On Friday, the Consumer Partnership for eHealth released a report titled "Consumer Platform for Health IT." It describes how to advance patient engagement in healthcare through technology.
Members of the Consumer Partnership for eHealth (CPeH) said they have been working for more than five years to advance patient-centered, consumer-focused health IT. "We believe our nation is at a pivotal moment for transforming our healthcare system with the support of better information," they wrote in the report.
Consumers are the most significant untapped resource in healthcare, according to CPeH. "We are eager to be partners in advancing and using technology – which empowers us in so many areas of our lives – to participate more actively in matters of health," wrote the authors of the report. "As we move toward new care delivery and payment models, the collection and sharing of information with all stakeholders, and especially consumers, will be paramount."
Health IT is a critical enabler of the kind of information sharing that is crucial for continuously improving the health of individuals and populations, as well as the nation, according to CPeH.
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CPeH believes that by involving consumers actively in the policymaking process, they are able to contribute critical information and potential solutions that other stakeholders might never consider. "Full engagement of consumers in leadership and decisionmaking roles at the policy and governance levels is essential, not just for gaining their trust and buy-in, but also for maximizing the likelihood of meeting patient and consumer needs," the report said.
According to the report, CPeH's vision includes ensuring that:
C
linical information and information contributed by the individual is used to provide holistic care;- Communication of information results in seamless attention to health needs, regardless of an individual's physical location;
- The right information is provided to the right person at the right time to ensure safety and quality;
- Information is available and shared in real time to increase accessibility, efficiency and affordability of care;
- Information is presented and used in ways that are meaningful to the individual;
- Information is exchanged privately and securely, without unnecessary barriers to its use;
- Information is used to ensure that all people are treated fairly and equitably by our health care system.
Members of CPeH include AARP; Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness, Inc.; American Association of People with Disabilities; American Association on Health and Disability; American Heart Association; American Hospice Foundation Caring From a Distance; Center for Democracy and Technology Center for Medical Consumers; Childbirth Connection Consumers; Union Family Caregiver Alliance; Healthwise Mothers Against Medical Error; National Alliance for Caregiving; National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship; National Consumers League National Family Caregivers Association; National Health Law Program; National Partnership for Women & Families; National Women's Health Network OWL; The Voice of Midlife and Older Women; SEIU; The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; The Empowered Patient Coalition; The Children's Partnership; and the Well Spouse Association.
Read the entire CPeH report here.
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