Online tools assist states in using health IT

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has announced the availability of online tools to help states use health information technology (IT) to improve outcomes and lower costs.

These tools and other resources are available to states participating in the State Innovation Models initiative which was implemented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a way to achieve better care while lowering costs.

Because the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is funding this initiative, CMS and the ONC have worked to develop tools that can leverage existing IT infrastructures and tools that can be used by healthcare providers to manage an individual’s care.

“These online resources are part of an overall effort to advance of goals of better care, smarter spending and, ultimately, healthier people,” said Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, national coordinator for health IT, in a press statement. “We are focused on supporting states and partners in developing innovative ways to pay for healthcare, providing tools and resources to support change, and making more information available to consumer and patients to enable them to make the right decisions—at the right time—to improve health and care.”