Friends, this has been a busy year at your Health Data Consortium (HDC). I am pleased to report that we are engaged with countless organizations committed to putting health data to work to improve health and health care and the numbers keep growing. And I can report confidently that the open health data movement is gaining momentum. And while there have always been champions and proponents, this is now a national movement. Channeling the great Todd Park, Data Liberación!
But make no mistake, most of the hard work is still in front of us. We have mountains to move if we are to transform our health care system. This movement will accelerate disease cures, expand access to precious medical resources, empower patients with the information they need, and so much more. But it will require tremendous commitment, perseverance, and enthusiasm.
That means HDC needs to be advancing the cause each and every day. Already in 2013, we have pushed forward a number of key initiatives and activities with more on the way. Examples include:
- We again curated the biggest event in health data and we are currently planning an even bigger Health Datapalooza 2014. Watch our website for important sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities!
- Health Data Consortium’s membership and support has grown. We are pleased the momentum is so great and will soon be expanding beyond government, academia and business to include programs affiliation for smaller organizations and individuals.
- Our Health Data Bill of Rights has struck a real chord after soliciting feedback from across the health care spectrum. The good news is that the next evolution will represent an even more powerful bridge between patients and providers, the public and private sectors, researchers and policymakers, payers, employers, and all the key stakeholders. It may even sport a new name.
- We’ve partnered with the Knight Foundation and others to challenge new thinking in the use of health data to improve health and access in our communities. Don’t forget submissions due September 17th.
- After a successful strategy offsite, HDC’s Affiliate Network is ready to expand. Activities will accelerate in the fall and we hope to increase the number of Affiliates from 7 to nearly 20 by the end of 2014.
- HDC introduced the Health Data All Stars on our website with the generous support of the California HealthCare Foundation to highlight top-notch data sources from around the country.
- Through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, we have just launched an exploratory project to design Open Health Data Scorecards to help organizations benchmark their progress and apply best practices in health data use.
- Earlier this week, we announced HealthDataChallenges.com as a resource for innovators to find health data challenges, competitions, and code-a-thons. And in collaboration with Luminary Labs, we will be extending our own HDC Health Data Challenges Series to more participants.
- In the fall, we will be launching the HDC Health Data Webinar Series, a cornerstone of our educational track, which will bring top experts and leaders online to discuss learnings, case studies, policies, and more on a regular basis.
- We are about to announce exciting new forums designed to engage stakeholders in all the corners of our vast system in the discussion. The first will be major event in the Midwest to discuss and share best practices in using health data at the state, county, and city levels.
- And next week, we will launch our first program designed to keep you abreast of key health data related legislation and ongoing policy matters important to the cause. Stay tuned on this one!
But it will take all of us. Many of you are already engaged in the movement in myriad ways. And we are proud to be working side by side with you and other organizations committed to putting health data to work. While this clearly is not our work alone, we are honored to be with you at the forefront.
Institutional and system wide change is difficult. Very difficult. No one said it would be easy. But as my father always told me, “Nothing worth doing is easy.” And boy, this is worth doing! It is monumentally important and fundamentally right. And you and we here at HDC are partners in using health data to hasten the transformation and literally bring the dividends of health data to life.
Let me leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Know how important your enthusiasm is to the movement. Every challenge we overcome makes a difference. Every individual and organization we recruit to the cause matters. Anyone and everyone that affects their organization or community or neighbor through health data is a hero whose story we can tell. We have programs to execute, programs to deliver, and even legislation to help shape. But make no mistake: it is your commitment, perseverance, and enthusiasm that will ultimately change the system. So show that enthusiasm. Get inspired. Together, we will put that health data to work for you, me, and future generations.
Data Liberación!
Best regards,
Dwayne Spradlin
CEO Health Data Consortium