HIT Standards Committee Meeting
On the more mundane – but just as important – side of healthcare reform, critical issues are being debated…
The monthly meeting of the HIT Standards Committee occurred last week focusing on standards adoption and implementation. ONC Director David Blumenthal, MD discussed the importance of creating a Nation-wide Health Information Network that includes consumer health information platforms in addition to provider and government organizations which have been the primary focus to date. In a charge that was missed by many of the observers, Dr. Blumenthal also noted that requiring data “comparability, reliability, and acceptance” was a crucial factor in creating a NHIN system. Specifically, he noted that if such an approach is not created, “the ability to lower payments for high-cost areas using national standards” (e.g. the Dartmouth Atlas) is not possible. He continued by noting that “vocabulary exchange is a critical factor” for the future of healthcare reform. I couldn’t agree more. If we can’t compare apples to apples and don’t agree on what an apple is, it will be very, very difficult to base payments on the type of apple you are purporting to sell…
The HIT Standards Committee then launched into a discussion on the approach towards including consumer-related information, including the experience of Kaiser, Geisinger, and other major provides who provide patient access to EHRs. Based on those efforts, it seems that the patient’s ability to engage in transactions with the system by creating doctor appointments and renewing medications is much more important than having complete access to every aspect of their health record. Following a lengthy discussion, the Committee forwarded the issue to the HIT Policy Committee to define minimum requirements for patient access to EHRs.
Privacy and security was also another area of focus. The three key elements of data security were discussed including confidentiality, assuring data integrity and fostering accessibility standards that meet privacy standards. John Halamka, MD, Co-Chair of the HIT Standards Committee, wryly observed, “The most secure library in the world is one that never checked out a book.” From the discussions of the Committee, it became clear that they are headed in a direction of balancing the needs of security with reality, usability, practicality, and simplicity so that complexity is not hidden. While these discussions frequently border on the mundane, they are the essence of real healthcare reform. I encourage you to follow the discussions…
Kevin Fickenscher, MD
The views and opinions expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Dell Services or its affiliates.
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