Health IT Czar: Make EHRs More Doc-Friendly

Physicians' effective use of electronic health records will play a critical role in the development of payment and delivery reforms, the country's new health information technology (IT) czar said in her first public comments.

The reliance on EHRs and the information they can provide physicians is why it's critical for federal regulations that address the development and use of EHRs be tailored to optimize their potential, Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, the new national coordinator for health information technology, said Thursday.

"The systems on the front line have to be usable so that doctors actually want to interact with the electronic health record, or [so that] nurses or others can access critical information that will eventually not just save money or improve the quality of care but save lives," DeSalvo said, speaking at the annual meeting of the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) here.

DeSalvo, who started her new role last week, spoke more about her past work with EHRs than about her plans for the office.

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Source: MedPage Today