RTI awarded contract to create roadmap for national health IT safety center

The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has awarded RTI International, a N.C.-based global research institute, a contract to create a roadmap for the development of a national health IT safety center.

The roadmap will define the focus, functions, governance and value of the new national health IT safety center, according to RTI.

"As a first step, the roadmap will define a path for creating a new center that helps gather information and share learning about the safety and safe use of health IT,” said Doug Johnston, director of health IT policy in RTI's Center for the Advancement of Health Information Technology, and the project director.

To get there, RTI will convene a task force of public-private stakeholders, such as safety researchers, patient advocates, providers, health IT vendors, medical liability and health insurers and government officials. The task force will come up with recommendations on building a shared awareness on health IT safety, then a roadmap for the development of the health IT center.

RTI has previously worked on projects for HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, including several multi-year, cross-state initiatives focused on health information privacy, security and data exchange.