AHRQ Report Summarizes Health IT Studies
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently released an analysis of scientific studies published since 2003 that examine the costs and benefits of health IT, as well as organizational changes needed to implement health IT systems, eWeek reports.
The report, which was prepared by RAND's Evidence-based Practice Center, found that while health IT has demonstrated care quality improvement, most providers need more information about how to successfully implement the technology. Health IT "has the potential to enable a dramatic transformation in the delivery of health care, making it safer, more effective and more efficient," the report states. "However, widespread implementation of [health IT] has been limited by a lack of generalizable knowledge about what types of [health IT] and implementation methods will improve care and manage costs for specific health organizations." The report also finds that while large organizations have had success implementing health IT, small physician offices lag behind, eWeek reports. "Leading institutions in health IT have shown that these systems can produce improved quality and patient safety. But smaller practices and hospitals need to know how these improvements can be achieved in settings like theirs, using the kinds of commercial systems they are likely to employ," said AHRQ Director Dr. Carolyn Clancy (Lawrence, eWeek, 4/11). In an effort to combat the information gap for smaller health care organizations, AHRQ since late 2004 has provided grants to more than 100 IT projects across the country under a $166-million initiative, Health Data Management reports. The initiative also will enable AHRQ to collect data on how to make IT implementation successful in physician practices and smaller hospitals or delivery systems (Health Data Management, 4/11). A copy of the study is available online. ----
Dr David G More MB, PhD, FACHI Phone +61-2-9438-2851 Fax +61-2-9906-7038 Skype Username : davidgmore E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] |
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