Obama Cites Importance of Health IT in State of the Union Address

During his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Obama made several references to the importance of health IT, Healthcare IT News reports.

While citing progress the U.S. has made in using technology to reduce waste, Obama said, “Veterans can now download their electronic medical records with a click of the mouse.”

Obama also cited health IT when calling for an expansion of access to high-speed wireless networks. He said, “Within the next five years, we will make it possible for business to deploy the next generation of high-speed wireless coverage to 98% of all Americans” (Manos, Healthcare IT News, 1/25). He continued, “This isn’t about faster Internet or fewer dropped calls. … It’s about a firefighter who can download the design of a burning building onto a handled device; a student who can take classes with a digital textbook; or a patient who can have face-to-face video chats with her doctor” (Dolan, Mobihealthnews, 1/26).

Obama also stressed the importance of continuing to invest in IT innovation. He said, “Cutting the deficit by gutting our investments in innovation and education is like lightening an overloaded airplane by removing its engine. It may feel like you’re flying high at first, but it won’t take long before you feel the impact.”

Reaction

Justin Barnes — chair emeritus of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s Electronic Health Record Association and vice president of government affairs at Greenway Medical — said, “This is the eighth year in a row that health care IT has been a part or prominent part of the president’s State of the Union address.”

Barnes — who has been advising the White House and Congress on health IT since 2003 — said, “While the debate will certainly continue on exactly how we go about creating and implementing policy, it was very encouraging to hear the increased vigor supporting additional investments in innovation around biomedical research and information technology” (Healthcare IT News, 1/25).

Source: iHealthBeat