"Ending the Document Game" Begins New Life in Bookshelf

The far-reaching multi-media report and related website of the 2005 Commission on Systematic Interoperability, Ending the Document Game: Connecting and Transforming Your Healthcare Through Information Technology is now available on Bookshelf. The Commission, which was authorized by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, was comprised of leaders in health informatics, health insurance, communications, and healthcare services and was staffed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and others. It was convened in the critical early days of steps taken to realize the US commitment to a then 10-year vision of widespread adoption of interoperable electronic health records. The Commission took testimony from consumers, providers, and others, consulting with both industry and academia. Its bibliography is extensive and its discussion and recommendations concerning adoption, interoperability, and connectivity (including confidentiality and privacy) are still timely and relevant. The report addresses both the impetus for and challenges involved with achieving meaningful interoperability and exchange of health data. As such, the report is both a valuable historical document and a means to assess current progress towards transforming healthcare through health IT for the benefit of all.