Interoperability Health IT: Improving Access and Driving Change in Healthcare for Communities of Color
Dominick Mack | April 21, 2014
Health care providers are leveraging the benefits of the increasing interoperability and portability of health information to improve population health outcomes. For communities that have historically experienced disparities in care, the uptake of EHRs and other forms of health IT is good news – as long as the providers and patients in these communities have accessibility to the technology.
Read Full Post.
Regional Extension Centers Addressing disparities from the heart
Maggie Wanis | April 18, 2014
April is National Minority Health Month, this year with the theme of “Prevention is Power: Taking Action for Health Equity.” Transforming our nation’s health care system needs deliberate and diligent work in addressing health inequity and disparities that persist among populations. As part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Action Plan to reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, the ONC is leveraging its programs to improve the quality of health care of patients and communities through strategic use of health IT.
Read Full Post.
From the ONC Desk Advancing Health Equity in the Digital Age
Dr. Karen B. DeSalvo | April 18, 2014
During National Minority Health Month, we acknowledge the potential for health information technology (health IT) – from electronic and personal health records to online communities to mobile applications – to transform health care and improve the health of racial and ethnic minorities. Lack of access to quality, preventive health care, cultural and linguistic barriers, and limited patient-provider communication are factors that aggravate health disparities. By increasing our investment in health IT policies and standards, we can help improve the quality of health care delivery and make it easier for patients and providers to communicate with each other – a huge step toward addressing the persistence of health disparities.
Read Full Post.
Rural Health ONC is helping veterans access their electronic health records
Brett Coughlin | April 17, 2014
Go where they are.
In this case, “they” represents rural veterans and Medicare patients. On their way to meet them is a group of Federal partners – including ONC, telecommunication companies – known in industry parlance as “telecos” — and other stakeholders who are pushing to bring broadband to the heartland.
From the ONC Desk A Robust Health Data Infrastructure
Dr. Karen B. DeSalvo | April 16, 2014
Today HHS posted a report by JASON, an independent group of scientists that advises the Federal government on matters of science and technology, called “A Robust Health Data Infrastructure.”
Read Full Post.