One in an occasional series of “Where-are-they-now?” posts about ONC Awardees

One of four High Impact Pilot recipients, which developed a care plan platform to help pharmacists coordinate care with patients, is now operating in all 50 states.

According to new findings, the percent of clinicians who electronically prescribe controlled substances (EPCS) has increased. Despite this increase, overall EPCS rates remain low. The use of EPCS technology can help healthcare providers directly integrate opioid prescription information into electronic health records (EHRs), which can enhance patient safety and help deter diversion and fraud. ECPS technology can also streamline clinician workflow and reduce patient burden.

As new public health crises emerge, health information technology (health IT) needs to evolve to enhance health care professionals’ ability to make informed clinical decisions, conduct reporting, and exchange health information.

National Health IT Week is the perfect time to reflect on our collective success since last year. The health information technology (health IT) landscape has dramatically evolved since the first National Health IT Week in 2006. Most provider offices and hospitals use electronic health records, their patients can now view their medical information online, and we see a new wave coming in the next few years powered by the app economy. This change will give consumers better and more convenient ways to manage their own health and shop for care.

ONC announced two awards under the Leading Edge Acceleration Projects in Health Information Technology (LEAP in Health IT) funding opportunity.