Regular readers will be aware I am intensely critical of the way NEHTA conducts itself and especially in the way it fails to meet the most basic standards for public organisations in the way of openness and transparency.
It seemed to me it could be pretty instructive to see how the US hands similar issues as a benchmark. This reveals the utter failure of NEHTA in this regard.
As a reference the Health IT Standards Committee is charged under recent US stimulation legislation (The ARR Act) with developing the standardized way forward for US Health IT.
You can also read about the system HIT Policy Committee – mentioned below - (which is similarly august and open) here:
The Policy Committee is chaired by Dr David Blumenthal – the US Federal National Coordinator of Health IT.
You will understand the level of these committees when you note they report direct to the Secretary of Health and Human Services who is in Cabinet and reports to the President.
Here is the committee mandate and membership of the Standards Committee.
Health IT Standards Committee (a Federal Advisory Committee)
The Health IT Standards Committee is charged with making recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (HIT) on standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for the electronic exchange and use of health information. Initially, the HIT Standards Committee will focus on the policies developed by the Health IT Policy Committee’s initial eight areas. Within 90 days of the signing of ARRA, the HIT Standards Committee must develop a schedule for the assessment of policy recommendations developed by the HIT Policy Committee, to be updated annually. In developing, harmonizing, or recognizing standards and implementation specifications, the HIT Standards Committee will also provide for the testing of same by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST).
The HIT Standards Committee’s membership reflects a broad range of stakeholders, including providers, ancillary healthcare workers, consumers, purchasers, health plans, technology vendors, researchers, relevant Federal agencies, and individuals with technical expertise on health care quality, privacy and security, and on the electronic exchange and use of health information.
Chair
- Jonathan Perlin, Hospital Corporation of America
Vice Chair
- John Halamka, Harvard Medical School
Members
- Dixie Baker, Science Applications International Corporation
- Anne Castro, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
- Aneesh Chopra, Chief Technology Officer, OSTP
- Christopher Chute, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
- Janet Corrigan, National Quality Forum
- John Derr, Golden Living, LLC
- Linda Dillman, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
- James Ferguson, Kaiser Permanente
- Steven Findlay, Consumers Union
- Linda Fischetti, Department of Veterans Affairs
- Douglas Fridsma, Arizona State University
- Cita Furlani, National Institutes of Standards and Technology
- C. Martin Harris, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
- Stanley M. Huff, Intermountain Healthcare
- Kevin Hutchinson, Prematics, Inc.
- Elizabeth O. Johnson, Tenet Healthcare Corporation
- John Klimek, National Council for Prescription Drug Programs
- David McCallie, Jr., Cerner Corporation
- Judy Murphy, Aurora Health Care
- Nancy J. Orvis, Director, Health Standards Participation, Department of Defense
- J. Marc Overhage, Regenstrief Institute
- Gina Perez, Delaware Health Information Network
- Wes Rishel, Gartner, Inc.
- Richard Stephens, The Boeing Company
- Sharon Terry, Genetic Alliance
- James Walker, Geisinger Health System
Here is a recent listing of meetings and associated material
Past Meetings
- 9/15/2009
- Agenda
- Meaningful Use Quality Measure Grid Update [PPT]
- Report from Privacy & Security Workgroup: Implementation Specifications Recommendations [PPT]
- Discussion on Standards Implementation Specifications (Clinical Operations Workgroup) [PPT]
- 8/20/2009
To view the webconference, an up-to-date version of Adobe Flash Player is required. To download the latest version for free, visit the Adobe Flash Player Download Center.
The full page is here:
Note the level of the Committee, its breadth and the transparency of the paperwork provided. Take it from me there are some really serious heavy hitters on this Committee – and it is with this sort of leadership one can actually make progress
Here we have instructions for the public to be able listen to and even watch the meetings.
Health IT Standards Committee Meetings: How to Participate
Webconference:
- At least 10 minutes prior to the meeting start time, please go to: http://altarum.na3.acrobat.com/HITstandards
- (If for any reason the link does not work, simply copy and paste the URL into your browser's address bar)
- Select "enter as a guest"
- Type your first and last name into the field
- Click “enter room”
- Test Your System:
- You will need to have an up-to-date version of Flash Player to view the webconference. Please test your system prior to the meeting by visiting http://altarum.na3.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm
- When running this system test, you do not need to install the Adobe Connect Add-in (step 4 of the test), as that is not relevant to this meeting.
* Please note: Space in the Web conference is limited. If for any reason you are unable to log in, you can still dial in via phone to listen to the audio (numbers below).
Audio:
- You may listen in via computer or telephone.
- US toll free: 1-877-705-6006
- International Direct: 1-201-689-8557
- Confirmation Code: HIT Committee Meeting
If you have any technical questions, please send an email to webmeeting@altarum.org
Full page is here:
What you have here is how things should be done. A fully funded co-ordinating office for National Health IT within the Federal Government and high level open and accountable advisory committees where meetings are fully publicly accessible.
It is not hard, it just requires the will to involve the whole Health Sector. This sort of openness is just the norm in Washington, but apparently anathema here! I wonder why that is?
David.
Dream on. To achieve what you are suggesting requires a lot of resource, commitment and effort, even if it is on a lesser scale. America always does things in a big way usually by throwing a lot of money at the problem. We will never see that happen here.
ReplyDeleteOn a smaller scale, which I think you are advocating, it would be helpful and useful and NEHTA would be a good place for it to start. But that will never happen because the culture inside NEHTA at the top is still all wrong and it won't change because the people who are at the top are too threatened and fearful of cultural change. It would expose their shortcomings through 360 degrees leaving them too vulnerable.