HIMSS 2017: ONC, CMS leaders call for more emphasis on patient engagement in health information technology

ORLANDO, Fla.—Federal healthcare leaders urged the health IT community to turn its attention back to the patient when solving some of the ongoing challenges surrounding interoperability and making healthcare data and information useful to patients and caregivers.

During a special session at HIMSS 2017, Jon White, M.D., the acting national coordinator for health information technology at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), and Kate Goodrich, M.D., the chief medical officer the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, discussed a range of issues from MACRA implementation and the Quality Payment Program to interoperability and the new administration's priorities for health IT.

White and Goodrich emphasized the role that patients play in the development of new health IT tools and the use of data. Goodrich said focusing on patients has emerged as one of CMS’ guiding principles, reiterating two of the goals outlined in a person and family engagement strategy released in December: promote tools and strategies that actively engage patients and develop meaningful measure that improve the patient and caregiver experience....