New This Week on HealthIT.gov

In This Issue

It was great to see everyone so pumped up at Health Datapalooza 2014 this week where the mobile app crowd had their moment in the sun. Thanks to everyone who made this event such a success and follow us here to learn about the next big things in health IT!

ONC's Call to Action for a Nationwide Interoperable Health IT Infrastructure

All health IT stakeholders – clinicians, consumers, hospitals, public health, technology developers, payers, researchers, policymakers and many others – have a role in helping us achieve interoperability. A new Call to Action for a Nationwide Interoperable Health IT Infrastructure blog post by Dr. Karen DeSalvo (@KBDeSalvo) describes ONC's "broad vision and framework for interoperability." She also encourages stakeholders to "join ONC in developing a defined, shared roadmap that will allow us to collectively achieve health IT interoperability as a core foundational element of better care, at a lower cost and better health for all." Read the report and help the country move toward universal interoperability.

SAVE THE DATE: ONC Webinar

ONC will host a webinar on Friday, June 20 at 3 pm EDT featuring experts from ONC, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to discuss the draft FDASIA report and receive stakeholder input. Registration details to follow soon!

Advisory Committee Schedule Week of June 9

Monday
The Health IT Policy Committee's Safety Task Force launches Monday at 11:30am (all times EDT).
Tuesday
The Health IT Policy Committee holds a virtual meeting at 9am where the latest adoption figures will be revealed and committee members will discuss certification/adoption updates.
Wednesday
The Health IT Standards Committee's (HITSC) implementation Workgroup meets at 9am followed at 1pm by the Consumer Technology Workgroup.
Friday
The #HITPC Safety Task Force wraps up the week Friday at 10 am.

Health IT Refresh! HealthIT Dashboard Revamped

The Health IT Dashboard has a new look! ONC launched a new home page for the Dashboard this week, giving you easy access to the full catalog of health IT Quick-Stats, Data Briefs, and reports. You can now easily search and sort Dashboard content directly on the home page – no need to click through the site menu to find what you need. Sort the home page by information product type, a health IT topic area, or with keywords. The catalog will immediately respond to your search and sort choices, shuffling the home page according to your query.

While you're checking out the new look, be sure and take a look at some of the Dashboard’s new content – the Systematic Health IT Literature Review, the e-Prescribing choropleth, the Health IT Workforce Development Program infographic, and the latest onU.S. eligible hospital health IT adoption and health information exchange. These are just a few highlights of how ONC is putting data to work to advance the analysis of pertinent health IT trends and empower the public and health IT stakeholders.

ONC is constantly working to improve the Dashboard, so check it regularly for the latest analyses and information products.

Innovation Engagement Hangout: Payment Transformation 101

Friday, June 13 at 2pm EDT / 11am PDT
ONC's Office of the Chief Scientist works to engage the "innovation community," broadly defined as entrepreneurs, developers, startups, venture capitalists, scientists and researchers who are developing the health IT solutions that will transform the practice of medicine and allow for greater patient engagement with their health care. Malay Gandhi from RockHealth will talk to our own Kelly Cronin on a Google Hangout next Friday (June 13) where they will discuss new payment models and how they represent new opportunities for innovation.

Join the Google Hangout to learn more about some of the different payment models that are being piloted, how health IT components are supporting payment transformation goals, ONC's regulatory role, and the types of IT solutions that physicians will need to achieve the Affordable Care Act's goals to help reform the health care system.

Call for Advisory Committee Members

We want you to sign up for one of our Health IT Policy or Standards Committee' workgroups. Read how you can get involed and share your expertise to help shape health IT policy! TIME IS RUNNING OUT — SIGN UP NOW — THE DEADLINE IS TODAY!

LTPAC Health IT Summit

Join the LTPAC Health IT Collaborative from June 22-24th, 2014 for their 10th Annual LTPAC Health IT Summit at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore, MD. Our very own Dr. David Hunt, medical director for Health IT Adoption & Patient Safety, will be providing the keynote on where the Long-Term and Post-Acute Care (LTPAC) community can find opportunities to advance continuity of care and help to reduce hospital readmissions through the use of health IT.

2014 Eligible Professional eCQMs have been updated

Earlier this week CMS posted the updated 2014 electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) for eligible professionals and corresponding specifications for electronic reporting. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updates the specifications each year to make sure that the measure representation and recent code system versions reflect the best understanding of standards and logic, and remain relevant and actionable.

We strongly encourage you to implement and use the updated electronic specifications of the CQMs finalized in the Stage 2 rule for the 2015 EHR Reporting Period since they include updated terminologies, critical logic corrections, and intent clarification.

Listening Session: Privacy of Alcohol and Drug Abuse patient data

To get your take on potential changes to the confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient Records Regulations (42 CFR Part 2.) the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) announced a public listening session which will be held in Rockville, Maryland on Wednesday, June 11, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, EDT. If you can't make it to Rockville, the listening session will also be webcast.

Read more in the Federal Register about SAMHSA's efforts. Questions? E-mailPrivacyRegulations@SAMHSA.hhs.gov.