By, Bernie Monegain

WASHINGTON – The government announced Friday $60 million to support healthcare IT research projects aimed at “breakthrough” advances.

David Blumenthal, MD, national coordinator for health information technology, said the money would support the development of Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP).

SHARP projects will conduct focused research in critical areas where breakthrough advances are needed to address existing barriers to the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology.

Applications are due on Jan. 25, 2010, with awards anticipated in March 2010.

The SHARP program identifies and works to address barriers to adoption in the following four areas:

• Security of Health Information Technology research to address the challenges of developing security and risk mitigation policies and the technologies necessary to build and preserve the public trust as health IT systems become ubiquitous.
• Patient-Centered Cognitive Support research to address the need to harness the power of health IT in a patient focused manner and align the technology with the day-to-day practice of medicine to support clinicians as they care for patients.
• Health care Application and Network Platform Architectures research to focus on the development of new and improved architectures that are necessary to achieve electronic exchange and use of health information in a secure, private, and accurate manner.
• Secondary Use of Electronic Health Record Data research to identify strategies to enhance the use of health IT in improving the overall quality of health care, population health and clinical research while protecting patient privacy.

Each project will identify and implement a research agenda addressing the specific goals of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) and identify the barriers to adoption and meaningful use of heath IT that will be addressed in their research area.

HHS expects to award qualified applicants cooperative agreements to support research efforts in these four project areas. Each agreement will last four years. Awardees will implement a collaborative, interdisciplinary program of research addressing short-term and long-term challenges in their focus area.

Additionally, the projects are expected to develop and implement a cooperative program between researchers, healthcare providers, and other health IT sector stakeholders to incorporate research results into health IT practice and products.

Authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and part of the HITECH provisions of ARRA, the cooperative agreements are part of a series of grants to help strengthen and support the use of healthcare information technology.

“Innovative research and approaches are required to overcome some of the foremost challenges we face in achieving our vision of a transformed healthcare system enabled through health IT,” said Blumenthal. “The SHARP program will bring together some of the best and brightest minds in the nation to find breakthrough solutions and innovations that will eliminate barriers to adoption and, over time, increase the meaningful use of health IT to improve the health and care of all Americans.”

Above article publish on http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/60m-aimed-breakthrough-healthcare-it-research

Mary Mosquera, Government Health IT

National Health IT Coordinator David Blumenthal, MD, emphasized Thursday that quality measures are at the heart of his office’s strategy for using IT to transform the U.S. healthcare system.

“The key to meaningful use is to know how to measure for performance and to be able to give feedback to providers,” he said at a conference sponsored by the National Quality Forum, which promotes and develops quality measures.

The aim is to take existing quality measures and convert them into metrics that can be incorporated into electronic health records in a standard form so they can be compared across practices and geography, he said.

“We expect that to be an ever more important requirement to improve healthcare,” Blumenthal said, adding that the National Quality Forum is retooling some existing measures for use in electronic health records.

Under the HITECH provisions of the stimulus law, physicians and hospitals that are meaningful users of electronic health records will be eligible for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments starting in 2011.

The requirements for meaningful use in 2011 are tasks that many providers already perform, but those for 2013 and 2015 will increasingly support improved patient outcomes, said Paul Tang, chief medical director of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.

Tang is also a vice chairman of the Health IT Policy Committee, a public-private panel that advises the national health IT coordinator.

Providers will submit quality measures to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Tang said. These include widely used metrics, such as the percent of patients with hypertension who have their blood pressure under control, or the percent of patients whose body mass index is recorded to track obesity.

“Just the act of measuring will continuously cause us to improve,” Tang said.

Blumenthal emphasized that the meaningful use of electronic health records is not just about introducing technology to collect and share information. It’s also about physicians and hospitals changing how they operate and the sequence of their work. “We are involved in a vast social project of change management,” he noted.

Providing better information is the foundation for change, he said. Beyond that, physicians and hospitals will need help and training to understand what improvements to make.

“I know this from my own experience as a physician,” he said. “You can show me that my results are not up to those of my colleagues. That didn’t mean I knew how to improve them.”

He cited activities, such as workflow redesign, workforce education and rearranging offices and nurses’ stations so that the right information is more accessible.

ONC will help providers adopt these techniques in their own practices through its regional extension center program, which will assist providers in deploying and operating electronic health records.

