The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT is establishing the Consumer e-Health Program to help boost individuals' engagement in their own health and with health care providers, Becker's Hospital Review reports (Rodak, Becker's Hospital Review, 9/12).
ONC's goal is to help patients become more involved in their medical care before they potentially experience a health crisis.
The program will focus on three major areas:
- Access, which involves patients viewing medical records, identifying any mistakes and understanding discussions about their health care;
- Action, which involves encouraging patients to interact with their health information using tools such as smartphones, cellphones and other devices; and
- Attitude, which involves encouraging patients to be more actively engaged in communicating with their physicians (Ricciardi, "Health IT Buzz," ONC, 9/8).