0. EU-US eHealth/Health IT Cooperation Initiative Workforce Development Group
August 14, 2013

1. Meeting Etiquette
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2. Agenda 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

3. Workforce Support Leads
US Point of Contacts
Mera Choi,
Chitra Mohla,
Jamie Parker,
Gayathri Jayawardena,
Amanda Merrill,
Emily Mitchell,
EU Point of Contacts
Benoit Abeloos,
Frank Cunningham,
Mary Cleary,

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. eHealth Workforce Work Plan…
Skilled eHealth/Health IT workforce and eHealth proficiencies
Artifact
Objective
Specific Tasks
Member(s)
Status/Notes
Preliminary efforts
Identify project champions
eHealth Capabilities (current status)
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
Healthcare Settings
Assessment of healthcare settings in the US and EU – current status and future trends
Competencies and Curricula
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

13. eHealth Workforce Work Plan Continued
Skilled eHealth/Health IT workforce and eHealth proficiencies
Artifact
Objective
Specific Tasks
Member(s)
Status/Notes
Curricula Addressing Competencies
Identify or create curricula that addresses the competencies identified in the US and EU
Standards of Competence and Professionalism
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

14. 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

15. US Challenges and Gaps Curricula Training standards Skills development
Health IT Professional qualifications and skills

16. 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

17. EU Challenges and Gaps Curricula Training standards Skills development
Health IT Professional qualifications and skills

18. 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.
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19. 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:

20. Workforce Support Leads
US Point of Contacts
Mera Choi,
Chitra Mohla,
Jamie Parker,
Gayathri Jayawardena,
Amanda Merrill,
Emily Mitchell,
EU Point of Contacts
Benoit Abeloos,
Frank Cunningham,
Mary Cleary,

21. Questions

22. Resources EU US Wiki Homepage
Join the Initiative
Reference Materials