What's Happening in Health IT

In This Issue

Happy Friday! Welcome to your weekly dose of ONC-related Health IT news. This week we convened the 5th Annual ONC Consumer Summit, which was a hit, and released a slew of new analyses that show progress toward a society in which data can move around the patient in a longitudinal way. Please read on!

PGHD Policy Framework In The Works

ONC is pleased to announce that we will be developing a policy framework that identifies best practices, gaps and opportunities for progress in the collection and use of patient-generated health data (PGHD) for research and care delivery through the year 2024. The framework will be tested and refined through real world application in pilots. Results will be available throughout the two-year project, which is part of a suite of initiatives focused on improving use of health IT among researchers and providers for patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR).

Consumer Engagement Enables The Triple Aim

If you weren’t able to travel to DC and attend the 5th Annual ONC Consumer Summit yesterday, you missed an amazing group of dedicated providers, consumers, entrepreneurs and policy makers who are working to enable better health, better care and lower costs by harnessing consumer engagement. Read more about the new data ONC released which show we are making strides to help data move around patients in a longitudinal way. Read the blog post and check out the new data we published on HealthIT.gov below.

Individuals’ Access To Electronic Health Information Growing

In 2014, there was significant growth in individuals' online access to their medical records, and over half of individuals who were offered access to their online medical record viewed their health information at least once within the past year. The data brief that was released details the types of information individuals had access to within their online medical record, how individuals used their online record, and their perspectives on the usefulness of the information. These data also show that individuals are beginning to take advantage of their online access and providers' use of EHRs to help address gaps in information exchange, which over one-third of individuals who have seen a health care provider report experiencing.

New Estimates Of Physicians' Exchange Of Health Data

Our analysts also published new national estimates of physicians’ rates of electronic exchange of health information. The new data brief provides estimates on physician electronic sharing with both patients and other providers, based on data from both the 2013 and 2014 National Electronic Health Record Surveys. Key findings from the brief:

More than half of physicians electronically shared health information with their patients in 2014
In 2014, four in ten physicians electronically shared patient health information with other providers.
Rates of electronic sharing with long-term care, behavioral health, and home health providers were lower than overall rates of electronic sharing with ambulatory care providers.

Meaningful Use EHR Vendor Dataset Updated

We have updated the meaningful use EHR vendor dataset for the month of August. Please take a moment to review the data, which lists the health care providers who have attested to meaningful use under the CMS Medicare EHR Incentive Program. The data show the EHR product and vendor that they reported when attesting.

Data Show Uptick In VDT At Hospitals

Do you like to view, download, and transmit (VDT) your health information? If so, we have some good news. More hospitals than ever before have been providing patients the ability to electronically view, download, and transmit their health information According to a new ONC data brief, six out of ten hospitals offered this capability to their patients in 2014, a substantial increase from one out of ten in 2013. Check out the new data brief to read more about the growth in patient engagement functionalities among U.S. hospitals.

Federal Advisory Committee Schedule Week of October 5 (all times EDT)

Tuesday

9:30 a.m.: The Health IT Policy and Health IT Standards committees join forces for an all-day meeting. Follow along here: http://bit.ly/1OcNqbI

Friday

12:00 p.m.: The Clinical, Technical, Organizational and Financial Barriers to Interoperability Task Force meets. Web conference information is here: http://bit.ly/1JK25Dd