Health Information Technology
On Aug. 19, the journal Health Affairs published an article and two commentaries addressing the adoption of health information technology in the U.S. Highlights appear below.
- Carol Diamond, managing director of the health program at the Markle Foundation, and Clay Shirky, an adjunct professor at New York University, argue that health IT by itself is not a cure all for problems in the U.S. health care system. According to Diamond and Shirky, policy objectives and financial incentives must be aligned to make changes to the health care system and boost health IT adoption (Diamond/Shirky, Health Affairs, 8/19).
- Robert Kolodner, national coordinator for health IT; Simon Cohn, associate executive director of the Permanente Federation; and Charles Friedman, deputy national coordinator for health IT, lay out a four-step plan for health IT adoption, including provisions on privacy, security and interoperability (Kolodner, Health Affairs, 8/19).
- David Kibbe, a senior adviser to the American Academy of Family Physicians, and Curtis McLaughlin, a professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina, urge policymakers to solicit input for the health IT planning process from other industries, including banking and travel (Kibbe/McLaughlin, Health Affairs, 8/19).