Call for national newborn screening standards

Nearly two-thirds of all babies born in the U.S. this year will be screened for more than 20 life-threatening disorders – nearly twice the rate as in 2005, according to the latest March of Dimes (White Plains, New York) Newborn Screening Report Card.

However, disparities in state newborn screening programs mean some babies will die or develop severe complications because these disorders are not identified in time for effective treatment.

The American College of Medical Genetics recommends that every baby born in the U.S. be screened for 29 disorders, including hearing and certain metabolic conditions. If diagnosed early, these conditions can be successfully managed or treated.

“All babies across America should be screened for all of these core conditions. Whether a baby is screened and gets the immediate treatment necessary to lead a healthy life should not depend on which state they are born in,” said Dr. Jennifer Howse, president of the March of Dimes.

The March of Dimes calls for a national newborn screening standard as well as federal funding to help states implement the screening programs. It endorses the Newborn Screening Saves Live Act, which allocates $15 million to educate parents and health care providers about newborn screening, improve follow-up care for infants with an illness detected through newborn screening, and help states expand and improve their screening programs. In states where newborn screening is limited, additional tests can be arranged at additional expense.

Report forecasts increase in EHR spending

In a report published today by IDC's Health Industry Insights (Framingham, Massachusetts), the research and advisory firm forecasts total information technology (IT) spending for the electronic health record (EHR) market in the U.S. to increase to $4.8 billion in 2015.

The study reveals a compounded annual growth rate of 15.8% in the EHR market over the next 10 years, with 2005 spending in that market estimated at $1.1 billion.

“We're seeing a renewed interest and investment in healthcare IT, sparked by President Bush's federal mandate to create electronic medical records for Americans by 2014 and re-ignited earlier this week by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology's product certification announcement,” says Lynne Dunbrack, program director of Payer Research at Health Industry Insights, and lead author of the report. “All of this is helping to create a new tipping point for EHRs and lots of opportunity in this space.”

In addition to forecasting the total EHR market, Dunbrack projects total market share for two sub-segments of healthcare – payers (including insurance and government) and providers (namely hospitals, clinics and physician practices). Adds Dunbrack, “Payers will invest earlier in EHRs compared with providers because they currently have more digitized health information than other stakeholders in the health ecosystem.”