ONC seeks comments on health IT strategic plan

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) is seeking comment on its Federal Health IT Strategic Plan to reduce health IT disparities.

In a blog, the ONC stated that for the past few months, the Health IT Disparities Workgroup—comprised of staff from agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with strategic and operational programs in health IT and co-chaired by the ONC and the Office of Minority Health (OMH)—has led an effort to further define the federal government’s strategies and tactics to reduce health IT disparities within underserved communities.

The Health IT Disparities Workgroup is developing a federal plan to reduce health IT disparities. A draft set of strategies/tactics—aligned with the five goals of the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan—is included below.

ONC is asking for people to provide comments on the following questions:

• What do you think of the draft strategies/tactics listed below?
• What specific activities would you like to see the federal government take on to reduce health IT disparities?

The five goals include:

• Achieve adoption and information exchange through meaningful use of health IT;
• Improve care, improve population health and reduce healthcare costs through the use of health IT;
• Inspire confidence and trust in health IT;
• Empower individuals with health IT to improve their health and the healthcare system; and
• Achieve rapid learning and technological advancement.

Read the blog post and comment here.