Federal Health IT Strategic Plan

Federal Health IT Strategic Plan
Name	Federal Health IT Strategic Plan
Jurisdiction	United States federal agencies
Formed	2010s
Chief1 name	Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Chief1 position	Lead coordinating body

Federal Health IT Strategic Plan The Federal Health IT Strategic Plan is a coordinated roadmap used by Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and multiple federal agencies to align investments in health information technology across the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and allied entities. The plan situates initiatives alongside statutes such as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act and interacts with programs administered by National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indian Health Service, and the Office of Management and Budget. It informs partnerships with private-sector actors like HHS innovation groups, healthcare vendors, and research institutions including Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University.

Overview

The Overview describes strategic intent across agencies such as the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Food and Drug Administration, and National Institutes of Health while referencing legislative drivers like the Affordable Care Act, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, and executive documents from the White House. It positions priorities in relation to long-standing programs at Social Security Administration and interoperability efforts involving Sequoia Project, DirectTrust, HL7 International, Health Level Seven, and standards bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Objectives and Strategic Priorities

Objectives align with national goals pursued by Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Veterans Health Administration, Defense Health Agency, and research agencies like National Institutes of Health. Strategic priorities often include interoperability frameworks developed with Health Level Seven, Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise, and IHE USA; workforce development initiatives tied to National Institute of Standards and Technology programs; data governance aligned with Office of Management and Budget circulars; and innovation acceleration with partners such as Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Small Business Innovation Research, and academic centers at University of California, San Francisco and University of Michigan.

Governance and Implementation Framework

Governance structures described reference authorities including the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Office of Management and Budget, Congressional Budget Office, Government Accountability Office, and program leads in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Veterans Health Administration, and Department of Defense. Implementation frameworks coordinate contracts under procurement rules of the General Services Administration, program evaluation by the Government Accountability Office, oversight from the Office of Inspector General (HHS), and policy guidance shaped by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and executive orders. Interoperability roadmaps often cite standards promulgated by Health Level Seven International, Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine, and OpenEHR.

Key Initiatives and Programs

Key initiatives and programs cross agencies and include electronic health record modernization in the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, data-sharing platforms used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, clinical research infrastructure supported by the National Institutes of Health and All of Us Research Program, and public-health surveillance systems coordinated with State health departments, Indian Health Service, and the World Health Organization. Programs often interface with private-sector ecosystems including Epic Systems Corporation, Cerner Corporation, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google Health, and research consortia at Harvard Medical School and Mayo Clinic.

Privacy, Security, and Compliance

Privacy and security provisions harmonize statutory requirements from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, enforcement by the Office for Civil Rights (HHS), guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and policy input from the Federal Trade Commission on data protection. Compliance work aligns with risk management frameworks used by Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and civilian agencies, and leverages standards such as NIST Special Publication 800-53, cryptographic guidance from the National Security Agency, and identity frameworks like Trusted Identity Ecosystem initiatives.

Interagency and Stakeholder Collaboration

Collaboration mechanisms include interagency working groups composed of representatives from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Office of Management and Budget, with stakeholder convenings including academic partners at Columbia University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, and industry consortia like the Sequoia Project and CommonWell Health Alliance. Public comment processes interface with professional societies including the American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, American Health Information Management Association, and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.

Performance Measurement and Evaluation

Performance measurement relies on indicators tracked by Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services program metrics, and evaluation reports from the Government Accountability Office and Congressional Budget Office. Metrics include interoperability adoption rates reported by Health Level Seven International-aligned surveys, quality measures tied to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services quality programs, research outputs from National Institutes of Health-funded studies, and security posture assessments informed by National Institute of Standards and Technology frameworks. Continuous improvement cycles incorporate lessons from Veterans Health Administration modernization, Defense Health Agency initiatives, and academic evaluations from institutions such as University of California, Los Angeles and University of Washington.

Category:Health information technology