboard
Click on your state to see a list of Health Information Exchanges (HIE) and Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO) and other Health Information Technology related projects going on throughout the states.

Tennessee, AT&T To Create First Statewide Health Data Exchange
On March 3rd, 2008 AT&T announced that it is partnering with Tennessee to create the nation's first statewide system to electronically send health records and other patient data between providers.

Grant Funded HIT Projects
2007 USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Recipients
Follow the link above to see what USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program Awards have been given out in this state.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) HIT Grants
In September 2004, the Agency for Health care Research and Quality (AHRQ) awarded $139 million in contracts and grants to promote the use of health information technology (health IT) through the development of networks for sharing clinical data as well as projects for planning, implementing, and demonstrating the value of health IT. Click on the link above to see what grants have been awarded in this state.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) HIT Implementa
HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) today announced the award of more than $22.3 million to 16 grantees to implement health information technology (health IT) systems to improve the safety and quality of health care. These projects will contribute to AHRQ's capacity to learn from health IT implementation in clinical settings and to use the results from these real-world laboratories that are crucial to moving forward with broader implementation of health IT in American health care.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Telehealth G
In 2005, HRSA administered 159 telehealth/telemedicine projects. Of those, 92 were awarded funds totaling more than $34.9 million. Projects receive funds in one of four ways: The Telehealth Network Grant Program, Rural Telemedicine Grant Program, Congressionally Mandated Projects, and Special Projects.

NLM Knowledge Management & Applied Information Grants
Grants to health-related and scientific organizations that wish to optimize the utility of clinical and research information.NLM anticipates making 8-10 new awards each year, spending approximately $4 million per year to support new awards in this program.

Rural Assistance Center's (RAC) List of Funding Opportunities fo
Up-to-date summaries of funding programs are provided by RAC for your convenience. Please contact the funder directly for the most complete and current information.


HIT Survey Information
Tennessee' Responses for the 2006 TASC HIT Survey
The Technical Assistance and Services Center (TASC) surveyed 11 Critical Access Hospitals in Tennessee to identify their use of HIT. A summary of the survey is as follows:
  • 73% of hospitals have a formal IT plan
  • 91% have funding included in their budget for purchasing information technology
  • 3 of 11 hospitals said they have their clinicians use handheld computers/ PDAs
  • 9% of the hospitals surveyed have nurses using handheld PDAs
  • All hospitals have internet (100% high-speed, 9% wireless)
  • 100% of hospitals said they have encrypted secure e-mail access for all staff to protect patient confidentiality
  • 100% have computerized claims submissions and 100% have computerized patient billing
  • 100% have computerized payroll
  • 100% have computerized registration and admission
  • 5 hospitals used bar-coded patient identification bracelets
  • 82% of hospitals surveyed do not use electronic medical records
  • 9% keep physician's notes and 27% keep vital signs records in electronic format
  • 82% of hospital pharmacies have computerized allergy and drug interactions and 82% have computerized dose recommendations
  • 60% of hospital pharmacies have an automated medication dispensing machine
  • 73% of the hospitals use telepharmacy
  • 45% have computerized clinician review of radiology results
  • 8 out of 11 hospitals use teleradiology technology to transmit images electronically
  • 1 out of 10 hospitals use telemedicine to consult with clinicians at other sites regarding patient diagnosis and/or treatment
  • 27% of the hospitals transmit EKG tracings electronically to clinicians at other sites
  • 36% of hospitals do not share clinical data with selected other departments within the hospital
  • 9% of hospitals surveyed have physician offices or clinics connected electronically to the hospital's information system
  • 18% have long-term care facilities connected electronically to the hospital's information system
  • 36% of the hospitals share clinical data electronically with other hospitals

Other HIT Activities
Tennessee State Office of Rural Health

University of Tennessee Health Science Center

For additional information, please visit the Rural Health Resource Center web site at www.ruralcenter.org.