As William Bria, MD, sees it, the Web site www.meaningfuluse.org, launched Tuesday by AMDIS and Compuware, will encompass much more than a narrow discussion on the words "meaningful use."
"Meaningful use is a touchstone for what we believe are many agendas, many issues, many hopes and plans for healthcare IT in this country," said the president of the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems (AMDIS) board.
"Meaningful use" is awaiting government definition to determine which physician and hospital projects might quality for government incentives under the new HITECH Act.
The 2,000-member AMDIS and Detroit-based Compuware Corp. built the site to provide a place to discuss not only the meaning of "meaningful use, but also to promote national dialogue on all topics related to healthcare information technology.
"As thought leaders in applied healthcare IT, chief medical information officers will greatly benefit from meaningfuluse.org because this topic is of key importance to accomplishing the critical mass of HIT implementation in America," said Bria, who is also CMIO at Shriners Hospital for Children, which operates 18 hospitals in the United States, one in Montreal, Canada, and another in Mexico City, Mexico.
"Interoperability, which is often mentioned as a characteristic of EMR systems, is in fact the issue of transmission of necessary patient information wherever it resides to where it is needed, in a secure, complete and patient-centric manner," Bria said. "We all are looking forward to achieving this transformation in the delivery of medicine in America."
"AMDIS members are 2,000 of the most influential and experienced clinicians with leadership roles in healthcare IT worldwide, so meaningfuluse.org will be an important resource to them," said Richard L. Rydell, AMDIS' CEO and executive director. "This forum will provide both the latest news and analysis of exactly how the U.S. is going to tackle the task of finally bringing healthcare into the information age."
Compuware, which invested in building and operating the site, wanted to be part of the discussion, too, said Trisha Winter, marketing manager for Compuware Healthcare Solutions.
Compuware's subsidiary, Covisint, gives physicians accelerated, on-demand access to information and applications, including EMRs. Winter said it's important to understand what the clients are facing in terms of proving meaningful use to "help support that definition."
Bria, who has championed healthcare IT for more than 30 years, says it's important to build a critical mass. "Everyone needs to get involved with healthcare IT for this to really deliver on the promise," he said.
