eHI roadmap focuses on private sector to drive care delivery transformation

eHealth Initiative announced its 2020 Roadmap project that brings together stakeholders across the healthcare sector and commit to resolving the biggest challenges facing the industry such as interoperability, value-based care, data access and patient privacy.

Groups including United Healthcare, American Medical Association, Mayo Clinic, Siemens and Cerner are working together to drive a private sector solution yet working with the federal government to drive improved healthcare delivery systems and better patient outcomes.

Interoperability is the top priority, said eHealth Initiative CEO Jennifer Covich Bordenick, in a release. “Patients and providers have been frustrated by the interoperability issue. We all recognize that the federal government has a role to play here, but now is the time for the private sector to step forward and lead the effort. The industry leaders from across the healthcare sector who have joined our effort send a powerful message that this is a serious and substantive initiative unlike any other.”

Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, ONC National Coordinator and recently appointed Acting Assistant Secretary of Health for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said, “We look forward to reviewing the findings from eHealth Initiative. We appreciate all efforts from the private sector that support technology policy for our nation. We look forward to working with eHealth Initiative on a shared agenda for health information technology.”

eHI and its partners recommend the following actions:

• Drive industry-wide consensus on a framework to measure and track current and future interoperability levels.

• Work with federal agencies to ensure requirements support interoperability and continue building towards the goals of better patient outcomes and a more efficient healthcare system.
• Lead a national effort to help identify best practices in payer, provider and consumer organizations to utilize ehealth tools, including telemedicine, mhealth and consumer apps.
• Coordinate with trade associations and professional societies to develop a toolkit of resources to help clinicians engage with their patients in a more robust manner.
• Work with federal agencies to identify minimum data requirements for facilitating population health management.
• Work with vendors to harmonize consumer applications to increase adoption and patient engagement.
• Gather and provide consumer and provider recommendations to technology vendors to aid in the development of interoperable tools and applications to promote preventive care and engage patients in their care during their daily lives.
• Create a private sector process for standards development and testing to ensure that data follows the patient and provider for clinical and health purposes.
• Define nationwide interoperability in terms of the interoperability functions that should be universally available, such as automation of key exchange processes.

Most of the recommendations are focused on the role of the private sector. “The private sector needs to put their foot on the gas pedal. Payers and providers know the direction we need to go. eHealth Initiative is truly playing a leadership role by catalyzing the industry. The 2020 Roadmap helps bring us all together and coordinates efforts,” said Sam Ho, MD, executive vice president and CMO of UnitedHealthcare, and chair of eHealth Initiative Board of Directors.

“It is critical we provide incentives across the continuum. The 2020 Roadmap creates a framework to deal with many of those issues. As a neutral, multi-stakeholder organization, eHealth Initiative should lead these conversations,” says John Glaser, PhD, CEO of Health Services, Siemens. “This isn’t something the government can do alone. We can make tremendous changes through market levers.”

“Providers are struggling with current programs,” says Susan L. Turney, MD, CEO, Marshfield Clinic Health System. “As a leading health system, Marshfield Clinic stands behind the 2020 Roadmap. We know it is focused on finding solutions that will support providers and patients.”

Learn more about the roadmap.