States have growing role in health IT, according to report
The role of information technology (IT) in healthcare has grown from an obscure issue to one of major importance, according to a new report from the Washington-based National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). NASCIO’s “Profiles of Progress 3: State Health IT Initiatives” includes updates on each state’s efforts to implement health IT and interoperable health information exchange in state-led or state-designated programs.
“Profiles of Progress,” originally released in November 2006, has shown expeditious growth and adoption of health IT in the past few years as government leaders increasingly tout this as a means to improve patient care and reduce costs. The $30 billion designated for health IT in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signifies the importance the federal government is placing in that area, according to NASCIO. “Health IT is an area that has experienced rapid advancement, and will only increase as ARRA money for health IT begins to flow to the states,” said Otto Doll, CIO of South Dakota and chair of NASCIO’s Health IT Working Group.
Download the “Profiles of Progress 3: State Health IT Initiatives” report as a PDF.