Looking back on 2012 brings so many topics, fascinating speakers and amazing innovations to mind. Meaningful Use powered along with the publication of both the final rule for Stage 2 and the proposed rule for Stage 3.

Health information exchange (HIE) and interoperability are fundamental requirements for improving patient care, according to a panel of speakers who discussed the topic at the Dec. 12 annual meeting of the Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT (ONC). The speakers discussed their work and experiences during the session.

Representatives from a range of organizations discussed how health IT is helping them achieve the triple aim of improving care quality, bettering patient outcomes and lowering healthcare costs during the Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT’s (ONC) annual meeting on Dec. 12.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute is awarding 25 research projects a total of $40.7 million over three years.

The Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT (ONC) recently held its 2012 annual meeting. While much of the day was spent celebrating health IT achievements, the speakers also addressed the ongoing challenges.

Nine hospitals are banding together to form the Georgia Surgical Quality Collaborative and another five anticipate joining the partnership at some point during 2013.

The creation of the ONC’s new Office of Consumer Health is “exciting because it signals a real commitment on the part of ONC to engage consumers,” said acting director Lygeia Riccardi. While the office works closely with other ONC programs, the “walls are permeable,” Riccardi said, because the office also works with other agencies and the private sector. “We view our role as being conveners and catalysts. We are fueled by a combination of policy, changes in healthcare and the way technology has become a big part of our everyday existence.”

Mobile health brings a revolution to healthcare, said Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, director of the Center for Connected Health in Boston, speaking during a Dec. 14 webinar presented by the Health Information Management and Systems Society.