Blumenthal issues 20-month checkup at ONC update meeting
During a Dec. 14 overview presentation at the 2010 ONC Update in Washington, D.C., David Blumenthal, MD, National Coordinator for Health IT at the ONC, urged his audience to consider the progress made in the past 20 months.
“For us technology is always just a means to an end. The end," he said, "is improving healthcare, and improving the healthcare, enabling practitioners to live up to their aspirations and empowering Americans to take control of their health.
“Our unique contribution comes from a core insight: Good intentions have to be empowered by strong capabilities. Science and technology have created an enormously powerful new set of tools and we are here to make sure those tools are used fully.
“Information is the lifeblood of medicine and we are only as good as our health professionals, as the information we have about the patients we care for. Health IT is the 21st century circulatory system for that information.
“It’s been a whirlwind of activity. Many of you have spent many sleepless nights … dealing with all the things we have worked at. It’s easy to forget how much we’ve accomplished,” said Blumenthal. “The meaningful use framework is unprecedented in the history of electronic health information systems. … We’ve started that process; it will evolve.”
Blumenthal cited the progress of several programs related to HITECH and healthcare reform, including:
In addition, there are 2,400 enrollees in community workforce training programs. “We’re well on the way to meeting our 10,000 [enrollment] target during the lifetime of program,” said Blumenthal.
These efforts and others are important for many reasons, he said. “One of them has to do with healthcare reform generally: without successful [health IT initiatives] there will be no success for healthcare reform.
“This has never been tried before in a country this large and diverse, with this kind of decentralized, fragmented system. It’s more than a moon shot; it’s a Mars shot,” Blumenthal said. “The good news is, our success is inevitable. It is as inevitable as the march of science and technology.”
"The ability to use information is a core competence of health professionals. As a result, I think the uses of information technology, as the most modern and effective way of managing information, will be integrated into certifiying tests [and] standards that medical professionals hold themselves to," he said. "When that happens, the tipping point will have been reached, and healthcare professionals will lead this revolution.”
“For us technology is always just a means to an end. The end," he said, "is improving healthcare, and improving the healthcare, enabling practitioners to live up to their aspirations and empowering Americans to take control of their health.
“Our unique contribution comes from a core insight: Good intentions have to be empowered by strong capabilities. Science and technology have created an enormously powerful new set of tools and we are here to make sure those tools are used fully.
“Information is the lifeblood of medicine and we are only as good as our health professionals, as the information we have about the patients we care for. Health IT is the 21st century circulatory system for that information.
“It’s been a whirlwind of activity. Many of you have spent many sleepless nights … dealing with all the things we have worked at. It’s easy to forget how much we’ve accomplished,” said Blumenthal. “The meaningful use framework is unprecedented in the history of electronic health information systems. … We’ve started that process; it will evolve.”
Blumenthal cited the progress of several programs related to HITECH and healthcare reform, including:
- EHR standards and certification: There are now five authorized certification bodies and more than 130 certified complete EHRs and EHR modules. “We’ve met our commitment to have on the market a broad range of choice for providers who want to become meaningful users of EHRs,” he said.
- Regional Extension Centers: Currently there are 62 RECs assisting physicians in EHR adoption. To date, 30,000 physicians have already enrolled, and another 5,000 to 6,000 per month are signing on. “Some of you are sweating bullets to get that to happen,” he acknowledged.
- Statewide HIE initiatives: Fifty-six states and territories have submitted applications and more than 20 states now have approved implementation plans, according to Blumenthal.
- Beacon Communities: Seventeen are using federal grants “trying to pave the way toward a new level of performance in local communities, where health information exchange happens.”
In addition, there are 2,400 enrollees in community workforce training programs. “We’re well on the way to meeting our 10,000 [enrollment] target during the lifetime of program,” said Blumenthal.
These efforts and others are important for many reasons, he said. “One of them has to do with healthcare reform generally: without successful [health IT initiatives] there will be no success for healthcare reform.
“This has never been tried before in a country this large and diverse, with this kind of decentralized, fragmented system. It’s more than a moon shot; it’s a Mars shot,” Blumenthal said. “The good news is, our success is inevitable. It is as inevitable as the march of science and technology.”
"The ability to use information is a core competence of health professionals. As a result, I think the uses of information technology, as the most modern and effective way of managing information, will be integrated into certifiying tests [and] standards that medical professionals hold themselves to," he said. "When that happens, the tipping point will have been reached, and healthcare professionals will lead this revolution.”