Interoperable Health Information Exchange Featured at GHIT Conference

The Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) will be hosting its annual Government Health IT (GHIT) Conference June 14-15 in Washington, DC. ONC’s presence at the meeting will highlight the ongoing work being done at the federal and state level supporting interoperable health information exchange and meaningful use of electronic health records. In addition to a closing keynote speech by our new National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Dr. Farzad Mostashari, I’ll be speaking about our efforts promoting standards-based interoperable health information exchange. Dr. Mostashari’s talk will focus on his vision for the future of health IT and ONC’s efforts supporting innovation and progress in support of meaningful use.

GHIT will also be hosting a scaled-down Interoperability Showcase, similar to the one at the annual HIMSS meeting this past February. In the showcase, both government and private entities will demonstrate their ability to share information via the Nationwide Health Information Network Exchange (NwHIN), as well as using Direct Project Exit Disclaimer standards and specifications.

I’ve been proud of the significant progress made by the Direct Project over the past year. A key focus of ONC’s health IT agenda is improving outcomes through care coordination and making the patient central to the care process. To make this possible, health care providers need the ability to communicate electronically rather than using the antiquated system of paper and faxes that has been in place for years. The Direct Project was created to enable the secure transport of health messages among trusted care providers and also to patients. This government-sponsored project has seen rapid commercial adoption. As pilots of the project continue to sprout up across the country, there are a growing number of examples where the government is incorporating Direct specifications and standards into their health IT plans, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and most of the state health information exchanges.