The HITECH Act and EHR stimulus has become one of the most popular topics on this blog (for obvious reasons). Today I came across someone who did a good job summing up much of the HITECH act in 3 simple phrases (a few minor modifications on my part):

1. HITECH Provides Direct, Massive Funding To EHRs [this is EHR vendors]
2. HITECH Requirements for Certification of EHRs Limit Competition and New Entrants
3. HITECH “Promises” to Enfranchise Existing Groups [HITSP and CCHIT] into the Federal Hierarchy

You can read the full description of these 3 points here. I don’t quite understand the cat and dog stuff the post talks about, but the 3 items above are dead on. The post also agrees with me that CCHIT Certification excludes open source EHR software.

These 3 points also reminds me of my list of HITECH Act winners. I wonder what would need to change to add patients and doctors to that list of winners.