[Med-privacy] Admin. on EMRs

[Peter Marshall]

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January 31, 2005

Bush Vows to Back Digital Health Records
  By STEVE LOHR


  
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<bold><fontfamily><param>Helvetica</param><x-tad-bigger>January 31,
2005


</x-tad-bigger><bigger><bigger><bigger><bigger><bigger><bigger><x-tad-bigger>Bush
Vows to Back Digital Health Records

</x-tad-bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger><bigger>
By STEVE LOHR 

</bigger></fontfamily></bold><fontfamily><param>Skia</param><bigger><bigger> 


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n his first out-of-town trip since the inauguration, President Bush=20
visited the Cleveland Clinic on Thursday, joked about doctors'=20
illegible handwriting and extolled the benefits of electronic health=20
records and prescriptions, in front of a camera-friendly backdrop that=20=

declared, "Better Healthcare, Better Technology."

But the Bush administration also backed up the polished political=20
theater with a renewed pledge to finance projects intended to=20
accelerate the adoption of computerized health records.

The administration sent a letter to Congress on Thursday, saying it=20
intended to restore $50 million to the 2005 budget for the office of=20
the administration's national health information technology=20
coordinator, Dr. David J. Brailer.

President Bush created the post in May, and he declared that=20
modernizing America's health care system with information technology=20
was a priority. Taking patient records and prescriptions into the=20
computer age from an era of paper and ink, health specialists agree,=20
would make health care more efficient and reduce medical errors, saving=20=

lives and dollars.

Congress deleted the $50 million for Dr. Brailer's office in November=20
in the omnibus appropriations bill, one of many cuts to try to contain=20=

the federal deficit. The move was criticized as a sign that the=20
administration's support for health information technology was mostly a=20=

matter of words. Newt Gingrich, the Republican from Georgia who is the=20=

former House speaker, called the loss of financing support "a=20
disgrace," given the administration's previous statements.

At the time, Dr. Brailer termed the budget setback "a bad bounce."

Making the shift to digital health records nationally, medical=20
specialists say, will take several years and cost billions of dollars,=20=

with most of the investment from the private sector. But government=20
financing for stimulating health information technology projects and=20
research is considered important to hasten the transition.

The administration has the authority to move $50 million from elsewhere=20=

in the budget of the Health and Human Services Department to Dr.=20
Brailer's office. The move requires a Congressional nod, but that=20
approval should not be a problem given the White House insistence,=20
administration officials said.

  Last week, Mr. Gingrich, the founder of the Center for Health=20
Transformation, a health policy group, said, "This should erase any=20
doubts about the White House's sincerity on this issue."

  The $50 million will be used to pay for pilot programs that=20
demonstrate the advantages of using electronic records, to develop=20
technology standards for sharing health information while protecting=20
patient privacy and to study policies to encourage investment.

  Copyright 2005=A0The New York Times Company=20=

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<fontfamily><param>Skia</param><bigger><bigger>n his first out-of-town
trip since the inauguration, President Bush visited the Cleveland
Clinic on Thursday, joked about doctors' illegible handwriting and
extolled the benefits of electronic health records and prescriptions,
in front of a camera-friendly backdrop that declared, "Better
Healthcare, Better Technology."


But the Bush administration also backed up the polished political
theater with a renewed pledge to finance projects intended to
accelerate the adoption of computerized health records.


The administration sent a letter to Congress on Thursday, saying it
intended to restore $50 million to the 2005 budget for the office of
the administration's national health information technology
coordinator, Dr. David J. Brailer.


President Bush created the post in May, and he declared that
modernizing America's health care system with information technology
was a priority. Taking patient records and prescriptions into the
computer age from an era of paper and ink, health specialists agree,
would make health care more efficient and reduce medical errors,
saving lives and dollars.


Congress deleted the $50 million for Dr. Brailer's office in November
in the omnibus appropriations bill, one of many cuts to try to contain
the federal deficit. The move was criticized as a sign that the
administration's support for health information technology was mostly
a matter of words. Newt Gingrich, the Republican from Georgia who is
the former House speaker, called the loss of financing support "a
disgrace," given the administration's previous statements.


At the time, Dr. Brailer termed the budget setback "a bad bounce."


Making the shift to digital health records nationally, medical
specialists say, will take several years and cost billions of dollars,
with most of the investment from the private sector. But government
financing for stimulating health information technology projects and
research is considered important to hasten the transition.


The administration has the authority to move $50 million from
elsewhere in the budget of the Health and Human Services Department to
Dr. Brailer's office. The move requires a Congressional nod, but that
approval should not be a problem given the White House insistence,
administration officials said.


 Last week, Mr. Gingrich, the founder of the Center for Health
Transformation, a health policy group, said, "This should erase any
doubts about the White House's sincerity on this issue."


 The $50 million will be used to pay for pilot programs that
demonstrate the advantages of using electronic records, to develop
technology standards for sharing health information while protecting
patient privacy and to study policies to encourage investment.



=
</bigger></bigger></fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Helvetica</param><color>=
<param>0000,0000,6666</param><smaller><smaller>Copyright
=
2005</smaller></smaller></color></fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Skia</para=
m><bigger><bigger>=A0</bigger></bigger></fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Hel=
vetica</param><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><smaller><smaller>The
New York Times
=
Company</smaller></smaller></color></fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Skia</p=
aram><bigger><bigger> </bigger></bigger></fontfamily>=

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