EU-US eHealth/Health IT
Cooperation Initiative
Workforce Development Group
August 14, 2013
0
Meeting Etiquette
• Remember: If you are not speaking, please keep
your phone on mute
• Do not put your phone on hold. If you need to take a
call, hang up and dial in again when finished with
your other call
• Hold = Elevator Music = frustrated speakers and
participants
• This meeting is being recorded
• Another reason to keep your phone on mute
when not speaking
• Use the “Chat” feature for questions, comments and
items you would like the moderator or other
From S&I Framework to Participants:
participants to know.
Hi everyone: remember to keep your
• Send comments to All Panelists so they can be phone on mute 
addressed publically in the chat, or discussed in
All Panelists
the meeting (as appropriate).
Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Welcome and Introductions
Initiative Overview
Scope Statements
Goals/Objectives
Work Plan
US Best Practices, Challenges and Gaps
EU Best Practices, Challenges and Gaps
Next Steps
2
Workforce Support Leads
•
US Point of Contacts
–
–
–
–
–
–
•
Mera Choi, Mera.Choi@hhs.gov
Chitra Mohla, Chitra.Mohla@hhs.gov
Jamie Parker, jamie.parker@esacinc.com
Gayathri Jayawardena, gayathri.jayawardena@esacinc.com
Amanda Merrill, amanda.merrill@accenturefederal.com
Emily Mitchell, emily.d.mitchell@accenturefederal.com
EU Point of Contacts
– Benoit Abeloos, Benoit.ABELOOS@ec.europa.eu
– Frank Cunningham, frank.cunningham@ec.europa.eu
– Mary Cleary, mary@ics.ie
3
Overall EU-US eHealth Cooperation Vision
•
To support an innovative collaborative community of public- and
private-sector entities, including suppliers of eHealth solutions,
working toward the shared objective of developing, deploying,
and using eHealth science and technology to empower
individuals, support care, improve clinical outcomes, enhance
patient safety and improve the health of populations.
4
EU-US eHealth Cooperation
Executive Summary…
•
Health related information and communication technology (most usually
referenced as “eHealth” in Europe and “health IT” in the US) is an
important and growing sector in the United States and the European
Union. It is a rapidly developing and highly innovative area. It has
considerable potential to promote individual and community health
while fostering innovation and economic growth.
•
Both the United States and the European Union are currently working to
encourage more effective use of ICT and ICT in general, in delivery of
health services, including disease prevention and health promotion. The
Transatlantic Economic Council has therefore decided to make a critical
contribution to this development by promoting interoperability of health
related information and communication technology (eHealth/health IT)
products and services, gaining improved mobility and consistent
proficiency recognition for a professional workforce, and by helping to
prevent unnecessary regulatory divergences.
5
EU-US eHealth Cooperation
Executive Summary
•
Continued
We have decided to implement specific cooperative action plans for the
following high-priority areas:
 Advancing eHealth/health IT Interoperability – we will collaborate
to accelerate progress towards the widespread deployment and
routine use of internationally recognized standards that would
support transnational interoperability of electronic health
information and communication technology;

eHealth/health IT Workforce Development – we will work together
to identify approaches to achieving our common goals for achieving
a robust supply of highly proficient eHealth/health IT professionals
and assuring health care, public health, and allied professional
workforces have the eSkills needed to make optimum use of their
available eHealth/health information technology. Equally, we will
identify and address any competency and knowledge deficiencies
among all staff in healthcare delivery, management, administration
and support to ensure universal application of ICT solutions in
health services.
6
EU-US eHealth Cooperation
Executive Summary
Continued
•
The cooperative action plans anticipate robust participation by relevant
experts and stakeholders, across the public, private and academic
sectors. The public sector participants expect to confer with academic
stakeholders, and to convene, catalyze and support creative
collaborations among capable and willing private and academic sector
participants, while offering guidance consistent with their policymaking
responsibilities. All participants, and particularly the private-sector
participants, in specific projects and initiatives under the action plans
will identify solutions consistent with best practices in relevant fields
(such as information science and workforce development).
•
Over time, we expect to update the priority action plans to reflect
progress made and new opportunities identified in the course of their
implementation. We also recognize that, as work progresses and
circumstances evolve, we may later want to develop cooperative action
plans for additional areas and potentially involving additional
participating public- and private-sector entities and/or different roles
for entities also participating in the eHealth/health IT Interoperability
and Workforce Development cooperative action plans.
7
EU-US eHealth Cooperation
Challenge
• To promote individual and community health in a global environment, and
enable a robust and innovative ecosystem of eHealth/health IT that supports
the electronic exchange of human- and machine-readable health, clinical,
medical and management information to advance the health of individuals and
communities, we must maintain and enhance inter-governmental cooperation
and also collaboration between governments and the private sector.
• The Memorandum of Understanding between The United States Department of
Health and Human Services and The European Commission on Cooperation
Surrounding Health Related Information and Communication Technologies
(MOU) was signed in December 2010, to demonstrate our shared dedication to
cooperation addressing these challenges. Exploration of specific potential
activities and approaches to implementing transatlantic interoperability,
consistent with the principles and vision described in HHS-EC MOU require
careful and inclusive analysis. This action plan articulates early, concrete steps
toward the transatlantic interoperability and health IT workforce goals.
8
eHealth/Health IT Workforce
Scope Statement
•
Working to create strategies for development of a
proficient health IT workforce and assuring health
care, public health and allied professional work forces
have the technology skills needed to enhance their
professional experience and performance with
eHealth/Health IT.
