National Health IT Week – September 26-30, 2016

nhitweek-200Follow and join the conversation with #NHITweek, #HITWorks, and #IHeartHIT.

Health information technology improves the quality of healthcare delivery, increases patient safety, decreases medical errors, and strengthens the interaction between patients and healthcare providers. To mark the important role health information technology plays in improving healthcare delivery in America, organizations across the U.S. have joined together to celebrate National Health Information Technology Week, September 26-30, 2016.

About National Health Information Technology Week
Now in its eleventh year, National Health IT Week is a collaborative forum assembling key healthcare constituents—vendors, provider organizations, payers, pharmaceutical/biotech companies, government agencies, industry/professional associations, research foundations, and consumer protection groups—working together to elevate national attention to the necessity of advancing health IT. NHIT Week is a virtual event with various activities in communities from Maine to California. Check out this list for any online or local events near you.

The Value of Health IT 
This year’s theme for NHIT Week is The Value of Health IT. NHIT Week encourages participants to leverage the opportunity to raise awareness and help the collective cause by recognizing the value of health IT in:

  • Innovation – Precision Medicine
  • Expanding Access to Care – Telemedicine
  • Expansion of Economic Opportunities and Job Creation – Women in Health IT and STEM Careers for Health
  • Making Communities Healthy – Interoperability Across the Spectrum of Care: Linking Public/ Population Health and Human Services

If you want to see examples of how health IT is improving health and care delivery, or if you have some examples of your own, use #HITworks on your favorite social media outlets.

Get Involved
One of the easiest ways, and possibly the best way to participate in NHIT Week is through social media. Use the hashtags listed above to stay abreast of the latest happenings during NHIT Week, engage policymakers, and share your health IT success story. According to @HIMSS, #NHITweek will provide you with all of the videos, photos, and updates on how everyone is celebrating. It is the hashtag to follow for everything National Health IT Week. NHIT Week wants anyone and everyone with a positive health IT story to share it using #IHeartHIT. The goal is to “inspire progress with your #IHeartHIT story” and help impact policy makers. Need some motivation? Check out this inspirational video explaining Why Health IT needs Storytelling. Finally, for an image to download and a  list of tips on how to enhance your online participation read 9 Ways to Leverage Social Media for National Health IT Week.

Don’t Miss ONC’s #AskVindell Twitter Chat on Tuesday
First up, Dr. Vindell Washington, National Coordinator for Health IT, will be taking your questions on Tuesday, September 27 from 11a.m. – 12p.m. ET using #AskVindell. We’ll be discussing the current state of health IT, where we’re going from here, and answering your questions. It’s your chance to hear directly from the new National Coordinator!

For those who prefer to promote awareness through hard copy, activities, or on a more personal level, you can access the toolkit 10 Ways to Celebrate NHIT Week in Your Hometown. There you will find a plethora of ways to engage and inform your workplace and community about health IT.