The Issue
Health information technology (HIT) can help reduce fragmentation of health care and improve coordination of services, but it is unclear what the optimal strategies for implementing and sustaining HIT are.
What the Study Found
In 2005, New York State launched the Healthcare Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers (HEAL NY), which provides funding and technical support to community-based alliances for implementation of electronic health records and health information exchange. Of the 26 alliances funded under the first phase of the program, only 11 received funding for the next phase.
Researchers surveyed HEAL NY grantees to determine and understand predictors of continued funding. Health information organizations were six times more likely to have received subsequent funding than health care organizations. The authors say this disparity may be explained by the greater ability of health information organizations to convene competing stakeholders and their generally stronger focus on HIT compared with health care organizations.
Conclusions
With the country embarking on an unprecedented investment in HIT, the study’s findings highlight the importance of health information organizations and their ability to convene clinical stakeholders.
