A Health IT Blueprint for the Entire Federal Government

July 20, 2024

Peter Karras, Deputy Director for the Strategic Planning and Coordination Division at ONC discuss the draft 2024-2030 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan, which aims to modernize and enhance the federal healthcare system through technology. Karras emphasizes the importance of interoperability, making it the primary focus to ensure different health IT systems can communicate effectively. The strategic plan outlines key goals: promoting health and wellness, enhancing the delivery and experience of care, and accelerating research and innovation. These goals aim to create a connected healthcare system where data portability and API usage facilitate seamless access to health information, thereby improving health outcomes for individuals, populations, and communities. The plan also stresses the need for collaboration among federal partners and stakeholders to achieve these objectives. Karras highlights the importance of laying the groundwork for a robust technical and policy framework that supports the exchange and use of health data across different platforms.

Key Takeaways

1. Emphasize Interoperability: 
   Ensure your health IT systems can seamlessly exchange data across different platforms using standardized APIs to enhance care delivery and patient outcomes.
   
   
2. Focus on Data Portability: 
   Implement solutions that allow patients easy access to their health information, promoting ownership and better health management.
   
   
3. Collaborate and Innovate:
   Work with federal partners and stakeholders to align with the strategic plan's goals, leveraging new technologies and approaches to improve health IT infrastructure and processes.