The Interim Final Rule (IFR) on health information technology (IT) standards marks a positive step forward in the nation’s efforts to improve health care by putting modern IT tools at the fingertips of medical professionals and consumers alike.
We applaud the US Department of Health and Human Services for drafting an initial set of standards that, in general, support the goals of “Meaningful Use” of health IT and allow for sufficient flexibility in a heterogeneous marketplace. This was a very challenging and novel undertaking, and the result is an important contribution to the potential of information technology to improve the quality and efficiency of health care.
The comments below, supported by the undersigned, propose modest but important modifications to the Interim Final Rule drafted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).
