In a letter sent to National Coordinator Karen DeSalvo, MD, the American Academy of Family Physicians reiterates its appreciation of the strategic plan for the future of health IT but also note the "heavy administrative burden" that the plan imposes on provider practices.
The AAFP wrote in response to the draft Federal Health IT Strategic Plan 2015-2020 that was published by the ONC in early December.
AAFP wrote that they support the vision and mission of health IT and interoperability, but "as efforts across agencies can be harmonized and where possible combined, it could significantly decrease this [administrative] burden on practices….Simplification of regulations and elimination of waste would demonstrate such a focus [on value]."
Additionally, AAFP expressed concern that the goals of the strategic plan aren't different than the goals outlined for the prior decade. "We are concerned that work has not been done to determine why these goals have not been achieved during the past ten or more years and how the tactics and activities of the next ten years will be different."
The letter concludes urging a renewed focus on key capabilities that significantly move the healthcare industry toward achievement of the triple aim. "We are concerned that resources may be spread so thin that no significant achievements are made toward the goals laid out in the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan….We believe that focusing on key capabilities that healthcare organizations and providers really need could assure the concerted efforts."
The AAFP represents 115,900 family physicians and medical students across the country.
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