Judging for the Concept Blitz is coming to a close. We'll announce the winning solutions for the Concept Blitz on June 1, so stay tuned. Perhaps the most encouraging sign from this first phase of the challenge has been the range of solutions that leverage technology that already exists in the marketplace and won’t require a dramatic overhaul of IT systems that are currently in use. This reinforces CHIME's belief that we can develop a solution that's scalable across the industry.
“I have zero doubt, with what I’ve seen through this process, that we’ll have a solution in place,” CHIME President and CEO Russell Branzell said during a presentation at WEDI’s 25th Annual National Conference in Salt Lake City earlier this week. “All the technology, software, algorithms and engineering exist. It just requires people to put it together correctly.” You can read more about his speech in this article from Health Data Management.
It's important to stress that the Concept Blitz is not the end. June 1 also marks the opening of the Final Round of the NPID Challenge. At that time, all registered innovators can begin submitting their final solutions. The Final Round closes in November.
The need for a national patient ID was also highlighted during a May 25 congressional hearing on cybersecurity. CHIME Board Chair Marc Probst told the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health that we need an identification solution that reduces reliance on Social Security numbers and limits the potential for fraud and abuse. You can read his full testimony here. Although the hearing was focused on cybersecurity and the reporting structure HHS' chief information security officer, several members of the subcommittee asked Probst to elaborate on how a national patient ID can improve security. There was interest in learning what steps Congress can take to address the problem as well.
