White House Seeking Ways to Promote Health Care Equity With Digital Technologies

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is seeking information on how digital technologies can transform community-oriented health care and promote health equity.

OSTP said it is particularly interested in hearing about community-based health and populations traditionally underserved by health care. The request for information is part of an initiative to leverage innovation in science and technology to lower barriers to quality health care for all Americans, OSTP said Wednesday.

Digital technologies are defined as tools that improve health or enable better health care delivery by connecting people with other people, with data or with health care information, the RFI read.

Some examples of the digital technologies that OSTP is referring to are telehealth, remote patient monitoring devices, health trackers, mobile devices, mobile health apps and electronic health information management technologies.

According to the RFI, OSTP wants information on successful models for implementing digital health technologies in community settings, barriers to the use of digital technologies, trends from the coronavirus pandemic, ways to measure user experience, the need for tools and training, potential government action and the effects of digital technologies on health equity.

OSTP said it will also accept information on models that have been proven to work in locations outside of the United States, particularly in low or middle-income countries.

Respondents may include information on the features of the organizations that have successfully implemented digital technologies abroad as well as examples of best practices, important user protections to institute and methods that health providers use to measure outcomes or success.