Portrait of Dr. Karen B. DeSalvo

Health Information Technology: Where We Stand And Where We Need To Go

Dr. Karen B. DeSalvo | April 24, 2015

Karen DeSalvo, M.D., M.P.H., M.Sc., the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, discusses her view of the health information technology landscape. She outlines an agenda for her office that includes incentivizing interoperability, “standardizing standards,” and establishing shared expectations and actions around data security and privacy. This post, which also appears on Health Affairs Blog, is based on Dr. DeSalvo’s presentation at the Health Information and Management Systems Society 2015 annual conference last week.

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Portrait of Matthew Swain

Health Information Exchange among U.S. Hospitals Grew Significantly in 2014

Matthew Swain | April 15, 2015

Advancing secure and interoperable exchange is a core component of the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan 2015-2020 and the focus of the Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap. A key goal of both plans is to increase interoperable exchange of health information across the care continuum, and advance better care, spending health care dollars more wisely, and a healthier nation by enabling providers and individuals to send, find, receive, and use health information when and where it matters most.

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Portrait of Lucia Savage

Practical Information From HHS About Privacy, Security and Health IT: ONC’s Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information

Lucia Savage | April 13, 2015

In the draft Interoperability Roadmap, ONC committed to helping individuals, providers, and the health and health IT community better understand how existing federal law — the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) — supports interoperable exchange of information for health. Today, we take a first step to fulfill that commitment and published the revised Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information.

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