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HSCA President Curtis Rooney sent two letters this week to the Department of Health & Human Services regarding GS1 standards and the work of HSCA's Committee on Healthcare eStandards (CHes) in relation to electronic health records (EHR); the first letter to Farzad Mostashari, MD, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (HIT) and the second to Marilyn Tavenner, Acting Administrator in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The HIT letter was written in support of the comments filed by GS1 US regarding the application of GS1 Standards as a means to optimize EHR technology systems. The CMS letter urged consideration of a role for GS1 Standards in Stage 2 of the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program.
The CMS letter stated, "In order to support the gains made to date and the impressive momentum built towards widespread implementation, it will be important that any standard adopted for EHRs be mature, prevalent in the market, and offer low implementation complexity. We believe that GS1 Standards meet these important criteria."
The HIT letter summarized by saying, "The GS1 Standards provide greater visibility, accuracy and velocity for the benefit of all parties involved. We are confident that the GS1 Standards will improve patient safety, and reduce costs in the healthcare supply chain, and overall support the goals of meaningful EHRs."