Monday, February 15, 2010

David Blumenthal Recaps ONC's Actions Launching HITECH

The February 4 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine includes Dr. David Blumenthal's report on Launching HITECH. His report includes a summary of the various investment actions including:

"Defining meaningful use is a first step toward (using EHRs to improve processes of care and outcomes) ... but other elements must also fall into place. Multiple studies have shown that health care providers need help overcoming several key obstacles to adopting and using HIT. Many lack the financial resources to purchase, implement, and maintain EHRs. They also lack the technical expertise to pick the right HIT systems and use them in ways that will improve care. And no infrastructure exists in most areas of the country for secure health information exchange among providers and between providers and consumers. The various HITECH Act programs and regulations address these obstacles."

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