Innovation in Indian Healthcare: Using Health Information Technology to Achieve Health Equity for American Indian and Alaska Native Populations

The US Indian health system utilizes a diverse range of health information technology and innovative tools to enhance health service delivery for American Indians and Alaska Natives. This article provides an overview of efforts and experience using such tools to achieve health equity for American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

Specific attention is given to the Indian Health Service Electronic Health Record and to two examples of telehealth innovation.

[...] The mission of the Indian Health Service (IHS) is to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level. The IHS realizes this mission by providing comprehensive, culturally acceptable personal and public health services that are available and accessible to all federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native people.

The IHS foundation is designed to uphold the federal government’s obligation to promote healthy American Indian and Alaska Native people, communities, and cultures, and to honor and protect the inherent sovereign rights of Tribes.