Chopra calls RFP process ineffective for health IT

Federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra hopes to facilitate more “face-to-face” time between health information technology vendors and government officials as part of the health IT incentives being developed through the Health and Human Services Department, according to commentary by Input, a market research firm in Reston, Va..

Chopra wants to facilitate more vendor input into solutions being developed for government health IT by avoiding traditional requests for proposals (RFPs) and trying out new Web applications similar to DefenseSolutions.gov, according to an Input blog entry on June 10.

“Throughout Chopra's speech he focused on the ineffectiveness of the current [RFP] process that has become commonplace in the government-contracting world. He indicated that innovation by RFP is silly because RFPs stifle innovation with long lists of requirements,” wrote Kristina Mulholland, the company's health care and social services analyst.

Chopra outlined his ideas for health IT procurement innovations in a government health IT conference held June 5 by the Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society.