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March 21, 2003
Connecting for Health Applauds HHS Secretary Thompson's
Endorsement of Clinical Data Standards
Public/Private Collaborative Working to Accelerate
Adoption of Standards for Electronic Medical Information Systems
Washington, DC - Connecting for Health, a
collaborative of more than 90 private and public health care organizations supported
by the Markle Foundation, today applauded Secretary of Health and Human Services
Tommy G. Thompson for his endorsement of clinical data standards adoption and the work
of the federal government's Consolidated Health Informatics initiative. The use of
standards in clinical information systems with proper privacy and security safeguards
will provide clinicians and patients with timely access to vital information to support
high quality health care and improved patient safety. Clinical data standards also
strengthen efforts to create portable electronic medical records.
Since it was launched last September, Connecting for Health has found widespread
support for the adoption of clinical data standards in the medical community, in
private industry, in government, among consumer advocates, and beyond. Several
senior-level officials within the Department of Health and Human Services and in
other federal agencies participate in Connecting for Health and are also involved
with the federally-led effort to use standards called the Consolidated Health Informatics
Initiative.
"The standards announced today by Secretary Thompson are well supported by
many leaders in the health care industry," said Carol C. Diamond, M.D., chair
of the Steering Committee of Connecting for Health
and managing director of the Markle Foundation's Information Technologies for Better
Health group. "Connecting for Health is an ambitious public-private initiative that
is working with many entities, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality within the Department of Health and
Human Services as well as the Department of Defense and the Department of Veteran's
Affairs. We believe our synergistic efforts will ultimately benefit both patients
and providers."
The Federal Government is showing leadership that has the potential to save lives in
the nation's hospitals," said Herbert Pardes, MD, President and CEO, New York-Presbyterian
Hospital and executive vice chair of Connecting for Health. "Computers that have
medically critical information can only be linked at great expense, often beyond the
means of many hospitals. Yet if these computers could be linked and share data, we would
vastly reduce potential errors. Connecting for Health is particularly gratified that
Secretary Thompson has put into place a way to encourage vendors to make computer
systems work together and for hospitals to integrate such systems into patient care.
Hospitals have sought the government's imprimatur for standards for years. Today's
action is the support we have needed."
Today's announcement specifically calls for all federal agencies to adopt Health
Level 7 messaging standards, certain National Council on Prescription Drug Programs
standards, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1073 series of
standards, the Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine standards and the laboratory
Logical Observation Identifier Name Codes. (For more information on these standards
please visit www.egov.gov.
In September 2002, the Steering Group of Connecting for Health
obtained general agreement on the same set of standards, signaling widespread support by
many constituencies in the health care community. The Steering Group is comprised of
nationally recognized leading clinicians, hospitals, employers, third-party payers,
government organizations, information technology suppliers, academic and research
institutions, national standards groups, manufacturers, community organizations, and
consumer groups.
"Use of Web-based information technology that follows open standards and is
interoperable is critical in the nation's drive to improve healthcare quality, safety
and cost efficiency. Healthcare stakeholders in the private sector are fully committed
to helping public health and other federal agencies adopt this technology," said
Russell J. Ricci, MD and general manager, IBM Global Healthcare, and executive vice chair
of Connecting for Health.
During his remarks today, Secretary Thompson also announced the Administration's
support for a national health information infrastructure, an idea recently endorsed by
the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics.
"Today's remarks represent a critical step forward for health care and patients,"
said John Lumpkin, MD, MPH, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, chair of
the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, and executive vice-chair of
Connecting for Health. "The creation of a national health information infrastructure
will provide ready access to relevant, reliable information, enabling consumers, patients,
practicing clinicians, and public health agencies to address personal and community health
needs more effectively."
Connecting for Health is also
addressing two other key aspects related to a national health information infrastructure
that need to be considered as we pursue the adoption of clinical data standards: (1)
identifying and communicating practical strategies and solutions for the secure and private
transmission of medical information and (2) actively working to understand what consumers
will need and expect from an interconnected, electronic health system. The results of this
9 month collaborative will be released on June 5th in Washington DC.
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