ONC’s Mostashari says meaningful use will 'soar' this year

“In 2012, meaningful use will soar," National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Farzad Mostashari asserted at the Jan. 10 meeting of the Health IT Policy Committee.

“Meaningful use will continue to be the cornerstone of our activities,” he told committee members. “We can expect to see the numbers continue to rise,” he said of participants in the federal incentive program for electronic health records adoption. “We’re going to do everything we can to ensure that every provider can be successful at meaningful use,” Mostashari said. “Vendors and providers are going to be asked to step up to the challenge – and it is a challenge. But, it’s a challenge well worth meeting.” Also in 2012, Mostashari predicted interoperability and exchange would be the “second and more complex challenge,” following meaningful use. The emphasis will be on containing the costs and reducing the risks and liability of exchanging health data. Information “will flow at the speed of trust,” he said.