Posts Tagged ‘Health IT’

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Thinking Globally: The Strength of the U.S. Health IT Sector

July 12, 2013

Justin Fisk is an intern in the International Trade Administration’s Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee. He’s a graduate of the University of Georgia, taking graduate courses at the George Washington University. David Collier is an intern in ITA’s Office of Public Affairs, studying International Relations at the University of Missouri.

For some Health Information Technology businesses, exporting their products globally may seem even more difficult than creating them. That’s why the International Trade Administration (ITA) exists: to help U.S. companies compete in the global marketplace.

As part of that mission, the White House and Business Forward hosted a roundtable on the international Health IT market, bringing together industry stakeholders and exporters. The event featured discussions about the opportunities for increasing Health IT exports, and how resources from ITA and the U.S. government can help businesses take advantage of those opportunities.

The U.S. Health IT sector is a dynamic and important part of the economy, and the global market is expected to grow to $250 billion by 2015 as a result of increased investment in healthcare and health systems around the world.

That’s why the Administration has made this sector a priority for the National Export Initiative (NEI), which President Obama launched in 2010 with the goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014.

The NEI is part of the President’s plan to strengthen America’s economy, support additional jobs here at home, and ensure long-term, sustainable growth.

Representatives from more than 40 companies attended the roundtable, including executives from Oracle, Intel, and Dimensional Insight. Many of these firms, from large corporations to small businesses, have successfully taken advantage of government resources to help find new markets and export to growing foreign markets.

ITA’s resources can help companies export for the first time, and help find new markets for more experienced exporters.

Events like the recent roundtable is that it allows the ITA to meet face-to-face with companies, and design new resources based on the concerns of private industry.

Although these companies represent diverse subsectors of the Health IT industry, they are united in their desire to share their story. These firms understand that exporting can be challenging, but in an increasingly globalized world, companies must think globally. Fortunately, U.S. firms of all sizes are not alone. The government is ready to help.

If your company wants to think global, please visit your nearest U.S. Export Assistance Center for assistance.

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Health Information Technology Shows Continuing Potential as Strong Export Sector

October 15, 2012

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Fred W. Aziz is Associate Director of Technology and E-Commerce at International Trade Administration, where he covers innovation sectors such as cloud computing, Health IT, and software.   

Matthew Hein is an International Trade Specialist on the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Team in the Office of Health and Consumer Goods, and also is part of a cross-office team following Health IT.

Steve Miller is an International Trade Specialist in the International Trade Administration’s  Office of Service Industries where he is responsible for knowledge economy issues including health services, research and development services, and university commercialization.

The intersection of information technology and health (hereafter Health IT) has recently been an area of increased focus, jump-started by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in February 2009 and the more than $22 billion in ARRA funding designated to bring electronic health records (EHRs) to the majority of Americans by 2014.

However, EHRs are only as useful as the quality of data and images contained within them, and will be trusted by patients when strong privacy and security protocols exist to appropriately control information access.  In addition, healthcare workers need to be trained on how to effectively use EHRs.

All these areas are of high interest to the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), an association leading efforts to manage health data and medical records, improve health record quality, and develop certification and education programs for industry members.

ITA’s Manufacturing and Services unit identified Health IT as a priority sector under the National Export Initiative for potentially strong export growth, and looks forward to continuing collaboration with companies and industry trade associations to promote increased Health IT exports of products and services.

On October 2, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and ServicesNicole Y. Lamb-Hale gave the keynote speech at the inaugural Health Information Innovation Leadership Conference, done in conjunction with AHIMA’s Annual Conference and Exhibit in Chicago.  She provided insight on how innovative U.S. companies can address health information needs in countries worldwide, as well as some of the trade-related considerations about exporting products and services overseas.  In addition, she provided information about available ITA tools to help companies export.

Ms. Lamb-Hale also led an industry roundtable with about 20 AHIMA member companies (from health services, medical device, consultancies and software companies) to learn more about their market access challenges and opportunities as they investigate commercial opportunities abroad.

This was the third roundtable Ms. Lamb-Hale has led with the Health Information Technology (Health IT) industry since June 2011, with the initial event occurring at the White House Conference Center with the support of the Office of National Coordinator for Health IT within the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

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Health Information Technology as Key Export Sector

June 24, 2011

Fred W. Aziz is Associate Director of Technology and E-Commerce at International Trade Administration, where he covers innovation sectors such as cloud computing, health IT, and software.   

Matthew Hein has been with the International Trade Administration for the past six years.  He currently serves as an International Trade Specialist on the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Team in the Office of Health and Consumer Goods.

Steve Miller is an International Trade Specialist in the International Trade Administration’s  Office of Service Industries where he is responsible for knowledge economy issues including health services, research and development services, and university commercialization.

Technology has evolved to become an integral part of each of our lives, whether for work, play or simply staying connected to a loved one.  This technology adoption, however, has yet to be fully integrated into one key aspect of our lives:  healthcare.  Practitioners of applying technology to the digitization, storage, delivery and analysis of healthcare information refer to this evolving sector as “Health IT,” short for Health Information Technology.

Health IT’s internationalization and its export potential for U.S. industry and the role of policymakers were the topics of a June 17, 2011, roundtable at the White House Conference Center entitled ‘Health IT: Beyond Our Borders.’   This event brought together leading voices in U.S. Health IT innovation from both industry and government to discuss ways to increase Health IT exports, pursuant to President Obama’s National Export Initiative (NEI), which aims to double American exports by the end of 2014, in support of several millions jobs.  Representatives of major healthcare providers, technology and software firms, and trade associations shared their views on the opportunities and challenges for Health IT firms in the global marketplace as key government officials listened and engaged the attendees.

The opening welcome and introductory remarks were delivered by Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Services (MAS), Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale.  U.S. Government officials guiding the roundtable discussion included White House CTO Aneesh Chopra and National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari.  Newly named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Maureen Smith acted as moderator and provided closing remarks.

However, the event was focused firmly on the perspectives and views of industry representatives, who openly discussed possible approaches for increasing Health IT exports.   Government officials, in turn, provided a rundown of available resources within the government and asked what more could be done to assist and enable Health IT exports

This roundtable discussion was developed and organized by the Health IT Team within Manufacturing and Services, a division of the International Trade Administration, in cooperation with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT at Health and Human Services and the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House.  Following on this successful session, MAS will continue to work with industry to deliver targeted outcomes that enhance both the competitiveness of the sector and export opportunities for U.S. firms.

The roundtable identified a number of follow-up action items such as further discussions on standards, improving the collection and dissemination of international commercial opportunities in the Health IT space,  research and reporting on top markets for Health IT, and facilitating an intake form relating to international tenders.

Please see the blog posts from The White House  and follow this space for information on future developments in the sector.

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