When disaster strikes, most of us think about how we can best protect ourselves and our loved ones. We can’t always think about our health records though. Disasters can often aggravate chronic disease and cause disruptions at hospitals, clinics and other health care and social service facilities. If we even have them, very few of us think about taking our health records when evacuating, but that’s where health IT can help.

New data released by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) examines how people diagnosed with cancer access and use their online medical record. Nearly 60 percent of individuals with a previous cancer diagnosis reported being offered access to their online medical record by a healthcare provider or insurer (Figure 1), according to data from the National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). This rate is compared to 50 percent for people never diagnosed with cancer. Individuals recently diagnosed with cancer also viewed their record at higher rates compared to those never diagnosed.

Today, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released an updated version of the Health IT Playbook, a tool developed in 2016 to help clinical practices make the most of their health IT investment and reduce the burden of Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The Playbook reflects input from other HHS agencies, physicians, and professional societies, such as the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians and the American Medical Association.

ONC released the draft 2020-2025 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan for public comment. The draft plan defines a set of goals, objectives, and strategies the federal government will pursue to empower patients, deliver high-quality care, and improve health for individuals, families, and communities through the use of health IT.

The Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC) consists of a dedicated group of experts who volunteer their time and expertise to provide recommendations on ONC policies and programs.