A Useful Contribution from the e-Health Initiative and Foundation

The following arrived in my e-mail today – and is really worth passing on as it provides some useful information and resources. Registration is free.

This material will really be of interest to all those with an interest in health information sharing.

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Dear eHI Members and Friends,

I am delighted to share with you, the eHealth Initiative Foundation's (eHI's) release this afternoon, of both research findings and a fully customizable set of new communications tools designed to enhance consumer understanding of the benefits of health IT and health information exchange (HIE). This work is in support of eHI's mission, which is to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare through information and information technology.

The public education and communications toolkit being launched today, entitled the InformationSTAT Program, was developed by eHI with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which provided funds to strengthen Gulf Coast health care services and regional electronic health information infrastructure in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The eHI web-based tools and resources include downloadable public announcements for radio, "print-ready" artwork for advertisements and billboards, case examples, and brochures on the importance of electronic health information exchange. The more than 30 resources made available today also include partnership development guides and customizable brochures and powerpoint presentations which local sponsors can use to reach out to practicing clinicians and employers to engage them in health information exchange efforts across the country. Access to the InformationSTAT program materials are available free of charge through the eHI Connecting Communities Toolkit. Sign-in is required.

These communication tools were informed by consumer research on health information exchange conducted by Public Opinion Strategies LLC also being released today. A summary of research findings is below:

• Support is extremely strong among consumers for secure electronic health information exchange with 70 percent of respondents favoring its development;
• Consumers recognize the benefits of secure electronic health information exchange and that the more they learn, the greater their support;
• Addressing policies for information sharing up-front and explaining those policies is a must have, particularly in the areas of security, patient permission, consent and access;
• Consumers overwhelmingly trust doctors the most to deliver them information about secure electronic health information exchange; and
• Almost half of consumers believe that their doctors already keep their medical records in electronic form, and a majority believe that it is likely that their doctors' medical records have a back-up copy off-site in electronic form.

These important tools are designed to support both national organizations and states and communities in the early planning stages as they reach out to the public in their regions, to raise awareness of why health information exchange is important, while highlighting safeguards that are in place to protect privacy and confidentiality of health information.

I am delighted to say that eHealth Initiative Vice President Ticia Gerber is spearheading this communications effort within our organization. Please feel free to reach out to her directly (via email at ticia.gerber@ehealthinitiative.org or by phone at 202.624.3264) or to me if you have any questions, would like more information on the eHI communications toolkit and related research, or would like to help eHI "get the word out" on the importance of health IT and health information exchange to as broad an audience as possible.

Sincerely Yours,

Janet M. Marchibroda
Chief Executive Officer
eHealth Initiative and Foundation
818 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 624-3270

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The material can be accessed at the following URL:

http://www.ehealthinitiative.org/news/CommToolkit.mspx

David.