Article provides clues on views of new HIT coordinator

In late March the Obama administration named David Blementhal, physician and director of the Institute for Health Policy at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Partners Healthcare System as the national coordinator for health information technology (HIT). This new post was included in the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

In his new role, Blumenthal will be responsible for determing how almost $20 billion in new funding will be disbursed over the next few years.

In a recent article published by the New England Journal of Medicine (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMp0901592/), Blumenthal highlighted one of the key elements of implementing the new HIT program. He wrote, "much will depend on the federal government's skill in defining two critical terms: `certified EHR' and `meaningful use.' [The Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) within HHS] currently contracts with a private organization, the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, to certify EHRs as having the basic capabilities the federal government believes they need. But many certified EHRs are neither user-friendly nor designed to meet HITECH's ambitious goal of improving quality and efficiency in the health care system. Tightening the certification process is a critical early challenge for ONCHIT."