Health data utility is still a fairly new concept in the world of healthcare. But as we talk about it, more and more HIE organizations have started to use it and the concept has been embraced by many. This naturally made it a hot topic at the recent Civitas Conference. We gathered up some of our brilliant members of the Healthcare IT Today Community to get their perspective. How are health data utilities evolving? Where are we now with it and where do we see it heading? We’ve compiled their answers in this video below!
Lindsey Ferris, DrPH, Senior Interoperability and Public Health Director at PointClickCare – I think we’re at the very early stages. It’ll be interesting to see what specific use cases emerge as a very common theme and what are the users that are benefitting from it, so there’s a lot to be seen.
Matt Bishop, CEO at Open City Labs – There’s a real opportunity to really advance whole person health and the way that’s going to happen with the health data utility is engaging with State and County Agencies.
Kathyrn Bingman, Vice President of Interoperability Adoption at eHealthExchange – Health data utility is a great starting point for the HIEs that are within the health exchange and others. It’s a really great place to start as it adds additional functionality and provides additional value from what is being done today.
Michael Gagnon, Executive Director at HealtHIE Nevada – I see HIEs really evolving to be health data utilities. I think it’s kind of HIE plus certain new characteristics.
Susan Clark, Principal Health IT Consultant at Briljent – I think a lot of areas are doing it and calling it all kinds of different things. I think it’s a great model, trying to bring together different elements of data exchange and really serving a public good.
Justin Villines, MBA, HIT Policy Director at SHARE HIE – I think us being a health information exchange and being that state-wide utility for all our clients and all our participants, it’s ever-evolving.
Angie Bass, MHA, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Velatura – We finally have blanket acceptance that health data utilities are a thing, they are here, they are happening, and everyone has a responsibility to move it forward. Where it’s happening next is everyone in their different states needs to start working collaboratively to get a health data utility designated, start putting the infrastructure in place, putting the economics and the sustainability model in place, and then start rolling out services.
Deven McGraw, Head of Data Stewardship and Data Sharing at Invitae – I think we’re still in the early phases. You’re seeing some HIEs further along, but it’s definitely a concept we’re talking a lot about. I’m very excited about it, understandably because I think patient access is a part of that. You can’t be a health data utility and not provide data to the citizens who live in your community.
Allen Abshire, HIT Operations Director at LHCQF – There are a lot of funding opportunities when you think about utilities, people pay for a service, it’s always there, and there’s availability. I think there are some ways we can leverage becoming an HDU to be able to provide more value-add to their customers, participants, and any payors that are out there.
Huge thank you to everyone who took the time out of their day to come speak with us to make this video possible! And thank you to all of you for taking the time out of your day to read this and watch the video!! We wouldn’t be here without your support and we would love to hear from you as well. Comment down below or on social media what you think about the evolution of the concept of health data utility.