Above article published on http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/blumenthal-puts-quality-reporting-core-meaningful-use

Posted by Lora Bentley

Dr. David Blumenthal, the national health IT coordinator, is responsible for doling out government grants to reimburse health care organizations that implement electronic records technology. According to the HITECH section of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, nearly $22 billion in federal funds has been set aside to “advance the use of health information technology.” A significant portion of that amount will take the form of grants to those health care organizations that can demonstrate “meaningful use” of such IT.

However, what exactly “meaningful use” will entail has been unclear. HHS is expected to release a definition in December, InformationWeek blogger Mitch Wagner says. But those who attended the Medical Informatics Association’s symposium got a “heads up” from Blumenthal on what that definition will focus on.

FierceEMR’s Neil Versel quotes Blumenthal this way:

The meaningful use framework will be about the goals of care, not the technology.

It’s a matter of using technology to improve patient care, not just installing the technology to say you have it. Versel speculates that the goal is to make electronic recordkeeping a best practice, the EMR system a standard medical tool, just as stethoscopes and examination tables are standard now.

Take, for instance, my own experience. I visited the local immediate care center over the weekend when I got tired of a wrenched neck muscle making my life miserable.I filled out the initial paperwork, listed my maintenance prescriptions, gave them the name of my primary care physician, the date of my last visit to her office, insurance information and all the rest. When they called me back, I gave my primary doctor’s name and listed all my meds and my medication allergies (again) for the nurse who took my temperature and blood pressure.

Then, guess what? The doctor came in, looked at my chart, asked again who my primary care physician was and what kinds of anti-inflammatory and muscle spasm medications had worked for me in the past, which ones irritated my stomach and which ones didn’t. After a little over an hour, I was out of there, prescriptions in hand, confident that the pain in my neck was about to go away.

All in all, it was a good experience — especially considering I would have waited at least twice that long if I had gone to the emergency room. But, I was reminded how helpful health IT will be. If the immediate care center and my primary care office had EMR systems that allowed easy sharing of patient information — with my consent, of course — then my visit would have been even quicker. I wouldn’t have had to go through the litany of information three times, and the doctor who treated me would have had my medication history at her fingertips, allowing her to make better informed decisions.

Above article published on http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/blogs/bentley/hitech-meaningful-use-more-about-improving-patient-care-than-tech-itself/?cs=37689

By Neil Versel,

Until HHS officially publishes proposed regulations near the end of this year, Dr. David Blumenthal can’t talk publicly yet about what “meaningful use” EMRs will look like, but the national coordinator for health information technology continues to discuss his vision for various components of federal health IT policy. His latest, communicated in an open letter released Thursday, is about health information exchange and what the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act–the health IT portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act–says about the subject.

“A key premise: information should follow the patient, and artificial obstacles–technical, business related, bureaucratic–should not get in the way,” Blumenthal writes. “Exchange within business groups will not be sufficient–the goal is to have information flow seamlessly and effortlessly to every nook and cranny of our health system, when and where it is needed, just like the blood within our arteries and veins meets our bodies’ vital needs.”

Blumenthal noted that the HITECH Act is specific about eliminating commercial, economic and technical barriers to health information exchange and that it provides “building blocks” for HIE across state lines, partly in the form of $564 million in grant money. He said that HHS will begin awarding grants this winter.

Blumenthal also promised another letter about strengthening privacy and security safeguards for personal health information. He is due to address the American Medical Informatics Association’s annual symposium in San Francisco Monday afternoon. FierceHealthIT will be there to cover the speech.

Above article published on http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/blumenthal-stimulus-provides-strong-foundation-hie/2009-11-16

By Neil Versel

Dr. David Blumenthal has been national coordinator for health information technology for a little more than six months now, and for all the health IT meetings I go to, teleconferences I listen in on and webinars I participate in, Wednesday was the first time I’d had the opportunity to hear him speak.

In delivering the opening keynote to the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) Fall CIO Forum in Indian Wells, Calif., Blumenthal didn’t break a whole lot of new ground, but he did bring the national EMR strategy into sharper focus, give an update on some progress within the federal government, demonstrate his deep passion for healthcare quality improvement, and even put the vendor community on notice. (See the story in this week’s issue for more on his vendor-related comments.)

“You all are the very core of our success,” Blumenthal told this gathering of CIOs in the California desert. It was nothing they didn’t already know. He did say, however, that even without the healthcare reform being debated in Washington right now, the HITECH Act–the health IT portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act–still is “unprecedented” in the scope of change it will effect.

