Federal Health IT Strategic Plan for 2020-2025 Released

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) recently published the final 2020-2025 Health IT Strategic Plan which was developed with input from more than 25 federal agencies and was informed by nearly 100 public comments. More than ever, the health care industry in both Government and Private sectors is eager for guidance that will bring about changes to our community. Key Cyber Solutions (KCS) prides itself on leveraging our people and technology to bring solutions to our clients and partners. We feel compelled to summarize the plan in this post for those involved in the Health IT space; specifically it will help your organization:

Coordinate and prioritize resources
Align and plan efforts between organizations
Give guidance of priorities to the private and government sectors
Benchmark and assess progress toward a more interoperable, connected health system

Health IT Definition:

Health IT is a broad area and encompasses a number of IT Services for Biomedical Research, Health Sciences, and Healthcare to include the following:

Health Sciences Informatics and Computational Services
Health Communication Support Services and Enhancements to Facilitate Integration and Data Exchange at the Federal, State, and Local Level Integration of Health Systems Across Federal Agencies and Public and Private Healthcare Systems
Modernization and Enhancement of Existing Health IT Legacy Systems
Automation of Administrative and Clinical Processes
Biomedical Information Services
Biomedical Modeling, Visualization, and Simulation
Bio surveillance and Disease Management IT Support
Scientific Computing Services
IT Clinical Support Services
Telemedicine (e.g., mobile health/mHealth)
Healthcare Payment Processes and Fraud and Abuse in Medical Claims
Health Emergency Preparedness and Response to Include IT Support for Epidemic and Bio-Terrorism Simulations, Emergency Response Training, Exercise Support, etc.

Federal Health IT Vision

“A health system that uses information to engage individuals, lower costs, deliver high quality care, and improve individual and population health.”-HHS

Federal Health IT Mission

“A health system that uses information to engage individuals, lower costs, deliver high quality care, and improve individual and population health.”-HHS

Summary of the Strategic Plan:

This plan outlines and discusses specific steps federal partners can take to improve health technology. The goals, objectives, and strategies within this plan focus on the significance not only of electronic health information (EHI) but also of the capabilities aided by Health IT. The Covid-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has highlighted the importance of IT-enabled tools in supporting our healthcare infrastructure. The plan aligns well with the Vision and Mission of Federal Health IT.

Strategic Plan Framework:

This plan includes four overall goals, each of which includes specific objectives and strategies. Taken together, these should not be viewed as sequential, but as interdependent with the collective purpose of improving the health of individuals, families, and communities. See the overview below: