Current
David Hunt, M.D., FACS, Chief Medical Officer, Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Medical Director of Office of Provider Adoption Support. - A Surgeon by trade.
"A Meaningful Moment - Islands, Tides and Questions."Voltare: Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.
History may not repeat itself but it certainly does rhyme.
We are not solving a technology problem. we are solving the challenge of improving our health.
How well can the technology make a difference on death rates from Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Respiratory Disease etc.
We still have no insight in to the aggregate health of populations a doctor manages.
Diabetes care (a great self-tracking community) has proven better outcomes when EMRs are used instead of paper-based systems.
44% patients achieve outcome standards when EMRs are used v. 16% for those supported by paper-based systems.
Direct cost of disparities in health care was running at $60B in 2006. That is 30% of the increase in Health Care Spending ($160B).
Doctors may have computers - most are for billing. They are not used for managing Health or for EMRs.
Mental Health is a major area of disparity yet this area has been excluded. Legislative directives limited what could be done.
There are some very thorny foundational issues to address around privacy and security.
Psychiatrists can apply for Meaningful use incentives. We are also seeing ambulatory systems starting to address mental health issues.
Advanced research grants - SHARP - are addressing privacy and security.
