Patient facing technology and Meaningful use

The proposed interim rule for meaningful use of health information technology is out. It can be viewed at

http://www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2009-31217_PI.pdf

The good news is that the rule includes language related to patient-centered technology (beginning on page 59 of the pdf)

Patient-centered technology

From the Meaningful Use
HIT policy committee priority #2: to engage patients and families in their healthcare (excerpted from the actual rule in quotes below)

"
1. Provide patients and families with timely access to data, knowledge, and tools to make informed decisions and to manage their health
(a disclosure made to a family member or a patient's guardian consistent with Federal and State law may substitute for a disclosure to the patient)


2. Send reminders to patients per patient preference for preventive/follow-up care. Patient preference refers to the patient's choice of delivery method between internet based delivery or delivery not requiring internet access

3. Provide patients with an electronic copy of their health information (including diagnostics test results, problem list, medication lists, allergies) upon request (through personal health records, patient portals, CD, USB)

4. Provide patients with timely electronic access to their health information (including lab results, problem list, medication lists, allergies) within 96 hours of the information being available to the EP.
"

The inclusion of the personal health record/patient portal is very exciting and should be viewed as encouraging to those who conduct research in patient-facing technology.

What is not so encouraging is the exclusion of:

“Provide access to patient-specific education resources upon request.”

The rationale is that "there is currently a paucity of knowledge resources that are integrated within EHRs." The authors of the rule clearly acknowledg the importance of the patient-specific ecucation resources goal. Those involved in the behavioral informatics community should consider commenting on the rule in the next 50 days. Creative solutions to this problem are needed.

Also, no information on doctor-patient secure messaging (electronic communication) is included on my review. I think that this is a critical channel of communication that certainly represents a meaningful use of technology.

Comments are welcome.