'Meaningful use' definition will shape health IT agenda, Blumenthal says

The forthcoming definition of the "meaningful use" of health information technology will set the direction of the Obama administration's strategy for health IT adoption, said David Blumenthal, the new national coordinator for health IT. In his first public remarks since taking over as national coordinator, Blumenthal emphasized the importance of deciding what health IT functions constitute meaningful use of the technology. Once that definition is set, providers must use the specified applications to qualify for health IT funding under the economic stimulus law. "The definition will inform everything that we do that is related to health IT," including product certification, funding and technical support, Blumenthal said during a meeting of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, an advisory panel to the Health and Human Services Department. "This is a complex job, but in some ways, the overall goals are simple," he added. Health IT is important for improving efficiency but more so for its ability to improve the quality of health care, he said.