New Federal Health IT Strategy Increases Focus On Public Health, AI

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Dive Brief:

• The HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology released a draft plan Wednesday that lays out the agency’s health IT strategy over the next several years.
• The plan, developed with more than 25 federal agencies, includes an increased focus in areas like artificial intelligence, public health and health equity, officials said in a blog post.
• The strategy will help the federal government prioritize resources, coordinate efforts across agencies, highlight priorities to the private sector and assess progress on health IT initiatives over time, according to the ONC. The public comment period for the draft plan ends May 28.

Dive Insight:

Boosting cybersecurity and preparedness in the healthcare sector recently has been a priority for the HHS. Earlier this year, the agency released voluntary cybersecurity goals for the industry, with plans to eventually propose enforceable standards. 

This plan aligns with those efforts, the ONC said. The industry is tackling challenges such as the rapid expansion of AI and increased cyber threats, including an attack at technology firm Change Healthcare last month.

The draft Federal Health IT Strategic Plan is divided into four categories, with the first three goals focused on plans to improve experiences and outcomes for health IT users, while the fourth goal explores the policies and technology needed to support them.

The first goal is aimed at promoting health and wellness for individuals and communities, supporting individuals’ access to electronic health information and promoting their use of digital health products. 

The second category focuses on improving care delivery and healthcare experiences, like encouraging telehealth use, collecting standardized data on social determinants of health, promoting “safety and responsible” AI tools and simplifying electronic documentation requirements for provider payments to alleviate burnout among clinicians. 

The third goal hones in on using health IT for research and innovation, like making it easier for people to securely share their data for studies, and increasing transparency on how AI algorithms are used in healthcare. 

The fourth component discusses plans to promote data sharing, improve broadband infrastructure and provide guidance on cybersecurity. 

The previous health IT plan, published in October 2020, drove “significant progress” across the government and private sector to accelerate access, exchange and use of electronic health information, according to the agency. 

The new plan aims to build upon that work, aiming to modernize public health infrastructure after the COVID-19 pandemic, address health disparities and tackle the rapidly evolving use of AI in healthcare. 

While tech giants are promising AI tools that lessen providers’ administrative tasks, some experts are concerned there isn’t enough oversight into the quickly developing products.

Late last year, the ONC finalized a sweeping rule that requires developers of certified AI tools to detail information including how products are maintained and monitored, and known risks and inappropriate uses. The HHS is also developing an AI task force that will focus on developing safety programs and plans to manage the new technology.