The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is a staff division of the Office of the Secretary, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

ONC leads national health IT efforts, charged as the principal federal entity to coordinate nationwide efforts to implement and use the most advanced health information technology and the electronic exchange of health information.

Interoperability is a characteristic of a product or system, whose interfaces are completely understood, to work with other products or systems, present or future, in either implementation or access, without any restrictions.

Health information technology (HIT) is information technology applied to health and health care (including the aged care market).

It supports health information management across computerized systems and the secure exchange of health information between consumers, providers, payers, and quality monitors.

Based on an often-cited 2008 report on a small series of studies conducted at four sites that provide ambulatory care–three U.S. medical centers and one in the Netherlands– the use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) was viewed as the most promising tool for improving the overall quality, safety and efficiency of the health delivery system.

Security is the degree of resistance to, or protection from, harm.

It applies to any vulnerable and/or valuable asset, such as a person, dwelling, community, item, nation, or organization.