Health Data

Portrait of Chelsea Richwine

Evidence on the Growing Use of Health IT to Address the Opioid Epidemic

Chelsea Richwine | January 19, 2023

In the midst of a growing drug overdose crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians’ use of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) technology is critical to improving opioid prescribing practices, informing treatment decisions, and supporting safe and effective patient care. Recent efforts, such as mandating use of EPCS technology and integrating PDMPs into electronic health record (EHR) systems, aim to improve prescribing practices by increasing the utility of information contained in PDMPs and decreasing prescription diversion and doctor shopping.

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Portrait of Kathryn Marchesini
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Back to the Future: What Predictive Decision Support Can Learn from DeLoreans and The Big Short

Kathryn Marchesini | December 13, 2022

In the third blog in our series on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)-driven predictive models (data analytics tool or software) in health care, we discussed some potential risks (sometimes referred to as model harms) related to these emerging technologies and how these risks could lead to adverse impacts or negative outcomes. Given these potential risks, some have questioned whether they can trust the use of these technologies in health care.

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Portrait of Kathryn Marchesini
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Guiding Developers through Foundational Federal Laws Applicable to Mobile Health Technology

Kathryn Marchesini | December 12, 2022

As you design, market, and distribute a mobile health (mHealth) app that your customers will use to collect, share, use, or maintain individuals’ health information, it is likely you have questions about what U.S. federal laws apply. You may also wonder which federal agencies oversee various aspects of mHealth — including how this varies by how individuals, their health plan, or health care providers will use the app.  Depending on who is expected to use an app and how they will get and use the app (e.g.,

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Portrait of LaVerne Perlie
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Addressing Evolving Health Information Technology Needs in Pediatric Care: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Informational Resource (IR)

LaVerne Perlie | November 15, 2022

Hot off the presses, the Pediatric Health Information Technology: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Informational Resource (NAS IR) [PDF – 808 KB] is a new resource from ONC to support pediatric care and practice settings specific to neonatal abstinence syndrome. The NAS IR builds upon prior efforts included in the ONC Pediatric Health Information Technology Informational Resources (IR) for health IT developers and for health care providers, and includes information about the implementation of health IT and its use as part of delivering health care to infants experiencing withdrawal after maternal exposure to opioids and other substances during pregnancy.

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Portrait of Micky Tripathi

OSTP, in Partnership with ONC, Seeks Input on Optimizing Data Capture for Clinical Trials

Micky Tripathi | October 31, 2022

This blog post is co-authored with Jennifer Roberts, Assistant Director for Health Technologies, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Grail Sipes, Assistant Director for Biomedical Regulatory Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for a coordinated clinical trials enterprise, one that can swiftly characterize emerging viral threats and evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines, therapeutics, and other countermeasures across a diversity of trial participants.

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