Portrait of Chelsea Richwine ,

Collecting, Using, and Exchanging Data to Advance Health and Health Equity

Chelsea Richwine | November 25, 2024

As part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy’s (ASTP) vision of “better health enabled by data,” we are committed to advancing health equity and person-centered ways to promote the interoperable exchange of data on patients’ health-related social needs (HRSN) and broader social determinants and dynamic social drivers of health (SDOH). In support of this effort, ASTP conducted several studies in the past year to better understand whether routine screening combined with capturing data in a structured format could facilitate immediate and downstream use of data collected through such screening as well as how the availability of dedicated resources or strategic partnerships with community organizations impacts providers’ ability to address patients’ HRSN.

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Portrait of Susan Fenton

Ahead of Schedule: PHIT Workforce Development Program Students at UTHealth Exceeding Expectations

Susan Fenton | November 21, 2024

Three years into the Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) Workforce Development Program ―an effort funded and led by ASTP to boost the public health information technology workforce in the US―the University of Texas Health Houston (UTHealth) has exceeded expectations and completed award milestones ahead of schedule. The program exceeded its original goal of training 1,900 students, reaching 2,065 students one year ahead of schedule. UTHealth’s efforts to provide its students with opportunities to secure meaningful,

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Portrait of Tricia Lee Rolle ,

A Year of Movement on Pharmacy Interoperability

Tricia Lee Rolle | November 18, 2024

A year ago, based on the work led by the Pharmacy Interoperability and Emerging Therapeutics (PhIET) Task Force, the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC) made recommendations to support interoperability between pharmacy constituents as well as the exchange of information necessary for medication management, patient safety, and consumer engagement.

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Portrait of Wes Barker , ,

A Decade of Data: Progressing Patient-Centric Care through Health IT

Wes Barker | October 31, 2024

Earlier this year we celebrated the 20th birthday of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (hereafter ASTP) and reflected on the transformative impact of health IT on patient care delivery in the US. These developments have been instrumental in creating a more connected and patient-focused health care system, supporting our goal of seamless data exchange between health care providers, and enabling real-time access to critical patient health information.

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Portrait of Terah Tessier

Advancing Public Health Data Exchange: KONZA’s Success with the STAR HIE Program

Terah Tessier | October 28, 2024

ASTP launched the Strengthening the Technical Advancement and Readiness of Public Health via Health Information Exchange (STAR HIE Program) in 2020. In 2021, it was expanded to increase support for efforts to improve vaccination data sharing between state and local immunization information systems (IIS) and HIEs. KONZA in Topeka, Kansas was among the 22 recipients that received a combined $5 million in funds from ASTP via the CARES Act.

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