BACKGROUND:
The landscape of healthcare information systems is changing dramatically. Primary care providers continue to implement electronic medical records (EMR) systems, and these systems over time will become inter-connected per the vision of the Office of the National Health Information Technology Coordinator (ONCHIT) into the National Health Information Network (NHIN). IIS projects have a lot to offer Local Health Information Infrastructure (LHII)/Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) projects, and also a lot to gain from participating in them.

OBJECTIVE:
To understand the ways in which IIS and LHII/RHIO projects can benefit from collaboration.

METHOD:
Various models of LHII/RHIO deployment will be discussed, including the role that IIS projects have in each one. Examples from national demonstration projects will be offered as well. In addition, the relationship between LHII-IIS integration and other public health systems integration initiatives (e.g., PHIN, bio-terrorism) will be described and explored.

RESULT:
This presentation lays the conceptual groundwork for this understanding and offers practical examples of emerging projects that are testing these concepts.

CONCLUSION:
Public Health needs to understand its role in the emerging eHealth landscape. It has both a lot to offer and a lot to gain from this participation. There is a great opportunity for public health to stake out its place in these activities, as well as a risk that it will miss the boat if public health fails to engage the larger healthcare community properly.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
To understand how IIS projects fit into the emerging national initiatives and the role they can play in them.