HP joins California RHIO project

Sometimes, a vendor offers its own prestige boost to an IT project. Such, apparently, is the case in California, where a statewide RHIO initiative has just brought HP on board. The California Regional Health Information Organization, which is already working with Perot Systems and Medicity, sees the arrival of HP as a significant step. "The power and influence of a company this large is really big for us," said Dr. Don Holmquest, the RHIO's CEO. The $300 million initiative, which will link up 78,000 physicians and 400 hospitals, is the largest such project in the U.S. Officials hope to see the project kick off in July 2008, but don't expect to see it fully implemented for about seven years.

This kind of deliberate approach may be smart, given the still-unanswered questions as to how RHIOs will impact health organizations. Taking seven years will not only make sure that the project is bug-free, but also that providers have time to adjust their workflow and serve as whole-hearted participants in the effort.

To learn more about the effort:
- read this San Francisco Chronicle piece

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