Blumenthal highlighted four things that flow from HITECH: “meaningful use” of EMRs–something we all know about; the Health IT Policy Committee and Health IT Standards Committee to advise HHS; privacy and security of health data, symbolized by the tightening of HIPAA; and, of course, the federal subsidy program. Blumenthal believes that the last point probably gets more attention than it deserves. “There’s the money, which is important, but it isn’t the whole thing,” he said.

“What Congress has basically asked us to do with this legislation is to change the practice of medicine,” Blumenthal said. “It’s really a matter of change management rather than technology.”

Blumenthal is prohibited by federal ethics standards from discussing deliberations on the forthcoming parameters for meaningful use, but he reiterated that a proposed rule will be out by the end of the year, and that HHS is still on target to finalize the definition next spring, following a 60-day public comment period on the proposal. He also said that his office is talking with other federal agencies with experience encrypting and securing sensitive electronic data, something that will be hugely important in healthcare as more patient information is computerized.

Blumenthal added that the health IT extension centers will be modeled after the long-established USDA Agricultural Extension Service. “This is all about technology transfer from government to industry,” he said. He also called on the hundreds of healthcare CIOs in attendance to provide leadership and educate hospital CEOs about the importance of

Above article published on http://www.fierceemr.com/story/blumenthal-doesnt-tip-hand-meaningful-use-highlights-non-financial-aspects-arra/2009-10-29#ixzz0WdXFxKVB

By Anne Zieger

It’s only been a few days since the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology issued a report explaining how it would meet new HIPAA privacy and security rules specified in the stimulus package.

Experts argue whether the new report, which spells out plans for complying with a stimulus act section known as High Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH), actually says anything novel. Some argue that deadlines for action spelled out in the document just match those in the stimulus plan, while others see the plans as a good first step.

Be that as it may, HHS has said that it will spend about $24.3 million on new privacy and security efforts, including carrying out regulatory and enforcement requirements of HITECH and training for state attorneys general, audits and reports to Congress.

New HIPAA provisions include language broadening privacy rules and penalties to include business associates; clarify that HIPAA’s criminal sanctions apply to employees or other individuals that wrongfully use or access PHI held by a covered entity; prohibit sales of PHI without prior consent; and allow state attorneys general to bring civil damages actions.

The question is whether any of these actions do much to step up HIPAA enforcement. After all, to date, vanishingly few HIPAA investigations have actually taken place. The question, it seems, is whether HHS will make use of the tools it has, much less new one

Above article published on

http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/will-hitech-portion-stimulus-strengthen-hipaa/2009-05-26#ixzz0SZzpAFQY

Healthcare IT News Staff

Healthcare IT chief David Blumenthal has joined the White House e-mail campaign for healthcare reform with a public letter sent via e-mail expounding the virtues of electronic health record systems as a critical piece of transformation.

Blumenthal’s e-mail Wednesday follows one sent last week by senior White House adviser David Axelrod aimed at countering what he called “the viral e-mails that fly unchecked and under the radar, spreading all sorts of lies and distortions.

This initiative will lower costs, improve the practice of medicine and result in more reliable, efficient care, the letter says. It will also be “daunting” and “hard for some clinicians and hospitals,” Blumenthal concedes.

“The goal of assuring an electronic health record for every American is daunting,” he says. “We at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) do not pretend otherwise. We know this will be hard for some clinicians and hospitals, and we stand ready to help with resources provided by the Congress and the Administration.”

The positive benefits of a transition to a “modernized, interconnected, and vastly improved system of care delivery” are worth the struggle, he says.

“As a primary care physician for over 30 years, I spent the first twenty shuffling papers in search of missing studies and frequently hoping, during middle-of-the-night emergencies, that I knew enough about patients’ medical histories to make good decisions,” says Blumenthal. “All that changed when I began to have access to patients’ electronic medical records.”

Blumenthal urges readers to support ONC’s upcoming work under the HITECH Act, and pledges to keep Americans updates and “fully engaged” in the process.

The full text of the letter appears below.

Electronic Health Records and the 21st Century Health Care System

A Message from Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

In my role as National Coordinator for Health IT, I have the privilege to be part of a transformative change in health care that will help to extend the benefits of health information technology (HIT) to all Americans. With the passage earlier this year of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, we have the tools to begin a major transformation in American health care made possible through the creation of a secure, interoperable nationwide health information network.

