Dive Brief:
- A new report, "Health Information Technology in the United States, 2015: Transition to a Post-HITECH World," by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, analyzes the HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) stimulus program over the past seven years since the law was passed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
- The survey data shows 75% of U.S. nonfederal acute care hospitals have EHRs, and "many fewer hospitals appear to be ready to meet Stage 2 meaningful use criteria and may be subject to penalties."
- Assessment of big HITECH initiatives, like the State Health Information Exchange Program and Health IT Workforce Development Program, showed although HITECH did assist with health IT adoption and use, "it fell short of achieving its overarching goals to establish a highly effective and efficient healthcare system enabled by the advanced use of HIT."
Dive Insight:
The report also found "substantial challenges" in the areas of technology, finance, governance, human resources, privacy, security and patient consent despite the $19 billion federal investment in EHRs.
The survey summarized the "ambitious goals of HITECH, while optimistic, overlooked barriers that were beyond the scope of the legislation and the programs it authorized."
The survey estimates the industry will be transformed by big data and states why payment reform and interoperability are essential in the near future and must follow a similar innovation process to provide "a fluid and meaningful exchange of useful health information."