RTI International awarded contract to create road map for national health IT safety center

As part of an effort to advance the safety and safe use of health information technology, RTI International has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) to create a road map for the development of a national health IT safety center.

The road map will aim to define the focus, functions, governance and value of a new national health IT safety center. Prior work by government, industry and academia has envisioned this new center as a public-private entity that provides engagement, evidence and education around health IT safety.

"Health IT is creating novel opportunities for patients and providers, while also raising new and important safety concerns," said Doug Johnston, director of health IT policy in RTI's Center for the Advancement of Health Information Technology, and the project director. "As a first step, the road map will define a path for creating a new center that helps gather information and share learning about the safety and safe use of health IT."

To develop this road map, RTI will convene a task force of public-private stakeholders including safety researchers, patient advocates, providers, health IT vendors, medical liability and health insurers, government officials, and others. The task force will provide recommendations, and help build a shared awareness about safety best practices and risks involved in health IT. RTI will provide ONC with the road map for future development of the health IT safety center.

"RTI's expertise in patient safety, health IT and safety data analysis positions us to best address how to further health IT safety through creating a road map using an open and transparent process, " said Linda Dimitropoulos, Ph.D., director of RTI's Center for the Advancement of Health Information Technology, and the associate project director.

Since 2005, RTI has successfully conducted projects for ONC, including managing several multi-year, cross-state initiatives focused on health information privacy, security and data exchange.