Louisiana council to take HIT direct to consumers

Louisiana has created a Consumer Advisory Council that aims to engage residents of the state in the use of health IT to improve health and healthcare.

The Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) formed the council which will support the promotion, advancement and utilization of health IT tools such as EHRs and patient portals. The council will represent the voice of patients and families in Louisiana in the development of strategies focused on educating and empowering healthcare consumers in the use of health IT, according to a release.

“It’s important that we include individuals receiving services and their families in the effort to redesign, improve and advance healthcare strategies in our state, said DHH Secretary Kathy H. Kliebert. “We believe tools like electronic health records are a great step in empowering individuals to improve their own health.”

 

Beth Walsh,

Editor

Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.

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