Connect for Care

On Tuesday, I spoke at the Bipartisan Policy Center about our vision for the near future where electronic health information is unlocked and securely accessible to achieve better care, smarter spending, and healthier people.It was inspiring to see so many of our partners in the health IT community come together to talk about a future where we have a learning, connected health care system that leverages technology just as well and just as easily as the latest apps we all have on our phones for hailing a ride or paying our bills.

It’s a future where, when your mother falls and is admitted to the emergency room in Washington, D.C. when visiting for Christmas, her doctor back in Texas immediately receives an electronic notification – and another when she’s discharged or transferred. It’s a future where the connectivity and usability of health IT changes the way we pay for care by allowing us to measure and reward quality, not just quantity. And it’s a future where, with ONC’s support, we see development of FHIR-based health apps that focus on putting the person and the care experience front and center—and where something like a prototype “app store” exists as a one-stop shop for your mobile health IT needs...