DeSalvo Admits EHRs Have Caused 'Growing Pains'
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
Keeping the focus on EHRs and usability, DeSalvo did recognize there have been some challenges to adoption.
In a keynote address at the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) annual conference in Washington, Karen DeSalvo reinforced that she is, indeed, in charge at the ONC. DeSalvo also acknowledged the rapid growth of EHRs “has created some growing pains” – crediting Doug Fridsma for that line – and added usability is “maybe not what we should expect.”
As Health IT Outcomes earlier reported, DeSalvo has taken on dual roles as head of ONC and as Acting Assistant Secretary of Health (ASH) to provide assistance in matters of public health, particularly with regard to the current Ebola crisis. There has been much recent speculation regarding whether or not DeSalvo would be able to handle both roles effectively, particularly given the importance ONC has given to Interoperability.
Her keynote address seems to have served to reassert her leadership role as DeSalvo used the speech to address ONC roles and health IT exclusively, according to Healthcare IT News. Programs at ONC have “laid the foundation” for health information exchange by encouraging hospitals and physicians to switch from paper to electronic records, DeSalvo said, and noting that the Regional Extension Center program has reached 150,000 people nationwide.
As part of the address, DeSalvo discussed ONC's 10-year interoperability plan, currently out in draft form. She announced that shortly a call for feedback on the draft Federal Health IT Strategic Plan will be introduced, with a 60-day comment period. The primary goal of last year’s plan was to accelerate the adoption of EHRs and to facilitate information exchange to support meaningful use; the new plan will assign ONC’s priorities to advance technology beyond EHRs, she said.
“The world since (2008), when we wrote the last plan, has moved,” DeSalvo said. Interoperability is not the “thing on top of people's minds,” and it is the invaluable piece that will help healthcare organizations and taxpayers realize the full value of health IT. Further, DeSalvo argued, it is groups like AMIA that should step in and lead on interoperability.
According to Health Data Management, DeSalvo said that among the main challenges facing health IT are usability of the systems, reporting and click boxing that hamper collection of patient information, and payment for systems.
DeSalvo explained, “As we think about those challenges and many lessons we have begun to learn … we are thinking about where we are going in the next decade at ONC.” DeSalvo underlined the fact that ONC is examining how best to approach the future needs of health IT, according to Health Data Management, and said that these steps include proper staffing to participate fully, an obvious reference to the criticism regarding recent staffing changes at the agency.