eHI convenes a number of workgroups, national councils, and leadership activities to demonstrate the critical role that technology can play in addressing the challenges that patients and providers face in the health system today. Members interested in any of the following activities should send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Leadership Council:
eHealth Initiative's Leadership Council is a coalition of senior executives tasked with ensuring health information exchange takes precedence in their organization and in their communities. This group meets quarterly and is responsible for shaping and directing eHealth Initiative organizational goals and strategic focus. The group has access to key policymakers and industry leaders. eHI's Leadership Council is a highly motivated, interactive group whose productive dialogue results in tangible action steps that not only drive eHealth Initiative work but the industry as a whole. Nominations for the Leadership Council are accepted each fall.

Accountable Care Council:
Health Care Reform and the passage of the Accountable Care Act have the Health IT community moving at full speed. In 2011, this group surveyed a set of accountable care organizations and released a detailed report on the underlying HIT infrastructure required for these groups. In 2012, the Council will focus on accountable care models that provide effective and cost-efficient care for patients diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease, and/or cancer. The Council will create a final report which highlights best practices around the country and key principles for successful care of these specific patient populations.

National Council on Heart Disease Technology:
The Council on Heart Disease Technology will focus on the use of technology to prevent and manage heart disease. American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association are supporting and partnering with eHI to facilitate and support the work of this Council. The Council is working to identify key components and guidelines to be incorporated into Health IT that will provide better education to patients about different cardiovascular conditions. The group will explore technology that can enhance communication between patients and providers; facilitate better care coordination amongst disparate providers; and better manage heart disease in a cost-effective way. A report that describes these principles and identified best practices will be created and delivered by the end of 2012.

National Council on Technology and Cancer:
This Council is exploring the different technologies that are available for both providers and patients related to the treatment and management of Cancer. Representatives from American Society of Clinical Oncologists and the American Cancer Society serve on the group. The Council is examining the availability of tools to different segments of populations; costs associated with the use of these technologies; and impact on survival rates, patient satisfaction and cost. The Council will identify technologies that provide better education to patients; help providers navigate the various clinical pathways; facilitate medication management; assess and communicate pain management to providers and patients, and improve coordination.

National Council on Diabetes eHealth Tools:
This Council will focus on the use of eHealth Tools with patients and providers managing both Type I and Type II diabetes within the US population. Since diabetes is a condition that requires continuous monitoring and self-management, the Council will identify key components and guidelines that should be incorporated into various components of health IT to assure that they technologies provide the greatest benefit to patients and providers. A report that describes these principles along with best practices will be created and delivered by the end of 2012.

National Council on Data and Research (Secondary Data Use):
This group is working to characterize, explain and raise awareness of the current laws, rules and regulations governing the use of clinical data for uses other than with care delivery. In 2011, the National Council on Data and Research held a retreat in Washington, DC. The group released a report on the current use of electronic data in research and outlined the challenges associated with secondary data use. In 2012, this multi-stakeholder group will work to gain consensus on a common set of principles for the effective use of clinical data in research. The goal is to develop and widely disseminate principles using simple language that "data sources" such as consumers, clinicians, hospitals and other providers, and laboratories as well as "data users" such as employers, health plans, researchers, and public health agencies, understand.

Policy Work Group:
The Policy Work Group discusses many aspects of public policy, including federal and state legislation and initiatives, actions taken by HHS and private sector initiatives that relate to public policy goals and activities. This group shares competitive intelligence on hill activities, meets with congressional leaders, and discusses key issues. For more avid policy experts, the eHI Policy Steering Committee (PSC) meets several times a month and helps eHI develop consensus statements for pending legislation, rules and regulations related to Health IT.

"Connecting Communities": Data Exchange Best Practices:
Over the last 10 years, eHI has played a lead role in the community by surveying and reporting the progress of health information exchanges across the country. The quarterly Connecting Communities meeting highlights best practices in data exchange, resources and tools around the country. Detailed HIE survey results are also shared with this group. Some of the issues that will be addressed in 2012 include: innovative technologies to assist in chronic disease management; the development of patient pathways for cancer care; and the use of HIEs in chronic disease treatment.

Monthly Member Briefings:
Open to all members, the eHI monthly member webinar is an opportunity for eHI members to get the latest policy update and to hear about current topics from leaders in the industry. Policymakers, industry experts, and providers serve as guest speakers and panelists. Open discussion and interaction is strongly encouraged. In addition, the monthly member meeting offers members an opportunity to highlight their work.

Member Education:
In addition to the work groups and monthly council meetings eHI provides two educational webinars a month on trending issues facing the community. We invite special guest speakers to present to our members on a variety of topics and we would welcome your input on expert speakers either from your client and customer base or within your executive team. As a member you are also welcome to host your own webinar (at cost) through eHI which would be promoted to our database of 15,000 contacts working in and around health information exchange. We also build strategic partners with other associations to ensure that the invitation for your webinar gets to your desired constituencies.

In addition to educational webinars, as a member you will receive a weekly newsletter highlighting pertinent information and policy analysis affecting the health IT community. The newsletter also gives insights and summary reports on various meetings taking place at HHS and ONC.

Using a personalized username and passwords members have access to an extensive library of research, reports, briefings, and event presentation slides, and videos on topics such as accountable care, care coordination, data and analytics, e-prescribing and drug safety, data exchange, Health IT trends, Meaningful Use, policy and government affairs, and mHealth.

Members Visit Washington DC:
In addition to quarterly leadership meetings, eHI hosts three large annual meetings a year which we strongly urge members to attend. The price for these events is either free or significantly reduced for members. The events include an Annual Member Meeting and Conference, a National Policy Retreat and a National Forum on Health Analytics. Events provide a great opportunity to meet peers in the industry, potential customers and clients and to network with vendors and government officials in a neutral environment.