Practice Economics

AUDIO: Meaningful use interoperability ‘won’t work without the Internet’


 

EXPERT ANALYSIS FROM THE WASHINGTON IDEAS FORUM

References

WASHINGTON – The rules for Stage 3 of the meaningful use program have been finalized by the Obama administration, despite questions about physicians’ ability to achieve “interoperability” and pleas from politicians and providers alike to delay its implementation.

Jonathan Bush, cofounder and CEO of athenahealth, said he believes interoperability will be a no-go unless data are seen as common property, and a premium is placed on the seamless transition of medical records by way of the Internet, not faxes.

Speaking about the large sums of money being spent by hospitals to comply with the government’s meaningful use requirements, Mr. Bush said, “they’re going to staff up hundreds of people who aren’t going to be able to run it. It doesn’t connect to anyone.”

In an interview at the annual Washington Ideas Forum sponsored by the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic, Mr. Bush offered his thoughts on how data could be more easily shared.

wmcknight@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @whitneymcknight

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