Campus, News

BUSM professor chosen to join NIH committee

Devin Mann, assistant professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, was recently nominated to serve as a researcher on a National Institutes of Health committee, according to a press release.

Mann, who is also an attending physician at Boston Medical Center, was appointed by the U.S. Government Accountability Office to the Health and Information Technology Policy Committee. He has led several NIH-funded studies at BUSM.

Mann said in an email that he plans to bring a unique combination of skills and experiences to the committee.

These studies explore how to connect available health technologies, such as weight loss websites and mobile applications, to the health care systems, he said.

“This [research] includes linking patients and their doctors to the data generated from behavior change websites, developing smartphone based lifestyle change programs and using technology to support better, more effective communication between doctors and patients,” Mann said.

Mann said he intends to bring his integrated range of clinical, research and operations experiences to his role on the HIT Policy Committee.

“I am first and foremost a primary care physician,” Mann said. “I am also a researcher focused on using health information technologies such as electronic health records, smart phones, wireless devices, et cetera to improving the delivery of healthcare and helping patients live better lives.”

HIT Policy Committee members recommend standards and methods in which the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology can exchange patient medical information, according to its website. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 originally established committee.

Mann received a medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine, and a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Services from Weill Cornell Medical College.

He works at Boston Medical Center in hospital operations and helps direct the electronic health record optimization project at the BMC-affiliated East Boston Neighborhood Health Center.

Prior to his appointment as a researcher on the HIT Policy Committee, Mann served as the HIT lead on the Evidence-Based Medicine Task Force of the Society of General Internal Medicine, according to the release.

Gene Dodaro, comptroller general of the U.S. and head of the GAO, said in the release that it is important to take several factors into consideration when developing policy for HIT.

“It’s important to take into account expertise related to privacy and security, health care research, as well as the views of health care workers who are the users of HIT,” Dodaro said. “A number of individuals with backgrounds in these areas responded to GAO’s request for nominations, and I am pleased to announce the addition of today’s new appointments.”

Mann said BUSM Dean Karen Antman nominated him to serve as a researcher on the committee for the next three years. Mann said he is looking forward to serving on the HIT Policy Committee through October 2016.

“I am truly honored by the appointment and the opportunity to work with some of the most influential and brightest minds in health information technology,” Mann said. “I look forward to challenging and rewarding work ahead.”

Website | More Articles

This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.

Comments are closed.