Chopra Calls On Tech Companies to Focus On Healthcare IT

Speaking to a room full of technology executives from the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the nation's chief technology officer, Aneesh Chopra, said yesterday it was important for technology companies to get engaged in healthcare IT, noting that it is the "single most transformational investment" the private sector and government can make over the next few years.

By Mike Hackmer | November 5, 2009

Speaking to a room full of technology executives from the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the nation's chief technology officer, Aneesh Chopra, said yesterday it was important for technology companies to get engaged in healthcare IT, noting that it is the "single most transformational investment" the private sector and government can make over the next few years.

Chopra, who also chairs the Implementation Workgroup of the HIT Standards Committee, said that "17 percent of the nation's healthcare dollars are spent on billing" and that the administration's goal was to better enable innovation in healthcare to ensure that services and quality of care improved, while lowering costs for doctors and patients.

"We must focus on clinical outcomes and quality of care," Chopra said. "A majority of product development and enhancements are dedicated to billing and payments." The administration's "policy objective on healthcare IT are built on digitizing information and enabling interoperability" to ensure easier access to information and better care for patients.

Citing numerous examples of private sector innovation in healthcare technology, Chopra said the government's desire was to "bring in new capabilities" that accomplished the government’s goals of better care and information exchange.   In fact, the government already has invested billions through the federal stimulus to encourage new healthcare technologies, and Chopra said that grants for new technologies are part of the administration's ongoing plan to transform healthcare.

"25,000 to 50,000 new jobs can be born out of this initiative in healthcare IT," Chopra said. With great enthusiasm, Chopra indicated that the potential for new types of jobs, such as "geek squad services for doctors and hospitals," and new technical positions in training and support, are greater now because they revolve around the new technologies and solutions that are being developed today and in the future.

In addition to discussing the administration's position for healthcare technology and job creation, Chopra also used the meeting to highlight the new regulations and standards he said the administration is in the process of developing, to not only help expand investment and fuel new job growth in the healthcare industry, but also ensure more agnostic systems are developed.

Chopra noted that while no new government regulations have been adopted, recommendations from a federal advisory committee will most likely lead to permanent regulations by the end of the year. Already the advisory committee has recommended that new technologies have implementation specifications and certification criteria for the electronic exchange and use of health information. What’s more, these solutions need to demonstrate meaningful use. New regulations will ultimately define what those terms mean.

"I need your input," Chopra stressed. "Regulations will be out by the end of the year. Your voice needs to be heard now."

Information on potential new regulations, including possible certification requirements for new healthcare solutions and standards for privacy and data transmittal are available for review on the government's website (http://healthit.hhs.gov) including a blog where comments can be posted (http://healthit.hhs.gov/blog/faca/).

Chopra emphasized repeatedly to the audience throughout his presentation the need for technology companies to not only be engaged in how the rules and regulations governing healthcare technology changed, but to develop technologies that were geared towards improving care and the flow of information.

"Deliver value," noted Chopra, "and it will be adopted like a hockey stick."

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