The new year is almost here, and it's clear health care will be among the most significant issues debated in the coming month. But will 2009 finally be the year for health information technology?
Policy wonks and e-Health advocates celebrated in May 2004 with President Bush's appointment of David Brailer as our first Health IT Czar. It seemed clear 2004 would be the year health IT was embraced. Yet despite the energy and support of the medical informatics community, proposals to promote widespread adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic prescribing systems for physicians have been repeatedly derailed due to concerns around privacy and the cost of implementation. But the tides may be changing.
The Obama Administration believes that adoption of health IT technologies is a key component of efforts to reduce health care costs and to improve the quality and safety of patient care. Health IT will be a significant piece of President-elect Obama's overall health care plan and it will also be part of legislative efforts aimed at health reform when the 111th Congress convenes next week. Obama has proposed $50 billion in funding over 5 years to implement initiatives such as EMRs, e-prescribing systems and other medical services. Efforts to modernize the nation's health care system are expected to be included in the economic stimulus package.
Examples of new technology successes are evident. The New York Times reports today about New York City's impressive program to subsidize the cost of EMRs for primary care physicians who treat a high percentage of patients on Medicaid or are uninsured, reducing the cost of a system from $45,000 to as little as $10,000. About 1,000 physicians are already participating in New York's program, which could be a model for other cities on how to connect medical practices and improve preventive medicine.
Obama's presidency is positioned to be the first ever to truly integrate politics and policy with the Internet. As such, it's not surprising to see such an interest in connecting health reform to digital technology, a move that seems interwoven with the Obama campaign's deft use of the Internet to communicate its message of change. Team Obama's ability to engage voters on the Web has continued post-election with the launch of Change.gov. A large-scale public dialogue on health care is already part of their digital communications effort, evidenced by HHS Secretary-nominee Tom Daschle's initiative to engage the country in discussions over the holidays on health care issues. Advancing web-based health technology and improving online communications with patients seems like a natural extension of this mindset.
The President-elect highlighted health IT in one of his recent weekly radio addresses to the nation. "We will make sure that every doctor's office and hospital in this country is using cutting edge technology and electronic medical records so that we can cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help save billions of dollars each year," said Obama.
So, will 2009 be the year the Health 2.0 promise is realized? Stay tuned.
- Courtney Gray Haupt, Senior Director, Public Affairs and Health Policy
[link to Twitter: https://twitter.com/CourtneyGH ]
