The ONC-Coordinated Federal Health IT Strategic Plan: 2008 to 2012
Summary
On June 3, 2008 the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released "The ONC-Coordinated Federal Health IT Strategic Plan: 2008-2012". This strategic plan was put together with two main goals in mind; patient-focused healthcare and population health. Respondents were most likely to believe that strategies that were patient-focused would have the most impact on achieving a goal of "nationwide implementation" of technology in both the public and private sectors. Respondents were also likely to believe that interoperability is a key issue that needs to be addressed, both as it related to patient-focused goals and as it relates to population health goals.
ONC Strategic Plan: Greatest Impact
Half of the survey respondents believe that patient-focused goals (such as enabling the transformation to higher quality, more cost efficient, patient-focused health care through electronic information access and use by care providers and by patients/their designees) will have the most impact on achieving a goal of "nationwide implementation" of a technology infrastructure in both the public and private sectors. Another quarter of respondents believe that patient-focused and population-focused goals are equally important. Only 14 percent of respondents believe that neither of these goals will have an impact on the goals outlined in the strategic report.
Patient Focused Healthcare: Greatest Impact
Within the area of patient-focused health care, four specific objectives are outlined; approximately 40 percent of respondents believe that the most impact will be derived from interoperability, which includes enabling the movement of electronic health information to where and when it is needed to support individual health and care needs. Only seven percent of respondents believe that none of these areas will have an impact.
Population Health: Greatest Impact
In the area of population health, the report also focuses on the same four broad based categories. One-third of respondents noted that interoperability will have the most impact. In this context, interoperability is defined as the enablement of the mobility of health information to support population-oriented uses. Only seven percent of respondents believe that none of these areas will have an impact.
Most Important Strategy for Promoting Nationwide Adoption of EHRs, PHRs and other Technology
One section of the strategic plan outlines nine strategies that are designed to promote the nationwide deployment of EHRs, PHRs and other consumer health IT tools. Half of the respondents point to one of two solutions as being the most important strategies to achieve this goal. These are removing business obstacles for provider use of EHRs and making EHRs easy to buy and implement.
Most Important Strategy for Facilitating Electronic Exchange and Access of Information While Protecting Privacy/Security of Information
The plan also outlines five strategies designed to facilitate the electronic exchange, access and use of electronic health information for patients while protecting the privacy and security of their information. Nearly half of respondents believe that addressing inconsistent statutes and regulations is very important in achieving this goal.
1 of 6 