Of course, this system is not an end in itself. Rather, it will enable countless other improvements in the quality and efficiency of health care that will make Americans healthier and their economy stronger.

My personal belief in this transformation is not based on theory or conjecture. As a primary care physician for over 30 years, I spent the first twenty shuffling papers in search of missing studies and frequently hoping, during middle-of-the-night emergencies, that I knew enough about patients’ medical histories to make good decisions. All that changed when I began to have access to patients’ electronic medical records. It made me a much better doctor. I would never go back, and neither would the vast majority of American physicians who have made the leap into the electronic age.

In fact, it would be hard for any health professional today to escape the conclusion that the antiquated, paper-dominated system we now have in place isn’t working well for patients, creates added costs and inefficiencies, and isn’t sustainable. As we look at our nation’s annual health care expenditures of approximately $2.5 trillion, there are many ways our current system fails both patients and providers. It is clear that change is necessary.

But how and why is nationwide electronic health information exchange so critical to achieving such change? Most importantly, because it provides the best opportunity for each patient to receive optimal care. The technology will make patients complete medical information securely and reliably available to health care providers where and when it is needed when clinician and patient are together facing medical decisions that can make a lasting difference.

Better, faster, more reliable and efficient care also ultimately reduces system-wide costs by delivering results that help to avoid expensive or prolonged hospitalization from delayed or ineffective treatment, avert costly and sometimes fatal adverse events and unnecessary procedures, and can help to eliminate the onset of disease by better informed management of each patient’s health.

The goal of assuring an electronic health record for every American is daunting. We at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) do not pretend otherwise. We know this will be hard for some clinicians and hospitals, and we stand ready to help with resources provided by the Congress and the Administration.

We also recognize that we cannot achieve the benefits of a nationwide health information system unless we can assure all Americans that their personal health information will remain private and secure when this system exists. Putting into place safeguards for the privacy and security of this information, when it is in electronic form, will be an ongoing priority that influences and guides all of our efforts.

In the days, weeks, and months ahead, we will be rolling out a number of pivotal initiatives called for under the HITECH Act. I urge you to join and support us as we lay the foundation for every American to benefit from an electronic health record, as part of a modernized, interconnected, and vastly improved system of care delivery. We at ONC will be making every effort to keep you updated and fully engaged in all the steps of this national journey.

Above article published on

http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/blumenthal-open-letter-seeks-support-oncs-health-it-plans?page=0

Diana Manos, Senior Editor

The State Alliance for e-Health issued new guidance on Tuesday for state health information exchanges.

The executive-level organization, composed of governors, state legislators, attorney generals and state commissioners, included information on how states can lead the way in using health IT as they begin instituting the federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.

The HITECH Act, enacted as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, expands the role of states in fostering health information exchange and adoption of electronic health records over the next five years.

“Governors understand that swift and thoughtful action is needed at the state level to plan and implement a national system of health information exchange,” said Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, co-chairman of the alliance. “Widespread adoption and use of electronic health records provides a critical foundation for improving health outcomes and cost-effectiveness.”

The report recommends actions states should take now to qualify for the HITECH Act, including:

• Preparing or updating the state plan for HIE adoption;
• Engaging stakeholders;
• Establishing a state leadership office to manage the different phases of HIE implementation;
• Preparing state agencies to participate;
• Implementing privacy strategies and reforms;
• Determining the HIE business model;
• Creating a communications strategy; and
• Establishing opportunities for health IT training and education.

“States already have taken the lead in modernizing the healthcare system by advancing the use of health IT, electronic health records, e-prescribing and electronic exchange of health information,” said Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, NGA chairman and co-chairman of the alliance. “We now have an opportunity to accelerate adoption of health IT across the states and create a truly comprehensive healthcare system that is effective, affordable and accountable.”

The report and state initiatives to implement health IT and electronic HIE will provide a central focus for the alliance’s semi-annual conference, to be held Aug. 7 in Burlington, Vt.

The alliance – supported by funding from the Department of Health and Human Services – provides a nationwide forum through which governors, state policymakers and other stakeholders can work to identify effective HIT policies and best practices and explore solutions to challenges related to the exchange of health information.

Above article published on

http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/state-alliance-e-health-issues-hit-
exchange-guidance