eHealth Initiative's (eHI) Fifth Annual Conference

What progress have we made on the health IT agenda in the last five years? And what's needed in 2009 and beyond? 

Here is what you told us…

Our Presidential candidates, members of Congress, and leaders from every sector of health care all agree that health care reform is a top priority, and that health IT can be a vital tool in driving the changes needed. Yet much more progress is needed. What will it take to drive our shared vision of a nationwide, connected health care system that supports care delivery, improves population health, and enables consumers to effectively navigate our fragmented health care system, while effectively managing privacy and confidentiality?

Dozens of individuals, including policymakers, physicians, consumers and health IT leaders are sharing their ideas and insights by submitting a policy paper that “takes the pulse” of where we are on health IT. These authors have offered a review of the progress we’ve made, how it compares to where we thought we would be, and the critical steps that need to be taken in 2009 and beyond to get to our goal.

eHI has compiled those papers and created an online forum to enable national, state and local leaders to have a dialogue about these issues. Papers are categorized into six areas.

• Improvements in Quality and Efficiency
  • Getting to Better Evidence on Outcomes and Effectiveness
  • Standards Adoption and Interoperability
• Engaging Consumers and Patients
• Care Coordination and Chronic Care Management
• Addressing Financing Issues
• Increasing Access and Addressing Disparities
• Addressing Privacy and Confidentiality

The public is invited to view these papers and provide comments. A subset of the authors will be invited to offer their perspectives in person at eHI’s Fifth Annual Conference Taking the Pulse of Health IT: A Critical Review of Progress Over the Last Five Years and Key Recommendations for Success in 2009 and Beyond." The conference will be open to the public and will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. December 4-5.

If you missed the deadline for papers, but are still interested in submitting a paper, please click here to receive a copy of the guidelines. We will continue to post papers on this website and encourage dialogue on these important issues.