National Health Information Network Cost and Structure
Authors: Rainu Kaushal, David W. Bates, David Blumenthal
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2006)

Letters17 January 2006National Health Information Network Cost and StructureRainu Kaushal, MD, MPH, David W. Bates, MD, MSc, and David Blumenthal, MD, MPPRainu Kaushal, MD, MPHFrom Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.Search for more papers by this author, David W. Bates, MD, MScFrom Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.Search for more papers by this author, and David Blumenthal, MD, MPPFrom Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-144-2-200601170-00020 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:Each letter in response to our article raises interesting and thoughtful points. Drs. Dolin and Wiesenthal raise concerns that we separated functionality from interoperability costs, whereas Dr. Kretz raises concerns that we applied the SBCDE as a national model of interoperability. We agree that functionality and interoperability go hand in hand, and we did not mean to imply that one could be implemented without the other. However, to model costs, it was conceptually and methodologically easier to approach each set of costs separately. The nation as a whole has not reached consensus about how to approach interoperability. The ...References1. Walker J, Pan E, Johnston D, Adler-Milstein J, Bates DW, Middleton B. The Value of Health Care Information Exchange and Interoperability [Web exclusive]. Accessed at content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w5.10/DC1 on 11 October 2005. Google Scholar2. Jha AK, Perlin JB, Kizer KW, Dudley RA. Effect of the transformation of the Veterans Affairs Health Care System on the quality of care. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:2218-27. [PMID: 12773650] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Kaushal R, Bates DW, Poon EG, Jha AK, Blumenthal D. Functional Gaps In Attaining A National Health Information Network. Health Aff (Millwood). 2005;24:1281-1289. [PMID: 16162574] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Hillestad R, Bigelow J, Bower A, Girosi F, Meili R, Scoville R, et al. Can electronic medical record systems transform health care? Potential health benefits, savings, and costs. Health Aff (Millwood). 2005;24:1103-17. [PMID: 16162551] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Bates DW. Physicians and Ambulatory Electronic Health Records. Health Aff (Millwood). 2005;24:1180-1189. [PMID: 16162561] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoThe Costs of a National Health Information Network Rainu Kaushal , David Blumenthal , Eric G. Poon , Ashish K. Jha , Calvin Franz , Blackford Middleton , John Glaser , Gilad Kuperman , Melissa Christino , Rushika Fernandopulle , Joseph P. Newhouse , David W. Bates , and National Health Information Network Cost and Structure Robert H. Dolin and Andrew M. Wiesenthal National Health Information Network Cost and Structure Robert B. Doherty National Health Information Network Cost and Structure James M. Kretz National Health Information Network Cost and Structure Michael M. Rothkopf and Herschel S. Jackson Metrics 17 January 2006Volume 144, Issue 2Page: 147KeywordsConflicts of interestHealth information technologyInformation technologySafety ePublished: 17 January 2006 Issue Published: 17 January 2006 CopyrightCopyright © 2006 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...