NeHC Seeks Organizations Committed to Consumer Engagement

National eHealth Collaborative to Build Comprehensive Database of Consumer Engagement Solutions and Supporters

National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC), a public-private partnership with a mission to accelerate effective use of health IT to create a more patient and family centered healthcare system with better outcomes and greater value, today called for organizations committed to consumer engagement to step up and be recognized. NeHC is deepening its work around consumer engagement by building the largest database of consumer engagement solutions and supporters available to the healthcare community.

“National eHealth Collaborative’s neutrality and diverse public-private, multi-stakeholder reach provides a unique platform to raise visibility for valuable health IT solutions and encourage successful implementation of those tools to improve outcomes. NeHC invites organizations with an interest in advancing consumer engagement in eHealth to gain visibility and demonstrate their commitment by participating in this directory,” said NeHC CEO Kate Berry.

NeHC is asking that all organizations committed to consumer engagement respond to a short survey before October 4, 2013.  NeHC and HealthCAWS will utilize the Solutions Directory feature of the NeHC Consumer eHealth Readiness Tool (CeRT) – powered by HealthCAWS – to display valuable information about collaborators and their consumer engagement initiatives.

The CeRT Solutions Directory is specifically designed to showcase organizations committed to advancing consumer engagement and the many companies that provide solutions, system integration, services or extended products that support providers in their efforts to engage their patients and their families.  Through this tool, NeHC and its partner HealthCAWS offers healthcare providers across the nation and beyond access to the vital technology, resources and training they need to drive progress in their consumer engagement strategies.

“HealthCAWS is pleased to extend the ongoing work with NeHC to advance consumer engagement by supporting hospitals, providers and the collaborators who support them, on the quest to improve quality and make healthcare more affordable,” said Rose Maljanian, Chairman & CEO, HealthCAWS.

Users of the NeHC CeRT – powered by HealthCAWS – are multiplying rapidly.  For example, NeHC and HealthCAWS have been working with the Kentucky Governor’s Office of Electronic Health Information (GOEHI) to distribute CeRT licenses to a wide range of healthcare providers across the Commonwealth.  NeHC and HealthCAWS also recently announced a new partnership with Quality Insights of Delaware – Delaware’s Regional Extension Center – to roll out a similar statewide program.  NeHC and HealthCAWS are actively collaborating with many stakeholders, including states, regional extension centers, universities, state hospital associations, technology solutions providers, consultants, non-profit organizations and others, to drive adoption of the CeRT at scale.

NeHC will also leverage its NeHC University professional education program to highlight organizations that are advancing consumer engagement initiatives nationwide.  Previous NeHC University programs focused on consumer engagement are available for download from the NeHC website at www.nationalehealth.org/catalog.

For additional information on NeHC’s consumer engagement database effort, please visit www.nationalehealth.org/cert-solutions-directory or contact Kris Prendergast at kprendergast@nationalehealth.org or (202) 467-2790.

National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) is a public-private partnership that accelerates effective use of health IT to create a more patient and family centered healthcare system with better outcomes and greater value. NeHC works closely with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is led by some of the nation’s most respected thought leaders in healthcare and health IT. NeHC’s primary focus is on encouraging health information exchange, providing tools to support engagement with consumers, and leveraging an education platform and health IT programs with broad stakeholder reach. NeHC brings value to the healthcare community by offering both pragmatic tools to support deployment of health IT and serving as a convener of stature to assist stakeholders in tackling common challenges and developing collaborative solutions. The NeHC Consumer eHealth Readiness Tool (CeRT) – powered by HealthCAWS – can be licensed at www.nationalehealth.org/cert.