Two government officials who have been at the forefront of health IT implementation and quality improvement for years call last month's publication of the standards for "meaningful use" of EHRs a "starting point" on a "journey toward ubiquitous and effective use of health information technology," while also putting the rule into historical perspective.

Writing on the blog of policy journal Health Affairs, national health IT coordinator Dr. David Blumenthal and CMS Administrator Dr. Donald M. Berwick remind the healthcare community that the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has been around for six years. They also note that it's been more than a decade since the Institute of Medicine dropped its bombshell of a report on medical errors, To Err Is Human (1999) and followed it up two years later with an equally significant tome, Crossing the Quality Chasm.

"Those findings altered the nation's understanding of its healthcare system and the results it was achieving, as well as highlighting the great potential for improvement," Blumenthal and Berwick write. "The IOM reports played an important part in illustrating both the need for improved information systems in healthcare and the potential for electronic data to help fill that need."

They also note that some "pioneering" organizations--including Massachusetts General Hospital, where both have practiced medicine--have had forms of EHRs for more than 20 years. (It's been closer to 40 years at places like Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis, actually.) "This brief history demonstrates that our nation has undergone a long learning process in preparation for the initiative we are now undertaking," Blumenthal and Berwick explain.

"After many years of discussion and learning, the time for action is here. EHR systems will not be perfect as we embark on this transformation. We will learn and adjust as we move through this multiyear process. And for smaller practices and hospitals especially we want to offer assistance," they say, specifically mentioning regional extension centers and other HHS assistance programs.

"But we believe the time for waiting is over. EHR adoption and meaningful use hold the promise of safer, higher-quality care for patients. They will enable healthcare professionals to serve with greater effectiveness and confidence. They will enhance public health and make more cost-effective use of our nation's unparalleled healthcare resources."

Coincidentally or not, Health Affairs last week held a public forum at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., on the subject of EHRs and meaningful use. Blumenthal and CMS Principal Deputy Administrator Marilyn Tavenner issued a joint statement praising the decision by several private-sector organization to promote EHRs and support meaningful use. (More on that Thursday in FierceEMR.)

"[T]he CMS and ONC regulations establish only the parameters of the federal program. The public and private sectors can and must collaborate in furthering the goal of creating a 21st century electronic health information system in the United States," Blumenthal and Tavenner said in that statement.

For more:
- read this Health Affairs blog post by Blumenthal and Berwick
- see this HHS statement from Blumenthal and Tavenner

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