For commentary on the conference and thoughts on the sessions, please visit the new IxCenter blog at www.IxCenterBlog.org

For copies of presentations and information on speakers, please click HERE

Patient-Centered HIT and Health Care Reform
We are engaged in a national debate about the directions of health care reform. Many experts agree that patient-centered care and health information technology (HIT) are critical elements of our future delivery system. The 2008 Information Therapy (Ix®) Conference at the Newseum will provide a fabulous venue for a national dialog on the intersection of patient-centered care (PCC) and health information technology (HIT). Opening in early 2008 just blocks down Pennsylvania Avenue from the US Capitol, the Newseum-an interactive museum of media in celebration of the first amendment-was designed to celebrate free access to information. On June 12-13, the 7th annual Ix Conference will challenge health care leaders to seize the opportunity for enhanced patient-centered care and delivery system redesign by integrating Ix into HIT.

Join Health Care Leaders
This conference will convene the progressive clinician and technology leaders who have spearheaded Ix innovations with health care policy and thought leaders from across the country. Attendees and presenters will mutually explore how PCC best practices and HIT applications can be leveraged to strengthen primary care, engage consumers in effective care management, and create efficient care delivery.

Groundbreaking Content
The conference's first day will focus on how patient-centered HIT is integral to reforming our health care delivery system and meeting the challenges posed by the IOM's "Crossing the Quality Chasm" report. Plenary sessions will also showcase leading Ix applications, address how the market can promote and reward these innovations and how Health 2.0 trends can stimulate and diffuse innovative practices.

Finally, first-day plenary sessions will set up two more in-depth breakout tracks for a second day.

The first track involves Ix and health disparities, where sessions will explore both the challenges that arise from health literacy, the digital divide, and other disparities, as well as the opportunities that patient-centered HIT applications present for addressing disparities.

The second track will explore the role of Ix in primary care, particularly with respect to building the patient-centered medical home model for chronic care management.

Ix and Health Disparities
Chair: Warren Jones, MD, FAAFP
Executive Director, Mississippi Institute for the Improvement of Geographical Minority Health

Health literacy, numeracy, the "digital divide," and other health disparities create special challenges in designing Ix and patient-centered HIT initiatives. Conversely, Ix and patient-centered HIT create unique opportunities for addressing health disparities. This track will address both the barriers and the promising new interventions that have been developed to narrow the disparities and improve health for safety-net populations.

Innovative patient-centered HIT applications employ audio, video, graphics, plain language, and mobile phones. They leverage access to digital media through community public resources. Faculty will share research and experiences working directly with safety-net populations to implement solutions that meet the needs of their particular constituencies.

The Role of Ix in Enabling the Patient-Centered Medical Home
Chair: Rushika Fernandopulle, MD, MPP
Co-Founder, Renaissance Health

A patient-centered medical home (PCMH) has the potential to encourage a much more comprehensive approach to primary care delivery. If implemented successfully, the PCMH model can ensure access to high-quality, coordinated, and integrated care.

Successful implementation requires focus on effective communication with, and engagement of, the patient. Specific Ix and patient-centered HIT initiatives have been designed specifically to create more continuity and integration of care, and to engage consumers as active partners in care management.

Faculty from a wide range of practice settings will share in-depth examples from their PCMH-Ix implementation experiences.