9
eHealth Workforce
Need
• A pool of highly proficient eHealth/health IT professionals is needed.
 Many health IT jobs are vacant due to lack of skilled professionals.
 A broad range of both clinical and non-clinical healthcare providers need
to be targeted (e.g. clinicians, managers, health informaticians, nursing
staff, admin staff, ancillary/auxiliary workers, etc.)
 An audit of the professional workforce needs to be done to determine
what kind of skills exist.
 A profile of competencies that are needed by employers should be
completed.
• Experts who can support integration of HIT into clinical environments and
understand the importance of change management within these environments
will be essential.
10
eHealth Workforce
Goals/Objectives
•
•
•
•
•
Assessment of the scope, scale and characteristics of the healthcare
workforce in the US and EU – current status and future trends in terms of
eHealth capabilities.
Assessment of healthcare settings in the US and EU – current status and
future trends.
Role based competencies, curricula for chosen scenarios in the US and EU.
Perform analysis of competencies required by the diverse care workforce
(a) professionals in the field;
(b) academic track for new professionals (pre-service) and those
transitioning from other health disciplines and from mainstream
ICT into the health sector; and
(c) all staff in healthcare delivery, management, administration and
support.
Identify or create curricula that addresses the competencies identified in
the US and EU.
Definition and agreement of common standards of competence and
professionalism that identify “fitness to practice” health informatics and
accreditation of professionals.
11
eHealth Workforce
Work Plan…
Artifact
Preliminary efforts
eHealth Capabilities
(current status)
Healthcare Settings
Competencies and
Curricula
Skilled eHealth/Health IT workforce and eHealth proficiencies
Objective
Specific Tasks
Member(s)
Identify project champions
Assessment of the scope, scale and
characteristics of the healthcare workforce in
the US and EU – current status and future trends
in terms of eHealth capabilities – Knowledge
Sharing
Assessment of healthcare settings in the US and
EU – current status and future trends
Status/Notes
Role based competencies, curricula for chosen
scenarios in the US and EU. Perform analysis of
competencies required by the diverse care
workforce
(a) professionals in the field;
(b) academic track for new professionals
(pre-service) and those transitioning
from other health disciplines and
from mainstream ICT
into the health sector
(c) all staff in healthcare delivery,
management, administration and
support
12
eHealth Workforce
Work Plan
Artifact
Curricula Addressing
Competencies
Standards of Competence
and Professionalism
Continued
Skilled eHealth/Health IT workforce and eHealth proficiencies
Objective
Specific Tasks
Identify or create curricula that addresses
the competencies identified in the US and
EU
Member(s)
Status/Notes
Definition and agreement of common
standards of competence and
professionalism that identify “fitness to
practice” health informatics and
accreditation of professionals
Provide Appropriate
Arrangements
Identify and Develop
Procedures
Ensure Recognition of
Health Informatics as a
Distinct Profession
Explore New Models of
Education/Employer
Collaboration
Pilot Illustrating
Innovative Ways
13
eHealth Capabilities Subtask:
Knowledge Sharing-US Best Practices
•
•
•
ONC Sponsored Programs
US University Curricula
 Sample course
 Training standards
 Skills development
Profile of Health IT Professional
 Qualifications and skills
14
US Challenges and Gaps
•
•
•
•
Curricula
Training standards
Skills development
Health IT Professional qualifications and skills
15
eHealth Capabilities Subtask:
Knowledge Sharing-EU Best Practices
•
•
EU University Curricula
 Sample course
 Training standards
 Skills development
Profile of Health IT Professional
 Qualifications and skills
16
EU Challenges and Gaps
•
•
•
•
Curricula
Training standards
Skills development
Health IT Professional qualifications and skills
17
Next Steps
• Discussion….
• Workforce Development Work Group will continue to meet every
Thursday from 10:00am - 11:00am (ET)/4:00pm - 5:00 pm (CEST)
starting August 22, 2013.
– Webinar Details:
• Dial In: +1-650-479-3208
• Access code: 669 886 137
• WebEx URL:
https://siframework1.webex.com/siframework1/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=669886137
18
Join the EU-US eHealth/Health IT
Cooperation Initiative
• We encourage all members to “sign
up” for the initiative. By joining
this ensures you stay up-to-date
with the work being done,
communications and any initiative
activities.
• Simply complete the EU-US MOU
Project Signup Form on the Wiki
Page:
http://wiki.siframework.org/EUUS+MOU+Roadmap+Project+Sign+U
p
19
Workforce Support Leads
• US Point of Contacts
–
–
–
–
–
–
Mera Choi, Mera.Choi@hhs.gov
Chitra Mohla, Chitra.Mohla@hhs.gov
Jamie Parker, jamie.parker@esacinc.com
Gayathri Jayawardena, gayathri.jayawardena@esacinc.com
Amanda Merrill, amanda.merrill@accenturefederal.com
Emily Mitchell, emily.d.mitchell@accenturefederal.com
• EU Point of Contacts
– Benoit Abeloos, Benoit.ABELOOS@ec.europa.eu
– Frank Cunningham, frank.cunningham@ec.europa.eu
– Mary Cleary, mary@ics.ie
20
Questions
21
Resources
•
•
•
EU US Wiki Homepage
– http://wiki.siframework.org/EU-US+eHealth+Cooperation+Initiative
Join the Initiative
– http://wiki.siframework.org/EU-US+MOU+Roadmap+Project+Sign+Up
Reference Materials
– http://wiki.siframework.org/EUUS+MOU+Roadmap+Project+Reference+Materials
22