On Wednesday, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal said that the Obama administration sees the health IT industry as an economic engine that could grow domestically and internationally, Health Data Management reports.
The keynote speakers delivered their addresses at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's 2011 conference in Orlando, Fla.
Sebelius' Address
In her speech, Sebelius said health IT is one of the "most promising frontiers" for the U.S. economy. She noted that 231 companies have certified electronic health record products and that two-thirds of those companies have 50 or fewer employees.
Sebelius also attempted to provide reassurance about the budget battles in Washington, D.C. (Gillespie, Health Data Management, 2/23). She said that there is bipartisan support for the health IT industry and that the sector has a "huge job-generating potential" (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 2/23).
Blumenthal's Address
Meanwhile, much of Blumenthal's speech centered on the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's progress in what he called "The Age of Meaningful Use."
Blumenthal noted that regional extension centers have signed up 47,000 health care provider organizations that are seeking help with health IT adoption. He also discussed efforts to develop health IT worker training programs and statewide health information exchanges.
Blumenthal added that ONC's privacy and security "Tiger Team" is developing recommendations on "conditions of trust" to support the privacy and security of health data exchanges.
In addition, Blumenthal provided a preview of ONC's upcoming work. He said the Stage 2 criteria for the meaningful use of EHRs will have "much more exacting" requirements for interoperability than the Stage 1 criteria (Health Data Management, 2/23). He said, "We are aware that the timetable for Stage 2 of meaningful use will be challenging," adding that the Stage 2 criteria "will be reasonable and achievable" (Modern Healthcare, 2/23).