Dr. Blumenthal--An Inspirational Keynote Address at HIMSS10

Dr. David Blumenthal presented the Keynote Address on Wednesday, March 3, at HIMSS10. Present was a standing room only audience eager to listen to his summary of efforts during a very busy first year in office. It is not an exaggeration to say that the audience listened with rapt, respectful attention. No one walked out of the room during the talk. I don't even recall anyone in the audience coughing. I personally felt touched by the unusually emotional presentation.

During the majority of the talk Dr. Blumenthal appeared almost somber, reserved. I think I mistook this mood which more likely represented seriousness and focus. The key point was that all the efforts of the Office of the National Coordinator have been addressed at achieving transformational social change rather than the more mundane task of simply supporting the installation of technology. His dedication to the promotion of personal and population health in this country via established scientific underpinnings of health IT was unmistakable. This is one venue where health care reform is not waiting for a supportive congressional vote.

Facing a possible role as a chief medical information officer (CMIO) I have been on the look out for convincing arguments to promote changes in physician behavior needed for the successful adoption of health IT. Dr. Blumenthal provided the most apt reason for clinicians to move forward with health IT—Professionalism. As clinicians we have committed our life's professional efforts to improving the health of our patients. Resisting the use of health IT would therefore be interpreted as a denial of our responsibilities. Peer pressure and the natural competitiveness of physicians should be harnessed to move the process forward. I expect the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education ACGME to establish explicit requirements that residents understand and be capable of using medical informatics to advance the health care of patients. I think this is so important that it should be added as a new requirement to the current list of core competencies. Specialty boards will incorporate similar requirements for both initial board certification and recertification.

The first year of work has been consumed by the development of policies and regulations demanded by the 2009 ARRA legislation. The ONC will now be transitioning to an era of policy implementation. Most of the $2 billion allotted by Congress for the ONC have now been committed to various programs. Some of the most difficult work lies ahead. Complying with congressional timelines will be especially challenging.

Toward the end of the talk Dr. Blumenthal appeared to relax. He declared his own optimism for the future. I left the auditorium with the conviction that the talk was not just political rhetoric. I hope you all had the chance to listen to this speech. I know it will serve as an inspirational reference for me as I face tough moments in my new career during the next few years.