Study: IT spending should be central to healthcare reform

When vendors or politicians say that health IT can cure most healthcare system ills, it's easy to feel skeptical. But when an independent foundation reaches a similar conclusion, it could be time to lower the skepticism filters a bit. That's why we were interested to hear that the Commonwealth Fund is bullish on IT investment as a linchpin for healthcare reform.

In its recent study, "The Path to a High Performance U.S. Health System: A 2020 Vision and the Policies to Pave the Way," Commonwealth Fund researchers recommend that policymakers invest in infrastructure--including health IT--to improve the availability, quality and usefulness of information in healthcare decision-making. The report suggests that leaders establish standards, require electronic reporting of clinical information and provide start-up funding for a national health information network.

In addition to IT investment, Commonwealth Fund recommendations include that officials establish a health insurance exchange offering access to private plans, and a new public plan offering comprehensive benefits; change reimbursements to reward value rather than volume care; establish a system offering everyone a personal source of coordinated, accessible care; and set national goals for high performance by providers.

To learn more about the study:
- read the text of the report

Related Articles:
AHA: Economic troubles likely to slow IT investment
HIMSS: Patient safety top reason for IT investment
Study: Hospital execs stress IT investment for coming years

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