Health Information Technology Working Group

The Health Information Technology Working Group (HITWG) works to enable and support the widespread interoperability of data related to kidney health among healthcare software applications to optimize CKD detection and management. The group aims to provide easy and uniform access to kidney health information that will enable researchers to better understand the national burden of CKD, health care professionals to better care for CKD patients, and people living with kidney disease to better manage their health. The working group is focused on incorporating CKD data into electronic health records in a consistent and searchable manner, and improving management of CKD populations using HIT. The HITWG is currently supporting three sub groups: the Electronic CKD Care Plan Working Group, the CKD Computable Phenotype Working Group, and the CKD Business Case Working Group.

Working with leaders in the CKD HIT field, the working group has developed several model cases highlighting pragmatic examples of CKD population health management efforts implemented at various institutions.

The HITWG and its subgroups are comprised of kidney health and informatics experts from government, academic, and clinical settings, as well as patient advocates.

Health Information Technology Working Group Members

The Electronic CKD Care Plan Working Group

The CKD Care Plan Working Group aims to identify the CKD-related elements that should be included in a comprehensive electronic care plan template. The template elements will enable patients and clinicians to access, create, record, change, and receive key patient information and goals across multiple conditions. The resulting CKD template elements will be consistent with certification criteria detailed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Learn more about the working group process and review the draft set of CKD care plan data elements.

The CKD Computable Phenotype Working Group

The CKD Computable Phenotypes Working Group aims to develop and validate electronic CKD phenotypes informed by laboratory values, as well as implementation resources that facilitate CKD quality improvement, research, and surveillance. Specifically, the working group plans to explore development of tools to integrate CKD phenotypes into point-of-care clinical decision support and to make it as easy as possible for patients, clinicians, and health system administrators to identify eGFR and proteinuria-related laboratory values from their EHR systems.

The CKD Business Case Working Group

The CKD Business Case Working Group aims to create a framework business case that will allow individual settings to justify investment in health information technology infrastructure to support CKD population management. The working group—with support from researchers at the Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI)—has developed a draft financial model to help health advocates and decision makers realize the positive financial implications of investing in CKD population health programs. On the DIHI website, the draft model and a demonstration video are available. Feedback on the draft model is welcomed and can be provided via DIHI. Learn more about the working group process and review the background materials for the financial model (PDF, 560 KB) .