Report 2009-107.1 Recommendation 14 Responses
Report 2009-107.1: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: It Fails to Track and Use Data That Would Allow It to More Effectively Monitor and Manage Its Operations (Release Date: September 2009)
Recommendation #14 To: Correctional Health Care Services, California
To increase the use of the telemedicine system, Health Care Services should maintain a focus on developing and improving its computer systems, such as the Health Care Scheduling System, to increase the efficiency of using telemedicine.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From December 2011
Telemedicine Scheduling System (TMSS) - In January 2011, TMSS was upgraded to its second major version, release 2.0. This release allows for resolution of bugs as well as functionality enhancements that improve efficiency of scheduling operations. In July 2011, management reports were added to the system that allow for more thorough scheduling and provider management.
Health Care Scheduling System (HCSS) - As of October 2011, this system has been released to all three women's institutions including California Institute for Women, Valley State Prison for Women, and Central California Women's Facility. During the pilot phase, Office of Telemedicine Services (OTS) identified areas of improvement that have since been implemented, providing a foundation for ongoing use of HCSS by institution telemedicine staff as it continues to be deployed statewide. OTS will continue to work in conjunction with the rollout of HCSS to enhance and integrate scheduling of telemedicine encounters.
MedWeb - MedWeb was successfully implemented and Telemedicine Coordinators were trained at all institutions and provider HUB sites as of October 5, 2011. MedWeb allows the institution and HUB site locations to upload, send, and view patient/inmate information and electronic files via a Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant transport retention medium. This increases the efficiency and reduces the time needed for data transport for telemedicine clinic preparation. (See 2011-041, p. 120)
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented
All Recommendations in 2009-107.1
Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.