Transforming Healthcare: The Role of Health IT

Despite the introduction of IT to nearly every other aspect of modern life, the U.S. health care system remains largely paper-based. Greater use of health IT enjoys bipartisan support. The authorization of up to $30 billion to support health IT under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 has spurred significant private sector investment to further increase the use of health IT. Most of these funds are for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, known informally as “Meaningful Use,” that reward clinicians and hospitals when they use EHRs in specific meaningful ways to improve care.