Informaticians, CxIOs and Industry: Strengthening the Fabric of HealthIT

Health information technology (HIT) is often touted as an important remedy for many problems in healthcare. However, biomedical informatics, the "engine of innovation for HIT," is at a turning point: Can the field evolve to meet the challenge of developing and implementing safe and effective HIT while continuously innovating in both academic and industrial settings? The culture and values of informatics and industry differ significantly. Successful academic/industry collaboration is rare and the contributions of informatics to the operational context of healthcare delivery are increasingly marginalized. Informaticians are often viewed as closeted researchers while IT staff do the "real work." At the same time, industry is looking to academic informatics for leadership in important areas of HIT and electronic health records, such as providing and maintaining evidence‐based content for clinical decision support; integrating basic science breakthroughs into EHRs; designing the EHRs and clinics of the future; and aggregating and analyzing data on large cohorts (nationally and internationally) to support health services research and care delivery optimization. This panel will present thought-provoking viewpoints from key industry and academic leaders, and stimulate discussion on strategies to improve informatics’ contribution to positive change in healthcare.