Health Information Technology Initiative

Policymakers and leaders from every sector of health care agree that when effectively and meaningfully used, health information technology (IT) will help address the most pressing challenges confronting the U.S. health care system—rising costs, eroding coverage, and inconsistent quality. A number of efforts focused on addressing these health system challenges are now underway, fueled in part by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, along with other federal, state reform efforts, including those focused on delivery system and payment innovations, prevention and wellness, and insurance reforms. Health IT is a structural component of all of these efforts.

With the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act providing up to $30 billion in investments to address barriers to health IT adoption, there is a unique opportunity to lay the foundation for new delivery system, payment, and insurance reforms that promote affordable, accountable and higher quality health care in the U.S. The identification of effective strategies and best practices for leveraging health IT to support health and health care improvements, as well as the need for coordination of these efforts, is vitally important to help stakeholders make the most efficient use of their scarce resources. The Health IT Initiative will help health care leaders—particularly those operating at the state level—effectively align efforts and leverage health IT to support their goals to resolve complex health system problems.

Goals for the Initiative

1. Identify and widely disseminate policies, strategies and best practices to facilitate the effective use of investments in health IT. Highlight health IT innovations that are already underway at the state and local level and gain input from key stakeholders on progress made and key challenges experienced.

2. Help coordinate public and private efforts that recognize the role of health IT as a vital tool to create solutions to health system problems.

  • Delivery system reforms – Under the leadership of a Task Force co-chaired by Senators Daschle and Frist, define principles, opportunities, and the primary health IT capabilities needed to support new care delivery models emerging from reform efforts, such as accountable care organizations and the patient-centered medical home.
  • Health Insurance Exchanges – Identify health IT strategies currently being used by states, including recipients of the Early Innovator Awards, as they develop and launch health insurance exchanges and share recommendations and strategies to support the success of all states who intend to move forward with such efforts.
  • Coordination of State Efforts –Identify strategies for aligning health IT programs at the state level, including those related to Medicaid.
  • Rural access to care – Analyze access to care in rural and underserved areas, including Indian reservations, and identify and disseminate best practices for using health IT and telehealth to improve access to and quality of care.

Publications