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Mon, Oct 26 2009 1:12 PM EST
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There they are, those two little words: Meaningful. Use. Did you ever think that combining them into a single phrase could set off such a firestorm? Billions of dollars in funding hang in the balance as the feds do their best impression of Noah Webster and try to define “meaningful use” of an EMR. There certainly won’t be a shortage of ideas—and concerns and questions—when hospital CIOs gather this week in Indian Wells, Calif., for the CHIME Fall Forum. And they’ll be able to deliver their messages directly to the man in charge: David Blumenthal, M.D., national coordinator for health IT, is slated to give the keynote address Wednesday morning. He’s sure to draw a packed room.
H&HN Executive Editor Alden Solovy and I will be there too, blogging all week. To get ready, we asked a few CIOs what they want to hear from Blumenthal. Here’s what they told us:
- Pamela McNutt, senior vp, CIO, Methodist Health System: I think the No. 1 question on every CIO’s mind is, “When will the definition of meaningful use and the required quality metrics be finalized?” The other big question many of us very active in advocacy have is, “What further opportunities do we have to provide input to the final requirements?”
- David Muntz, senior vp, CIO, Baylor Health Care System: I’d be curious to know how Dr. Blumenthal will measure success for the HITECH initiatives and on what basis will the public receive reports on the anticipated efficacy and efficiency of the related activities. What percent of compliance is anticipated for each of the major elements of the plan and at what intervals?
- Stephan D. O’Neill, VP of information services at Hartford Hospital: I’m concerned that the meaningful use criteria are setting the bar too high for hospitals and physicians who have not fully deployed an EHR.
Whatever Blumenthal says, you’ll be able to read it here. And that’s not all. Believe it or not, the three-day meeting will hit on topics other than the HITECH Act, meaningful use and stimulus money. For instance, there’s the session “Back to the Future: Strategies for Success After the Economic Downturn,” in which five CIOs will talk about their plans to survive in the “new economy.” Another session that should be useful will consider how rural hospitals can start sharing clinical information.
Thankfully, I booked a late flight on Friday. I wouldn’t want to miss the closing keynote: “Renowned symphony conductor Boris Brott interacts with “Professor Siegfried” on screen, and together they will take the audience through the steps necessary to concoct anything from E=MC2 to an enlightened business plan.… After each step, Boris conducts the audience playing their own musical tone bars, and concludes this inspiring presentation with a roaring rendition of the music from ‘Star Wars.’ ”
Matthew Weinstock is senior editor of Hospitals & Health Networks.
