Welcome to National Health IT Week 2016: A Message from
the President, New Resources and Upcoming Events
Welcome to National Health IT Week 2016! As promised, this week is jam packed with announcements, new health IT tools, and a look back on the progress this community has made in 2016. Keep reading for more details!
A Message from President Obama Commemorating National Health IT Week
We are very excited to share a message from President Barack Obama, commemorating National Health IT Week. In part, his message reads:
“During National Health IT Week, we recommit ourselves to improving the health of our citizenry using the breakthrough technologies of our time and reaching for the next frontier of innovation…Because of our collective efforts, 97 percent of our Nation’s hospitals and three-quarters of doctors are using electronic records to care for their patients…These efforts help advance our Administration’s goal of fostering the seamless and secure flow of electronic health information when and where it is needed most. Though there is more to be done to realize a healthcare system that fits each of our needs, I am confident that if we continue working together, we can build a future of greater health and prosperity for coming generations.”
Read the full message from President Obama.
NEW RESOURCES: Health IT Playbook, EHR Contract Guide
Today, ONC is releasing a comprehensive Health IT Playbook with links and tools to help providers use their health IT. As part of the Playbook, ONC is also posting a new EHR contract guide, EHR Contracts Untangled: Selecting Wisely, Negotiating Terms, and Understanding the Fine Print, which offers strategies to help providers as they compare EHRs and negotiate key terms with EHR vendors. We will be hosting a public webinar on Friday, September 30 to help you better navigate these two resources that could help any practice. See below for details!
Blockchain White Papers Posted, Workshop Underway
In early September, we announced the winners of the ONC “Use of Blockchain in Health IT and Health-related Research” Challenge, where we solicited white papers on the topic of Blockchain technology and the potential use in health IT. Over the next two days, some of those winners will present their work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) during a joint ONC/NIST workshop. You can read all of the Blockchain Challenge submissions on HealthIT.gov.
Nearly All Hospitals Using Certified EHRs
This summer, ONC released new survey data shows nearly all of the nation’s hospitals have adopted certified electronic health records. This represents a nine-fold increase since 2008 and also shows that there has been an increase in the sharing of health data among hospitals. Read the ONC Data Brief.
TOMORROW: #AskVindell Twitter Chat
Tuesday, September 27
11a.m. – 12p.m. ET
#AskVindell
THURSDAY: Model Privacy Notice Twitter Chat
Thursday, September 29
2 – 3p.m. ET
#MPNchat
FRIDAY: Health IT Playbook Demo
Friday, September 30
2 – 3p.m. ET
Register for the webinar
Source: The Office of the National Coordinator of National HIT
