Bipartisan group offers way forward on health IT

Federal, state and private-sector officials should work more closely together if physicians — and their patients — are to make the switch to 21st-century electronic medical records, says a new report.

The federal government has set aside more than $30 billion to help hospitals and doctors adopt health information technology and electronic medical records, but the effort has run into obstacles. 

The Bipartisan Policy Center's healthcare task force spent six months reviewing expert studies and talking to healthcare leaders to develop its recommendations, unveiled Friday by its co-leaders, former Sens. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and Bill Frist (R-Tenn.).

"Health IT in particular has enjoyed strong, bipartisan support for many years," Daschle said. "Policymakers and health industry stakeholders across the political spectrum understand the critical role — really the foundational role — that health IT plays in achieving the dual aim of improving health and reducing costs."

The report identifies key obstacles to the wide adoption of health information technology, including: misaligned incentives; a lack of health information exchange; limited consumer engagement with electronic health management tools; low adoption rates; privacy concerns; and an onslaught of new federal regulations healthcare providers are having to deal with simultaneously.

The report proposes solutions to those challenges with the goal of creating HIT-powered healthcare systems that offer: 

• An organization-wide focus on the needs of the patient;

• Strong organizational and clinical leadership;

• Access to information to support efficient, coordinated care;

• Timely access to care; 

• Emphasis on prevention, wellness and healthy behaviors; and

• Accountability, alignment of incentives and payment reform.

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