New This Week on HealthIT.gov

It's beginning to look a lot like … ONC Annual Meeting time! Yes, we are putting away the bowties and confetti and picking up the mouse to help you get wired. Save The Date: Join us January 23 and 24 for our Annual Meeting here in Washington D.C. Stay tuned for the details, but we want to make sure you plug it into those new calendars.

In This Issue

• Blogging, blogging, blogging …
• Meaningful Use Resources
• PDMP report to Congress
• Upcoming webinars

Blogging, blogging, blogging …

We published a trio of new blog posts this week that you can read at your leisure.

• Dr. Catherine Rose writes about how she uses Health IT to care for her daughter, in recognition of National Caregivers Month.
   
• Our Rural Health IT Coordinator, Leila Samy, co-authors a blog post with her counterpart at the Health Resources and Services Administration, Tom Morris, about what ONC and our Federal partners have been up to helping rural Critical Access Hospitals and other small hospitals adopt and meaningfully use Health IT. A lot has been done and a lot more remains to do, so read on.
   
• Finally, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Anand Parekh writes about a new program to promote healthy eating habits, behavioral change and clinical-community linkages to achieve better health. Take a look!

Meaningful Use Resources

There are incentives for Achieving Meaningful Use! Check the links below for details on how to attain Meaningful Use and reap the benefits:

• Meaningful Use Definition & Objectives
• How to Attain Meaningful Use
• Certification Process for EHR Technologies
• EHR Incentive Programs
• EHR Incentive Payment Timeline

For more resources and information, visit the EHR implementation lifecycle stepsand check out the National Learning Consortium (NLC).

PDMP report to Congress

ONC released a report to Congress that looks at Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs). The report - developed by ONC, OASH, SAMHSA, and CDC called for in the FDASIA law - reviews the literature on PDMP effectiveness; assesses the extent to which providers use PDMPs;  highlights the current legal, technical, fiscal, privacy, and security challenges facing PDMP interoperability; and discusses how state PDMPs could increase production and distribution of unsolicited reports. It also covers opportunities for addressing the challenges currently facing PDMP interoperability.

Upcoming webinars

Our Division of Science and Innovation is hosting a series of webinars designed for health IT innovators, developers and everyone who wants to jump feet first into the pool. First up on December 5 at 12 pm EST is a session moderated by Leonard Kish that looks at the economic evidence for Health IT and features our own Mike Furukawa and Jon White of AHRQ. You can learn more at http://www.healthit.gov/newsroom/webinars.