DeSalvo kicks off Natl. Health IT Week

Kicking off National Health IT Week, Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, national coordinator of health IT, said she remains “firmly committed and optimistic about the opportunities for the ONC and our federal partners, as well as the private sector, to support consumer engagement in a meaningful way.”

She said she aims for not just sharing of information but “truly empowering” consumers when it comes to their health and healthcare.

DeSalvo noted the lack of interoperability in health IT systems which results in gaps, missed handoffs, unnecessary inconvenience and in some cases might even cause harm. “Consumers can help us play an increasing role in interoperability. The harnessing of health IT is going to transform the healthcare system into one that meets the needs and expectations of everybody in this country.”

The amount of information is increasing and going beyond what’s in EHRs, she said, and “advancing interoperability is really the means to the ends.” That is, it is a way to ensure that an individual’s health information is accessible when and where it’s needed.  

About one in three individuals experience gaps in information exchange, DeSalvo said, citing a new ONC data brief on the topic, and that’s just “what we know right now.” The ability to address those gaps and delays is limited today. Three in 10 have been given access to an online medical record and among those, almost half viewed their information at least once. “That’s a great start but we want to encourage people when the information is there to keep using it so the demand doesn’t go down.” People used the information for several purposes, most to monitor their health and about half want to share the information with somebody else.

In looking at the next stage of work for the ONC, DeSalvo said she envisions interoperability with the person at the center and the ability to leverage information beyond what is captured in the clinical environment. “We’re seeing increasingly that consumers are demanding that their health information not only include observations of the healthcare system but includes the opportunity for their own information,” including genomics, patient-generated data and more. “This is about health information beyond electronic health records.”

The day’s and week’s events offer the chance for “robust discussion about the challenges and opportunities associated with incorporating these data. “Just because there are challenges doesn’t mean we should stop. It’s not just a good idea. It really matters. Digitization can democratize and empower us in a way we have never been able to do before.”