PODCAST: Former Chief Science Officer at ONC and Executive Director of MiHN Discuss HIT Infrastructure and COVID-19

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In the following RosettaHealth podcast interview, we speak with Doug Fridsma, former President and CEO of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) and former Chief Science Officer at ONC; Tim Pletcher, Executive Director of MiHIN; and Buff Colchagoff, CEO of RosettaHealth, about the role of health IT infrastructure in COVID-19 response.

With the COVID-19 pandemic dominating the care arena these days, the role of health IT infrastructure has never been more important. To be able to make policies, understand how to treat the virus, and coordinate care, this infrastructure is serving as the foundational guide for driving a more-effective response. 

Health IT infrastructure is also playing a key role in helping to share data with front-line care workers at field hospitals and testing facilities – without needing to re-invent new processes, standards and solutions.

In addition, telehealth is rising in prominence and is aided in thanks to the existing healthcare infrastructure. The pandemic has also identified challenges, opportunities, and successes that have come from the rise of innovations and standards as a part of the HITECH Act.

Following are key highlights from this interview:

  • The role of HIT infrastructure in the response to COVID-19. (:48)

  • How the HITECH Act is proving the value of HIT infrastructure today. (5:58)

  • What short- and long-term actions need to be taken in response to the pandemic. (12:26)

  • How the key lesson learned is that we are on the right track, and information technology will continue to be vital in healthcare. (17:55)

The RosettaHealth team will be providing more COVID-19 podcasts and content in the coming days and weeks. In the meantime, we would like to thank Doug, Tim and Buff for sharing these timely insights.


To learn more about how RosettaHealth can assist with any health information challenges you might have, book a free consultation with one of our interoperability experts.