Finding a way
This week we heard from two national coordinators for health IT.
Current coordinator, Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, authored a blog post for Health Affairs, based on her keynote address at the 2015 HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition, about her optimism for the future of health IT.
The post outlines a three-step approach to interoperability:
1. First, we need to standardize standards, including APIs, and implementation standards.
2. Second, we need to have clarity about the trust environment —what are the shared expectations and actions around data security and privacy?
3. And third, we need to incentivize, in a durable and sustainable way, interoperability and the appropriate uses of electronic health information—all with the goal to advance healthcare and health.
She also wrote that she appreciates the interest Congress has been taking in interoperability, the Meaningful Use program and other issues related to health IT. “Congress is our partner. I am excited to see their interest in making sure that health data is available for consumers, and our doctors, when and where it matters most." She also called on the private sector and states to get involved. “I am optimistic because I am seeing collaboration like never before from the private sector.”
Meanwhile, former coordinator, David Blumenthal, MD, now president of The Commonwealth Fund, penned a blog in the Wall Street Journal's “The Experts” addressing the potential for health IT as well as challenges related to interoperability and outdated privacy and security regulations.
Many EHRs, mobile devices and personal sensors can't exchange information at this point for a variety of reasons but most importantly because "healthcare organizations are fearful of sharing patients' data since it will liberate their customers to go elsewhere for their care." And, EHR vendors are "charging prohibitive fees and creating other barriers to information sharing" to make it more difficult for customers to "switch out one [EHR] for another," he wrote.
The obstacles, "mostly human in the making, can be solved by humans if the will exists. If we find a way, the healthcare future will be far brighter for all of us."
Many are working to find that way.
Beth Walsh
Clinical Innovation + Technology editor
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.