Pathways to Health Information Technology in the U.S.

Developing a robust health care IT system is one of the core goals of the National Broadband Plan. Digitizing patients' medical records would make patient dossiers easily retrievable and transferable between hospitals and remove the clutter of paper filing. However, implementation of this system faces several hurdles.

Speaking on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services, David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health IT, outlined the challenges facing implementation of the system at present:

• A lack of adequate funding;
• Logistical problems related to physicians who want health IT systems, but worry about which system to buy, how to implement it, and if it will become dated;
• Improper, or no existing infrastructure for health information exchanges; and,
• Privacy concerns expressed by the general public.

Other countries with similar broadband capabilities have embraced IT in healthcare. Sweden, for instance, has 100% of all primary care documentation in electronic form. By taking even basic steps forward, healthcare professionals would be able to reduce costs, save time, improve productivity, and ultimately improve patient care.

Blumenthal Notes Barriers to Health IT in U.S. (Modern Healthcare)