Health Policy Research Update
Using health information technology systems reduces medical errors and helps doctors comply with care guidelines and preventive care recommendations, researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine. However, study authors said more work is needed to determine how to implement health IT systems to maximize the systems' benefits and provide data to influence policy decisions about IT's capacity to affect health care quality and delivery.
This week's edition of the Health Policy Research Update also includes new findings on:
- Disparities between private and public HMOs' language services;
- Differences in health insurance premiums for large and small businesses; and
- Variations in physicians' perceptions of quality based on utilization rates for health care services in the areas where they practice.