President Bush in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday noted the importance of using technology in health care, Government Computer News reports. This has been a "constant theme for the administration," but federal health IT "progress has slowed," according to Government Computer News (Miller, Government Computer News, 1/23).
Bush said, "We need to reduce costs and medical errors with better information technology." He added, "We will encourage price transparency and, to protect good doctors from junk lawsuits, we need to pass medical liability reform" (President Bush's State of the Union Address transcript, 1/23).
Former National Coordinator for Health IT Dr. David Brailer helped launch health IT initiatives that will allow physicians, hospitals, insurers and pharmacists to exchange patient data, but "federal momentum has been sluggish" since Brailer resigned in May, according to Government Computer News (Government Computer News, 1/23).
A permanent coordinator has not been selected, and it is unclear who will replace interim coordinator Robert Kolodner when he leaves the post, which he is expected to do at the end of January (iHealthBeat, 10/27/2006).
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has been working on:
- Developing standards;
- Financing private sector work on health architecture; and
- Providing grants for states to build regional networks.
HHS also recently posted a job notice for a deputy health IT coordinator. However, despite leadership vacancies, HHS over the next year will seek contracts for trial implementations, such as state and regional health information organization plans to further capabilities for the Nationwide Health Information Network,
Government Computer News reports (
Government Computer News, 1/23).