iHealth & Technology
As policymakers consider how to integrate health information technology into the nation's health care system, it is important to consider the effects of such technology on quality, efficiency and costs in order to determine which IT systems are most effective and how best to implement them, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from the Southern California Evidence Based Practice Center examined data from 257 studies collected from several databases and assessed health IT systems' implementation, design, effects on quality and costs. Researchers found that the health IT systems:
- Increased adherence to care guidelines;
- Increased the use of monitoring and surveillance systems;
- Decreased medication errors, particularly through the use of computerized provider order-entry systems; and
- Improved preventive care, especially through the use of decision support programs.