Federal HIT strategic plan published

The Federal Health IT Strategic Plan 2015-2020 has been published and is open for public comment. The plan, updating the original 2011 version, lays out five specific goals for the designated timeframe.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) collaborated with more than 35 federal agencies to create a strategic plan that "represents a coordinated and focused effort to appropriately collect, share and use interoperable health information to improve healthcare, individual, community and public health and advance research across the federal government and in collaboration with private industry," according to a release from the Department of Health and Human Resources.

The strategic plan serves as the broad federal strategy setting the context and framing the Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap that will be released early next year and will help define the implementation of how the federal government and private sector will approach sharing health information.

After the federal government accelerated the adoption of certified EHR technology (CEHRT) through the HITECH Act, “the 2015 Strategic Plan provides the federal government a strategy to move beyond healthcare to improve health, use health IT beyond EHRs and use policy and incentive levers beyond the incentive programs,” said Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, national coordinator for health IT and acting assistant secretary for health. “The success of this plan is also dependent upon insights from public and private stakeholders and we encourage their comments."

The primary goals include the following:

1. Expand adoption of health IT; a goal that is further broken down into three objectives: increase the adoption and effective use of health IT products, systems and services; increase user and market confidence in the safety and safe use of health IT; and advance a national communications infrastructure that supports health, safety and care delivery.
2. Advance secure and interoperable health information by enabling individuals, providers and public health entities to securely send, receive, find and use electronic health information; identifying, prioritizing and advancing technical standards to support secure and interoperable health information; and protecting the privacy and security of health information.
3. Strengthen healthcare delivery by improving healthcare quality, access and experience through "safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and person-centered care; support the delivery of high-value care; and work toward better clinical and community services and population health.
4. Advance the health and well-being of individuals and communities by empowering individuals, families and caregivers and promoting public health.
5. Advance research, scientific knowledge and innovation. The plan addresses ONC plans to work toward increased access to and usability of high-quality electronic health information and services; faster development and commercialization of innovative technologies and solutions, and invest, disseminate and translate research on how health IT can improve health and care delivery.

This plan "aligns with our health IT priorities," said Karen S. Guice, MD, MPP, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, Department of Defense. "As a large provider and purchaser of care, we continually look for ways to expand the sharing of critical healthcare information with our healthcare partners."

Beyond creating financial and regulatory incentives to encourage the use of health IT, the federal government is helping to create a competitive and innovative marketplace, according to the release. This effort will help bring new tools to health IT consumers and provide tools to help strengthen healthcare delivery that aligns with other national strategies to improve health including safety, quality, prevention and reducing disparities.

Access the strategic plan online. Public comments are due by Feb. 6, 2015.