What's Happening in Health IT

In This Issue

Attention health IT pros!: ONC is seeking applications for the Health IT Policy Committee (HITPC) and Health IT Standards Committee (HITPC). If you are interested in becoming a member of either of our two federal advisory committees, you can submit an application using ONC's application database through Friday, September 11.

The National Broadband Map Helps Determine Your Broadband Speed

The National Broadband Map (NBM) is a searchable and interactive tool that allows users to view broadband availability across every neighborhood in the United States. The NBM is particularly helpful for providers in the EHR Incentive Programs that need to determine their broadband download speed for exclusion criteria. Providers can use the NBM to search, analyze, and map broadband availability in their area to determine if these exclusions apply. If you have any questions about how to use the data or to tell the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) how you are using it, send an email to SBDD@ntia.doc.gov and visit the NTIA website for more information.

New Population Health Guide is Out!

Our friends at the National Quality Forum (NQF) Population Health Framework wanted us to let you know that the Community Action Guide 2.0 is out! The guide builds upon the Action Guide 1.0, incorporating feedback from 10 field testing groups from around the country who are engaged in population health improvement work. The document is posted on the project’s web page and can be shared with your contacts. To learn more about the Action Guide and the work NQF is pursuing in population health, please visit the Population Health Framework web page or contact Leslie Vicale at populationhealth@qualityforum.org. Thank you for your continued commitment to improving health and health care.

Health IT Safety Webinar Series

Join us on August 20, 2015 1:00-2:30 p.m. EDT for the ninth webinar of the 10-part series on health IT and patient safety, “Information Transparency and Health IT Safety”. This free webinar presents perspectives on information transparency and health IT safety from the viewpoints of the patient, the practitioner, leaders of health systems improvement, and policymakers. Presenters are:

Robert Wachter, MD, Professor, UCSF School of Medicine. The implications of transparency on health IT: data at the level of individual patients (first presentation) and The implications of transparency on health IT: data at the level of providers and healthcare delivery organizations (second presentation);
Beth Daley Ullem, MBA, Patient Advocate. Former Board Member, Thedacare and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Board of Governors, National Patient Safety Foundation. Board of Directors, Solutions for Patient Safety. Board of Directors, Center for Healthcare Value. Reactor to first presentation;
Marshall Allen, MA, Reporter for ProPublica. Reactor to second presentation;
Jonathan S. Wald, MD, MPH, FACMI, Director, Patient-Centered Technologies, RTI International (Moderator).

Slides and audio of previous webinars in this series are also now available.

5th Annual Consumer Health IT Summit is Oct. 1

ONC reminds you to save the date for the 5th Annual Consumer Health IT Summit in Washington, D.C. on October 1, 2015. At this all-day meeting we will celebrate important advancements in health IT that can equip individuals with information and technology to advance a patient-centered learning health system. Learn how health IT can deliver better health, smarter spending and healthier people. Check out our blog post from last year and watch for more details in the upcoming weeks.

FCC to Hold Broadband Health Events in Florida

The Federal Communications Commission’s Connect2Health Task Force will travel to Miami and Jacksonville, Florida, on September 30 and October 1, to highlight how broadband-enabled health technologies can transform health and care for seniors and people with disabilities. As our population ages and more Americans assume caregiving tasks for family members, broadband health technologies hold great promise to help address access to care issues, facilitate the next generation of caregiving and provide new self-management tools. The FCC will partner with the Mayo Clinic and AARP for these events. Visit fcc.gov/health for more information and to register.

Automated Personalization Computing Project (APCP)

We want to remind you the Department of Education announced a funding opportunity, the Accessibility of Computers and Web Sites through an Automated Personalization Computing Project (APCP). This opportunity calls for the creation of the infrastructure needed to make it easier for any person of any age with any disability to more easily use any web enabled device at school, at home, at work, or in the community. This funding opportunity, totaling up to $20 million over five years, will implement a pilot demonstration of automated personalization for individuals with disabilities who are using information and communication technologies. Individuals with disabilities will be able to access communications and information technology on a secure basis no matter where they are (at school, work, home, or in the community), what kind of computer they work on (e.g., desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone, kiosk) or what software platform (e.g., PC, Mac, Android, iOS) they are using, as long as it is an APCP-enabled computer with Web access. The deadline for submissions is September 8.

Sign up for the iTHRIVE Innovation Challenge

Our friends at the eHealth Initiative wanted to remind you about the iTHRIVE Innovation Challenge August 12 and 13 in Washington, D.C. The challenge is a competition and event that convenes business leaders, government officials, innovators, investors and promising entrepreneurs looking to shape how health technology can improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of health care. Learn more about the impressive line-up of speakers and innovators and REGISTER for the event. Check out the finalized agenda online!

Federal Advisory Committee Schedule Week of August 10 (all times EDT) Monday

Monday

12:00 p.m.: The Health IT Standards Committee’s (#HITSC) Interoperability Task Force convenes a meeting. Learn More

2:00 p.m.: The Health IT Policy Committee’s (#HITPC) Privacy and Security Workgroup meets. Follow along here

Tuesday

9:30 p.m.: The full #HITPC holds a virtual all-day meeting. View agenda.

Friday

10:00 p.m.: Our newest task force on breaking down barriers to interoperability convenes a meeting.