Today, the Health IT Now Coalition wants to take a moment and applaud President Obama for his commitment to bolstering the U.S. economy, expanding access to healthcare, and supporting the men and women of the Military and our Veterans.

“During the President’s speech on Tuesday night, he emphasized job creation, expanding access to healthcare, and creating a truly 21st century America through continued technological innovations. We are at a moment where the power of American technology can be harnessed to transform our nation’s health system,” said James A. Turner, Senior Policy Counsel for the Health IT Now Coalition.

The President also strongly supported our men and women in the Armed Forces and our Veterans. “The Department of Defense and Veterans Health Administration are pioneers in leveraging technology through telemedicine to dramatically improve health outcomes, while also expanding convenience and access to quality care,” Turner said. “In 2011, Congress put forth a framework for these groups and the same should be done for the entire nation.”

To reach the goal of a technologically enabled health system, the Health IT Now Coalition encourages the commitment to the following changes:

Ensure that patient information be unencumbered and available across systems and platforms
Modernize health IT regulations to reflect the pace of technology innovations
Make data analytic tools available to tailor diagnostic and treatment programs and foster clinical research
Eliminate rules that restrict the use of technology to access and deliver care

“The Health IT Now Coalition looks forward to working with the President and the Congress to make sure we reform antiquated regulations, enacted in a time before the Internet and smartphone, and establish a solid, open health IT foundation for coordinated care by 2017,” Turner added.