Nation's top tech official advocates putting health data in patients’ hands

During an energetic presentation Tuesday at the Spectacular Event Center, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park expounded on the government’s recent efforts to put reams of health data into the hands of patients and providers. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is working to make health information—from public health trends to clinical trial results to individual medical records—more accessible, he said. Park highlighted a program led by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which allows veterans and members of the military to download their individual health records through a secure website.