Improving Population Health: Principles

1. The Use of Electronic Clinical Data is Beneficial and Necessary to Improve Population Health
   
   The use of electronic clinical data that is derived from the care delivery process is both beneficial and necessary for improving population health, including but not limited to the following critical areas:
   
   
   • Improving the quality, safety, efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare
   • Monitoring, detecting and responding to hazards and threats, to protect the public’s health
   • Expanding knowledge about disease, diagnosis and appropriate treatments and services
     
     
2. Everyone Who Uses Clinical Data for Population Health Purposes Should Abide by a Common Set of Principles and Policies
   
   Everyone who utilizes clinical data derived from the care delivery process for population health purposes should, in addition to abiding by current federal and state laws, rules and regulations, agree to and comply with a common set of principles and policies developed through a transparent, open process involving multiple stakeholders, including but not limited to consumers, providers, payers, purchasers, and researchers to build trust and confidence in the use of such data.
   
   
3. Those Who Use Clinical Data for Population Health Purposes Should be Transparent About Their Principles, Policies and Practices
   
   Those who utilize clinical data derived from the care delivery process for population health purposes should clearly disclose, in a transparent, easily accessible and understandable way, how the data is being used, as well as the principles and policies by which they abide.
   
   
4. Healthcare Organizations Should Support the Use of a Common Set of Data Derived Directly From Care Delivery Processes for Multiple Purposes
   
   Healthcare organizations should seek to use the clinical data derived from electronic clinical data systems as well as other sources to support population health improvement in a “one data source, multiple uses” approach. Agreement on and widespread implementation of a set of common data elements, standards for interoperability, policies for data sharing that build trust, and agreed upon business models will accelerate the use of data to support population health and other purposes.
   
   
5. Financial or Other Incentives Will be Required to Accelerate the Use of Clinical Data for Population Health Purposes
   
   While the results of improving population health include increases in healthcare quality, efficiency, and safety, such benefits do not always translate to financial benefits to the healthcare organizations that capture the data. Therefore, widespread use of clinical data will not occur without the creation and implementation of financial or other incentives.