“The ONC-Coordinated Federal Health Information Technology Strategic Plan sets forth a number of goals, objectives and strategies that, for the first time, bring together all federal efforts in health I.T. in a coordinated fashion,” wrote Robert Kolodner, M.D., national coordinator for health information technology. “It will guide the advancement of health I.T. throughout the federal government for the next five years.”
The plan sets out timetables for achieving more than 40 milestones in the areas of privacy and security, interoperability, adoption and collaborative governance.
In the area of adoption, for instance, the goal is to make electronic health records easy to buy and implement, and identify ways for personal health records to link to useful applications by 2010. Goals achievable by 2011 under the plan include removing business obstacles for EHR use, increasing EHR value through technology, and promoting certified I.T. products as essential to clinical care.
In 2009, according to the plan, health information exchanges will start sharing data in real time through the emerging national health information network. “As all of the health I.T. initiatives that are under way grow and continue to produce results, there will be a shift in how individuals interact with the health care system.”
Ultimately, the plan envisions, “Individuals will begin to expect that interoperable health I.T. will be used to manage their health and care, and providers will begin to view health I.T. as essential to what they do.”
The strategic plan is available at hhs.gov/healthit.com.
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