eHealth Initiative Commends Health and Human Services Secretary for Healthcare Leadership
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Louise Arnheim |
June 6, 2005 |
eHealth Initiative Commends Health and Human Services Secretary for Healthcare Leadership
CEO Marchibroda Sees Leavitt Emphasis on National Collaboration on HIT Standards and Policies as Key
Washington, DC – Calling it a landmark in the move towards improving America's healthcare through health information technology (HIT) adoption, eHealth Initiative CEO Janet M. Marchibroda commended Secretary Michael Leavitt for recognizing the need for public and private sector collaboration at the national level as well as the need for both data standards and privacy and security policies for information sharing as key building blocks for a higher quality, safer, more efficient healthcare system. Marchibroda's remarks came in response to the Secretary’s announcement today of a private-public sector collaboration -- the American Health Information Community (AHIC) – and four related Requests for Proposals to fast-forward work related to privacy and security, standards harmonization, certification, and architecture, all of which are required to improve the nation’s healthcare system.
“Today’s announcement signals the Administration’s commitment to interoperability and the mobilization of information across our healthcare system, both of which are critical prerequisites to improving our nation’s health,” said Janet M. Marchibroda. “With Secretary Leavitt at HHS’ helm, states, regions and communities nationwide can be assured Washington is providing much needed leadership on standards and is attuned to the work they’re doing in health information sharing to support local healthcare improvements, and patients can be assured Washington is continuing to protect their privacy and security. Additionally, this work will lay the foundation for developing and implementing incentives which are also needed for HIT adoption.”
The Secretary’s announcement comes less than two weeks after the eHealth Initiative brought together over 600 stakeholders from states, regions and communities across the U.S. who are using HIT and health information exchange to support healthcare goals as part of the Connecting Communities for Better Healthsm Annual Learning Forum, a meeting co-sponsored by the eHealth Initiative along with the American Health Quality Association and the Public Health Data Standards Consortium.
Also released at the Connecting Communities Forum was eHealth Initiative's Parallel Pathways for Quality Healthcare, a Framework and set of principles for aligning emerging incentive programs with both quality goals and the HIT infrastructure required to achieve those goals, both within physician practices and across states, regions and communities through health information exchange. “With consensus among the diverse stakeholders in our healthcare system, the Parallel Pathways for Quality Healthcare Framework provides a critical foundation for dialogue among clinicians, hospitals, purchasers and payers in markets across the U.S. about aligning mutual expectations for quality healthcare with HIT capabilities,” said Marchibroda. “Key to successful implementation of these and other principles related to incentives is a set of national standards for HIT as well as privacy and security, which Leavitt’s plan will provide.”
In the coming months, through its Connecting Communities for Better Healthsm Program and its State and Regional HIT Policy Summit initiatives, eHealth Initiative will bring standards that emerge from American Health Information Community efforts to states, regions and communities nationwide.
The eHealth Initiative and its Foundation are independent, non-profit affiliated organizations whose missions are the same: to drive improvement in the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare through information and information technology. For more information, go to http://www.ehealthinitiative.org/.
