Dramatic improvements are possible with smart alignment of health information technology and health care reform.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allows for investments in health IT. These investments represent a vital step toward our nation’s health reform objectives of improving health and reducing unsustainable cost growth, but only if we make smart decisions now that align these efforts.
Markle, together with its collaborators and supporters, has produced a series of consensus statements and comments on the “meaningful use” of electronic health records. These papers represent a collective view that aligning health IT with health care reform efforts begins with setting the right goals for technology development efforts. Success will be measured in terms of lives saved, improvements in the quality of health care, and slowing down growth in costs.
Technology must be a tool to achieve health improvement and cost-effectiveness.
Federal rules strongly influence eligibility for stimulus funding.
Sound information practices build trust in electronic information networks.
