AMIA Health Policy Conference Series - 2012

Summary: Since 2006, the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) has convened annual health policy invitational meetings to address emerging issues and innovations in health, information technology (IT), and clinical technologies. As an objective convener, AMIA’s meetings present the issues from diverse perspectives, discuss challenges and solutions, and make public policy and research-oriented recommendations. The 2012 AMIA Health Policy Invitational Meeting, “Health Data Use, Stewardship and Governance: Ongoing Gaps and Challenges,” sought to further understanding of data use, re-use, stewardship, and governance to meet challenges posed by new and emerging sources of health data.

The ethical, political, and technical complexities of health data use and re-use require a closer examination of policies. The accelerated adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) due to the Medicare and Medicaid Meaningful Use EHR Incentive Program coupled with new and emerging health information technologies has increased the availability of health care data. Secondary uses of data including research, quality improvement, performance measurement, and public health monitoring have the potential to improve patient care. Use of these data, however, must be accompanied by caution for patient privacy and data security. Additionally, data users must be aware of data quality issues when using patient data beyond its original purpose of patient care. With the growing importance of patient-centered health care and patient empowerment through electronic access to medical records, it is critical that consumers understand how health data are being used and have confidence that their identity is protected.

Specific Aims:

• Articulate a framework for the re-use and governance of health data, recognizing that different stakeholders have different data needs and priorities. (Ongoing)
• Formulate policy recommendations, a research agenda, and action steps directed to government, industry, academia, and other stakeholders that outline how health data use practices can best be supported by health IT and informatics. (Ongoing)
• Synthesize and disseminate the meeting findings and recommendations via a report and other mechanisms that will inform the policymaking process in this domain and identify key efforts to move action and research agendas forward. (Ongoing)

2012 Activities: The 2012 AMIA Health Policy Invitational Meeting was held December 12th and 13th in Washington, DC. A 19-person steering committee planned and conducted the conference. The steering committee was chaired by George Hripcsak, M.D., M.S., Director of Medical Informatics Services at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Chair of Columbia University’s Department of Biomedical Informatics.

The meeting included plenary sessions, breakout sessions, and a large group discussion.

Preliminary Impact and Findings: This project has no findings to date.

Target Population: General

Strategic Goal: Develop and disseminate health IT evidence and evidence-based tools to support patient-centered care, the coordination of care across transitions in care settings, and the use of electronic exchange of health information to improve quality of care.

Business Goal: Synthesis and Dissemination