Jackie Ejwa, Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California has been at the forefront of California's groundbreaking efforts to require healthcare providers to securely share data electronically to reduce health disparities and improve patient care.
As part of these efforts, Blue Shield of California's Vice President of Health Transformation, Jackie Ejuwa, participated in the March Legislative Advocacy Day hosted by Connecting for Better Health and data-sharing mandate and the proposed legislation to implement it.
California will establish requirements for health and social services data sharing in 2021 under Assembly Bill 133, which will subsequently create a data exchange framework mandating real-time information exchange between health care providers, government agencies, and social service organizations. I have developed a work.
Ejwa, chairman of the board of directors for Connecting for Better Health, told policymakers that data sharing is essential to building a better system of care for all Californians.
“Timely, comprehensive and accurate data underpins all the work we do. Identifying health disparities and developing effective programs to reduce and eliminate them is key. ,” Ejwa said in Sacramento on March 7.
Connecting for Better Health is an organization that brings together health care providers, caregivers, health plans, patient advocates, innovators, and community-based organizations to collaborate to advance the sharing of health and social data.
Jackie Ejuwa (centre) speaking at a policy briefing at Parliament House.
Mr Ejwa gave opening remarks at a press conference of MPs and supporters, which was also addressed by MP Jim Wood and a delegation from health and social care organizations.
After the briefing, 28 coalition members met with 31 legislative bodies to advocate on behalf of Assembly Bill 1331 (Wood). The bill strengthens the framework by establishing governance, enforcement and accountability measures that proponents say are necessary to hold organizations accountable to the law.
Ejuwa et al. explained that access to comprehensive, real-time information is essential to improving quality, safety, and outcomes, and can make healthcare more efficient. Accurate information needs to be available securely and in real time to support decision-making for healthcare teams and empower patients. “Comprehensive, timely and accurate data is essential to creating a healthier California,” Ejwa said. “Sharing health and social data across the healthcare ecosystem is key to enabling patients and healthcare providers to collaborate and make informed care decisions.”
Ejuwa said there are many benefits to high-quality data sharing, including:
- Give care teams a more complete picture of their patients so they can treat the whole patient and coordinate services.
- Promote health equity by identifying and addressing those in need or shortage of care.
- It enables the design of more effective and impactful programs, ultimately creating a high-quality, equitable, and affordable care system.
As of January, approximately 3,000 organizations have signed data sharing agreements, including both mandatory and voluntary signatories. The California Health and Human Services Agency's Center for Data Insights and Innovation estimates that approximately 70% of organizations required to sign data sharing agreements have not yet done so.
Mr. Ejuwa called on policymakers to address poor compliance by mandated entities by passing AB 1331.
“There is still much work to be done to realize the full potential of the Data Exchange Framework’s mission,” she said.
