A new report released last week, authored by the Washington, D.C.-based advisory firm Manatt Health Solutions, takes a comprehensive look at whether the federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) will significantly improve the nation's health care system.
Titled "HITECH Revisited," the 36-page report suggests that HITECH could mark a big step forward in improving health care as we know it -- especially in light of the recently enacted health care reform legislation. But the report also asks many questions about the overall effectiveness of the program, such as: Are HITECH's policies likely to create a health care system that is appropriately networked and focused on coordination of care? Is HITECH designed to encourage significant adoption of electronic health records? Will the policies being implemented improve clinical decision-making at the point of care?
Funded by the Colorado Health Foundation in partnership with the California HealthCare Foundation and the United Hospital Fund, the report is the result of interviews with 24 leading health information technology experts who provided candid assessments of the progress made under HITECH, the challenges that lie ahead and what specific actions Congress and the Obama administration need to take to achieve HITECH's ambitious goal of jump-starting the adoption of health IT.
A brief summary of the report also is available.
