Indiana U., Health IT Get Centered

Indian University's Bloomington campus is creating a new center to investigate "vexing ethical, legal and social issues" that are emerging alongside information technology that is transforming health care.

The Center for Law, Ethics and Applied Research in Health Information (a.k.a. CLEAR Health Information) will receive $4 million from Lilly Endowment Inc., the university announced this week. The interdisciplinary center will bring together resources of the university, state agencies, industry and nonprofit groups, including IU's expertise in "health sciences, information technology, law, ethics and other disciplines," a news release said.

"What's especially innovative about our approach to examining health information in this new center is the joint focus on legal and ethical issues," said Eric M. Meslin, director of the Indiana University Center for Bioethics and one of the new center's four co-directors. "We need to address both to really develop top-notch policy."

Another co-director, Fred H. Cate, director of IU's Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research, said the center "will help to ensure that the right data are available at the right time for the benefit of patients today and in the future."