Testimony of Paul Black,
Before the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions
Achieving the Promise of Health Information Technology: Information Blocking and Potential
Solutions
July 23, 2015
Chairman Alexander, Ranking Member Murray, distinguished Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to share my perspectives on the critical topic of impediments to data exchange and the best ways to address them across the health system. It is a true honor to be here.
My name is Paul Black, and I serve as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Allscripts. Allscripts is the largest developer of health information technology for this country?s healthcare providers, including Electronic Health Records, revenue cycle management software, and population health and information exchange services. More than 180,000 physicians, including those delivering care in 45,000 ambulatory practices; 2,700 hospitals; and 13,000 post-acute care facilities and homecare agencies utilize Allscripts solutions to connect the clinical and business operations both within their organization and within their community. We employ 7,000 team members and have offices in 16 different states, including Illinois, North Carolina, Vermont, Georgia, and Massachusetts, as well as people working in all 50 states.
I was invited here today to speak about interoperability and concerns about information blocking, and as more independent doctors use our software to treat patients than any other commercially available product, I?m pleased to share recommendations with you on this topic. This is important for two reasons: if a stakeholder were to intentionally get in the way of information exchange, 1) it would be bad for patients, and 2) it could be anti-competitive. Period.
Congress and the American people have wisely made an investment in the advancement of health information technology, all oriented around one goal: ensuring that this country?s citizens are receiving the best possible care ? both from a quality and cost perspective. Robust, open information exchange across a multitude of vendor platforms and care settings is critical to ensuring that we meet that goal for America?s patients. An increased level of transparency and cooperation
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