Minnesota e-Health Initiative

All communities and individuals benefit from and are empowered by information and technology that advances health equity and supports health and wellbeing.

• Empower individuals, families, and caregivers to use information and technology to make informed health and wellness decisions
• Promote research and implementation of evidence-based policies to support best practices and improve outcomes
• Improve community and public health through timely and actionable information
• Support providers, care teams, and services in the collection, use and sharing of information through technology and health information exchange
• Use information to advance knowledge, wisdom, and practice by assuring:
  • Strong leadership and strategic collaborations that support innovation and stay informed of trends influencing health and technology
  • Well-trained and educated e-health-savvy workforce
  • Sustainable and adaptable resources for guidance and implementation
  • Standards and policies for collection, use and sharing of information, including personal health and medicine and factors that influence health such as genetics, geography, and gender
  • Protection of health information and patient access to health information
  • Measurement of progress on the adoption and effective use of health information technology and health information exchange

The Minnesota e-Health Initiative takes collective action that meets the statutory requirements in Minnesota Statutes 62J.495 to advise the commissioner of health, provide guidance to the community, and

• Supports the vision and mission of the Minnesota e-Health Initiative
• Ensures that decisions are objective and align with science and evidence-based research
• Advances e-health equity and supports e-health across the care continuum
• Values integrity, quality and collaboration
• Considers all aspects of and factors influencing health and wellbeing
• Leverages current resources and opportunities
• Respects human dignity and promotes cultural competency

e-Health activities in Minnesota are coordinated by MDH through the Minnesota e-Health Initiative, a public-private collaborative that has broad support from health care providers, payers, and professional associations. The Initiative fulfills the statutory role of the Minnesota e-Health Advisory Committee and sets the gold standard nationally for a model public-private partnership.

Minnesota e-Health HIE Task Force (2018-2019)

e-Health Initiative Workgroups

The Minnesota e-Health Initiative provides feedback on state and federal definitions, criteria and/or proposed regulations relating to e-health. The feedback is provided in the form of a public coordinated responses in which members of the Initiative, workgroups and the public participate.

Minnesota e-Health achievements include:

• When Minnesota e-Health Initiative was established in Minnesota approximately 17% of clinics and 9% of hospitals in Minnesota had adopted EHRs. Now 100% of Minnesota Hospitals and 99% of clinics are using EHRs, and numbers are growing for health providers form other settings.
• Minnesota was the first state to establish electronic prescribing and Interoperable EHR mandates in 2007 (§62J.495), requiring providers in Minnesota to electronically prescribe by January 1, 2011 and adopt an interoperable EHR by January 1, 2015. The Minnesota e-Health Initiative developed and published a comprehensive Statewide Plan to Achieve the EHR Mandate.
• In 2009, Minnesota received federal $65 million in HITECH funding under the State HIE Cooperative Agreement Program and four other programs in the state.  This was the highest single-state award in the nation. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) EHR incentive program also began this year.
• The Minnesota e-Health Initiative developed the Minnesota HIE Framework to Support Accountable Health, guidance for professionals, organizations and leaders on what is needed to achieve accountable care and health. The Minnesota e-Health Advisory Committee also endorsed a Health Information Exchange Strategy Roadmap, aimed at advancing HIE in Minnesota, as well as the Minnesota e-Health Roadmap for SIM Priority Settings.