McKesson CIO: Health reform impossible without better information

Expanding access to care and holding down insurance costs are nice, but, as we've been saying for months, there can't be real healthcare reform in America without addressing the problems of inconsistent quality and rampant inefficiency. It can be argued that health IT vendors have already gotten their piece of the pie with the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act nearly a year ago, but some companies are still out their trying to spread the message.

"Health information is a very, very significant opportunity to improve the healthcare system of the United States," McKesson CIO and CTO Randy Spratt said at a meeting of the Pittsburgh Technology Council last week. "This is an opportunity like we've never had," he said, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Though the sentiment isn't new, it's refreshing to hear it come from a McKesson executive, since IT makes up less than 5 percent of the mega-corporation's revenue, and that the company stands to lose sales from its core businesses as a medical supplier and drug distributor if the health system were to become more efficient.

Spratt also noted that information about the quality of providers is hard to come by. "Until consumers have access to information and begin to change spending habits, healthcare reform will not be possible," he said.

Congress, are you listening?

To learn more:
- take a look at this Pittsburgh Business Times story

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