With 2009 designated by the Obama administration as the year of healthcare transformation, organizers say National Health IT Week delivers a timely message on the potential for healthcare information technology to improve the nation's healthcare system.
Beginning today, the weeklong forum serves as a platform upon which public and private healthcare constituents – vendors, provider organizations, payers, pharmaceutical/biotech companies, government agencies, industry/professional associations, research foundations and consumer protection groups – can raise awareness about the value of health IT among industry leaders and policymakers.
In its fourth year, National Health IT Week 2009 participants partner to inform the nation's policymakers about the importance of fostering widespread health IT adoption to improve patient safety and healthcare quality. In years past, both the House and the Senate have passed resolutions expressing support for the event.
"Since 2009, organizations across the country have come together to support National Health Information Technology Week and its goals to improve public awareness regarding the potential benefits of improved quality and cost efficiency," said Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), co-chairman of the 21st Century Health Care Caucus, who is slated to serve as moderator of the National Health IT Week news conference on Capitol Hill at 11 a.m. Tuesday. "Imagine what we could achieve for our nation's healthcare system by implementing even a few health information technology initiatives."
The government is already an advocate for increased use of healthcare IT. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes more than $20 billion to help the development of an IT infrastructure for healthcare and to assist providers and other entities in adopting and using health IT.
Scheduled to speak on Capitol Hill at a news conference about developments surrounding ARRA and healthcare reform are top Congressional leaders on healthcare and health IT industry leaders, including:
* Rep. Tim Murphy, (R-Pa.), co-chairman of the 21st Century Health Care Caucus;
* Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kan.);
* Rep. Phil Gingrey, MD (R-Ga.);
* Sue Schade, CIO for Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals in Boston, on behalf of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME);
* Barry P. Chaiken, MD, HIMSS board chairman; and
* Justin Barnes, chairman of the Electronic Health Record Association.
"Under the current paper system, when a person is traveling or in the case of emergency, doctors may not have immediate access to a patient's paper medical records," said Murphy. "Health IT brings the 18th Century medical paper file system into 21st Century medical care by providing crucial information in a secure and confidential manner in a matter of seconds. I am once again proud to be participating in National Health IT week to further draw attention to the need to increase the use of this valuable life saving technology that will also help reduce the cost of healthcare."
