from now everyone will have electronic health information
that in a private and secure way will move with them wher-
ever they happen to be so they can get the best care possible,
so their doctors can access the information they need, and so
there won’t be the continued filling out of forms and applica-
tions that drives patients crazy.”
Although it’s still years away, meaningful use will help
providers inch ever closer to that type of care. “It’s not
enough to get us there, but it may be enough to get us to a
tipping point,” Greenspun says. “Right now there’s no big
consumer backlash over the fact that most of us can’t access
our records or schedule our appointments online. That’s
because most people who are tech-savvy enough to care are
pretty healthy right now. But when the average person with
a smartphone requires more care and is confronted with the
Flintstones’ version of health care information, they’re not
going to tolerate it.”
Prescription: Information
Because it will help catalyze the health IT revolution, meaningful use is critically important, according to HIMSS member Bert Reese, vice president and chief information officer at
Sentara Healthcare in Norfolk, Va. His employer, which operates more than 100 care giving sites in Virginia and North
Carolina, began implementing EHRs in 2007, two years
before the HITECH Act, and already is generating $41 million
a year in either new revenue or financial savings because of
them.
“We know for a fact that if you do them correctly, electronic health records improve clinical quality and reduce
health care costs,” Reese says.
By persuading them to adopt and use EHRs, meaningful
use will help more hospitals and providers realize the benefits
that Sentara already is enjoying. The key is having enough
information to procure technology correctly and implement it
effectively. That’s where HIMSS comes in.
