HIMSS and CHIME Pen Letter to HHS on Healthcare IT’s Future

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has been on a bit of a roller coaster ride over the last several months in terms of leadership changes. But after the most recent announcement of Dr. Karen DeSalvo’s assignment to be Acting Assistant Secretary for Health, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell.

In the letter, HIMSS and CHIME discuss how there must be a commitment to health information technology (IT) as a tool for healthcare transformation. Specifically, it was said how the two organizations’ vision of interoperability, security, and a widespread use of IT can improve patient safety, enhance care quality, increase access to care, contribute to population health, and reduce costs.

HIMSS and CHIME said how the current leadership transitions at the ONC are concerning, and that the agency’s leadership team must be in place over the next two years in order to address the needs of patients, providers and developers. While the letter applauds Dr. DeSalvo and her skill set, it questions whether it is a good long-term choice to have her balance two positions.

“A full-time National Coordinator must be in-place in time for ONC’s review of all comments received from the public on the Interoperability Roadmap v1.0,” the letter stated. “If Dr. DeSalvo is going to remain as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Health with part-time duties in health IT, we emphasize the need to appoint new ONC leadership immediately that can lead the agency on the host of critical issues that must be addressed.”

HIMSS and CHIME also underlined the importance of several issues they have been corresponding with the ONC about, mainly health IT issues that “need to be addressed promptly.”

For example, the two agencies hope to keep the interoperability roadmap on its current trajectory, while also actively involving all stakeholders in its development. It is also important to recognize the challenges associated with the transition to 2014 certified EHR technology, as well as a full year of Meaningful Use reporting period for 2015.

Moreover, the letter stated that it was crucial for the healthcare industry to continue to work toward employing a risk-based approach to appropriately mitigate patient safety risks. It will also be necessary to support the development of health IT tools, including EHRs, personal health records, mobile technologies, and data infrastructure. All of these tools are critical in patient empowerment, the letter said.

“Overall, a strong and viable ONC must address the immediate and long-term requirements for healthcare transformation,” stated the letter. “Interoperable IT leading to information exchange and support of care coordination is critical to the success of that transformation. We look forward to working with HHS, ONC, and all the relevant agencies to ensure ONC has appropriate leadership to earn the confidence of the private sector and deliver on these critical issues.”

The letter made it very clear though that HIMSS and CHIME are willing to work with HHS throughout the entire process. The two organizations said they “stand ready to assist in any way” and welcome discussions with HHS about its vision for health IT and ONC’s future.