Influencing Public Policy
eHI's advocacy agenda is ambitious. Our activities have one principal aim: to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of patient care through the use of information and information technology.
Our agenda includes:
- Highlighting the role of health IT and health information exchange in driving safer, more efficient and better-quality healthcare by educating policy makers and healthcare decision-makers about how the rapid adoption of interoperable information technology will advance clinical care, promote economic efficiencies, facilitate the linkage of a fragmented system, and give consumers the information they need to more effectively navigate the healthcare system.
- Working with the government through public-private sector collaboration to take actions that will drive improvements in quality, safety and efficiency across the entire healthcare system.
- Driving the adoption of standards, interoperable healthcare systems, and connectivity to mobilize information within the healthcare system.
- Developing and promoting policy options that will align incentives and enable public and private sector investment in information technology and an electronic health information infrastructure.
- Improving consumer trust and confidence by bolstering the quality, privacy and security of electronic health information.
- Promoting public and private funding of research, education and other initiatives that increase understanding of the role of information technology in improving health and healthcare.
- Encouraging innovation by advocating for laws, regulations and other policies that are technology-neutral and technology-supportive.
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"The eHI Policy Working Group is a valuable opportunity to keep up-to-date on the latest legislative and regulatory changes affecting health IT, but also a provides a means to develop consensus policy positions within the health care community and effectively communicate them to leaders on Capitol Hill." - Jason DuBois |
Our recent and ongoing efforts to address this ambious agenda include:
- Working with concerned eHI members to draft a joint comment to the Drug Enforcement Administration in regards to its June 2008 proposed rule to allow the electronic prescribing of controlled substances.
- Meeting with, informing, and sharing eHI priorities with Members of Congress and their staff in order to assure that eHI's consensus-based policies are well understood by the nation's policymakers.
- Continually tracking, reporting on, and influencing the development of Congressional legislation on health information technology in order to keep eHI members up-to-date with all Congressional actions and processes.
- Drafting Consensus Legislation that lays out well-vetted legislative policies supported by a broad swath of eHI's membership. The drafting process as been taking place throughout 2008, with the involvement of nearly 100 individuals from eHI member organizations in writing and reviewing provisions relating to government standards, incentives for HIT adoption, quality improvement, and many other policy areas.
- Tracking state-level legislative developments.
- Reporting on public policy developments in eHI's weekly policy newsletter, which is available only to members. The newsletter is the best way to easily understand recent policy developments while also keeping abreast of all upcoming eHI activities and events.
The eHealth Initiative relies on the leadership and commitment of its members to drive changes in public policy. eHI members can get active in our policy and advocacy activities by joining our Policy Working Group, which meets monthly in-person and via phone to hear from speakers about the most pressing policy issues in HIT, and also to provide a forum for members to actively engage one another.
The Policy Working Group is currently led by eHI Member Howard Isenstein, Director, Health Information Technology Policy, Walgreen Co., who also is the voluntary Chair of eHI's Policy Steering Committee, which helps develop eHI positions on legislation, regulations, and other areas where eHI might express consensus views. eHI position statements and analyses of legislation and Administration-led initiatives can be accessed within the eHI Members Only section of the web site.
For more information about the eHI Policy Working Group, email eHI's Manager of Government Relations and Public Policy, Brian Wagner at Brian.Wagner@ehealthinitiative.org.
Hear What eHI Members Say About the eHI Policy Working Group
"By bringing together all of stakeholders in health information technology, the Policy Working Group vets all of the key policy developments in a nuanced and efficient way."
Howard A. Isenstein
Director, Health Information Technology Policy
Walgreen Co.
"The eHI Policy Working Group is a valuable opportunity to keep up-to-date on the latest legislative and regulatory changes affecting health IT, but also a provides a means to develop consensus policy positions within the health care community and effectively communicate them to leaders on Capitol Hill."
Jason DuBois
Vice President, Government Relations
American Clinical Laboratory Association
