Health IT chief: Public-private partnership needed for EMRs

The foundation for a national health information technology infrastructure will be laid in communities, says David Brailer, MD, PhD.

By Joel B. Finkelstein, AMNews staff. July 26, 2004.

Washington -- When it comes to adopting information technology, the medical community is behind the curve. David Brailer, MD, PhD, wants to help physicians catch up. And he's calling on the private sector to assist him in the task.

Just months after being appointed as the national coordinator for health information technology, Dr. Brailer was making appearances to urge the designers and sellers of electronic medical records systems to focus more attention on the little guys.

"I have had every major consulting firm in the United States come to me in the past month and tell me about their capabilities," he recounted at a conference in June. "I ask every one of them the same question: There are 300,000 physicians in small or group practice. How many of them have you helped implement [electronic medical records]?

"The answer is usually somewhere between zero and five," he said. "Then I ask them: How many would you sign up if I asked you to do that as [the government's] partner, and the answer is usually between five and 10."

Named to his position in May, Dr. Brailer is charged with working toward the formidable health care IT goals of the Bush administration. President Bush has said he wants most Americans to have a personal electronic medical record within 10 years.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said he is pushing for rapid adoption of information technology to make up for lost time. The benefits would be improved health care safety, quality and efficiency, he said.