New federal health information technology strategic plan released

According to Robert Kolodner, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the in preferred future for the U.S. health system, "Clinicians will have at their fingertips all of the information needed to provide the best care; individuals will have access to this and other information that can help them engage and insert their values in the decision-making process about their health and care; and, secure and authorized access to health data will provide new ways that biomedical research and public health can improve individual health, and the health of communities and the Nation" (Source: The ONC-Coordinated federal health information technology strategic plan: 2008-2012," U.S. Health and Human Services, June 3, 2008)

He concludes that "adoption of interoperable health IT systems needs to remain at the forefront of national priorities" to achieve this vision.  To facilitate the work toward this vision the Office of the National Coordinator released its 2008-2012 federal health information technology strategic plan on June 3rd. 

The Plan has two goals, Patient-focused Health Care and Population Health.  The focus of the patient-focused health care goal is to enable the transformation to higher quality, more cost-efficient, patient-focused health care through electronic health information access and use by care providers, and by patients and their designees.

The focus of the population health goal is to enable the appropriate, authorized, and timely access and use of electronic health information to benefit public health, biomedical research, quality improvement, and emergency preparedness.