The Colorado Office of eHealth Innovation (OeHI) has launched an updated health IT roadmap to guide the state’s progress over the next three to five years.

More than 500 people throughout Colorado living and working across the plains, cities and mountains contributed to the latest health IT strategic plan through a state-wide listening exercise.

Input from healthcare providers, patients, public health partners, community members and state agencies informed the roadmap, now in its fourth edition.

For healthcare partners, funding emerged as a top concern, especially for smaller and rural providers. They expressed a need for more funding for technology, health information exchange (HIE) access, electronic health records (EHRs) and pilot programs.

Technical assistance was also on the wish list. Healthcare organizations are seeking guidance and training to support the implementation of technical solutions such as artificial intelligence, telehealth, state programs and reporting and cybersecurity.

Patients and community members voiced a desire for more education, as new technologies such as patient portals, telehealth platforms and other tools are implemented. They are also concerned about protecting their healthcare data, particularly as increased integration with social care is planned. Some communities expressed a pressing need for access to technology and healthcare in languages other than English.

The resulting 2025 update, developed in collaboration with these partners, has three overarching goals for the state’s health IT ecosystem:

• Enhancing community engagement in solutions
• Supporting secure and appropriate sharing of data
• Fostering responsible innovation

To meet these goals, the OeHI team will focus on three main areas of activity. They will continue policy work, including the management of consent and data-sharing agreements. Directed funding is another priority, with an emphasis on achieving health IT parity across the state and communities. Finally, there will be more collaboration with other state agencies to maximize the impact of programs related to health IT.

“Colorado’s 2025 Health IT Roadmap is shaped by the feedback we received from communities across our state — from patients and providers to community leaders and public health partners,” said Dianne Primavera, Colorado Lieutenant Governor and Director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care. “It’s a blueprint for a stronger, more connected health care system, one that harnesses innovation to expand access, improve outcomes and make sure all Coloradans can benefit from modern, data-driven care. It continues to support our commitment to ensuring that all Coloradans have access to high-quality and affordable health care.”

"The 2025 Health IT Roadmap is a testament to what’s possible when we listen, really listen, to the people at the heart of healthcare," said Stephanie Broderick, Colorado HIMSS Chapter Advocacy Chair. "It goes beyond strategy; it reflects a statewide commitment to equity, innovation, and collaboration. As Advocacy Chair for the Colorado HIMSS Chapter, I’m proud to see how voices from across Colorado came together to shape a shared vision for a more connected, inclusive, and resilient health IT future."

Explore the full roadmap in English and in Spanish.

By Colleen Shannon, Healthcare Writing LLC and HIMSS 2024 Masters Scholar, University of Denver