Q&A: Todd Park on the Bridge Between HHS' Health Data Initiative and Meaningful Use

The monikers ‘Health Data Initiative’ and ‘meaningful use’ are not commonly seen together, but there is an intersection where they meet. And on that corner is Todd Park, CTO of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Park spoke with Government Health IT Senior Editor Mary Mosquera and Editor Tom Sullivan at the Government Health IT Conference in Washington this month about how those pieces fit together into a more coherent whole, forthcoming changes to the Blue Button application, and what’s next for the Health Data Initiative – both the contest itself and the recent winners.

Q: How does HHS’ Health Data Initiative support the meaningful use of EHRs?
A: The Health Data Initiative is distinct from the Electronic Health Record meaningful use program, but they are connected through payment reform and delivery innovation under the Affordable Care Act. The Health Data Initiative is focusing on the release of non-personal data and useful information that HHS has accumulated over the years, like hospital quality data; clinical trials; community health performance data, including smoking rates and hospital readmission rates; MedlinePlus Connect data for the latest medical and health knowledge for patients and providers.