As Health IT Grows, Federal Regulations Become Necessary
Liz Perry for Leaders in Healthcare – Feb. 28, 2008
Healthcare is going electronic and for effective computerization of medical records, medical facility technology needs to be compatible. Members of the Health IT Now Coalition and the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) recently made this case to Congress, urging the progress of health IT legislation such as the Promoting Health Information Technology Act. The bill would establish a public/private group to recommend health IT standards and certification and an annual budget of $163 million for health-care providers to adopt health IT products.
Integration of Health IT will allow for higher quality care, quicker information transfer, and lower costs due to reduction of paper use. The Promoting Health Information Technology Act has stalled in the House of Representatives and a similar piece of legislation, the Wired for Health Care Quality Act, has stalled in the Senate.
Regardless, Health IT will move forward, as President Bush is pushing for complete computerization of health records by 2014. The field is growing quickly, with many opportunities for healthcare professionals wishing to advance or add to their skills.