Publications
Make Health IT a National Priority
| Type: | Get Mad Column |
| Date: | Spring 2007 |
Clinical trials - the current gold standard for testing the effectiveness and safety of various drugs and medical treatments - are often performed on young, low-risk subjects, making their relevance questionable for a growing population of older patients living with multiple chronic conditions.
Clinical trials - the current gold standard for testing the effectiveness and safety of various drugs and medical treatments - are often performed on young, low-risk subjects, making their relevance questionable for a growing population of older patients living with multiple chronic conditions.
At the same time, however, a wealth of real-world research on the benefits different treatments provide to these older patients is being performed in physicians' offices every day. Giving other doctors easy access to this information for use in treating their own patients is just one reason health information technology should be a national priority.
What is health IT, exactly?
Health information technology (IT) is the term used for electronic health records and national databases that make health information easy to share and store electronically and securely. The widespread use of health information technology is thought to have the potential for many benefits, ranging from decreased cost to increased quality of care.
The potential for health IT to benefit older Americans is especially encouraging. The Medicare generation is the largest group of consumers of health care in this country, and their needs are the most complex. Many are dealing with one or more chronic conditions that complicate their care and their reactions to medical treatments.
The randomized clinical trials that most doctors rely on to make decisions about a patient's care are by nature artificial clinical settings. They are not always useful ways to determine how a person's individual needs might affect the benefit of a particular medication or treatment.
A national health research database
Widespread use of electronic health records supplements this knowledge gap by creating an accessible collection of patient conditions, treatments, and outcomes - ripe for individual and collaborative research on specific subgroups, and effective decision-making in physicians' offices.
Already, research groups are developing "virtual research organizations," databases containing millions of patient records used for research on a variety of public health concerns, including cancer and diabetes. For example, the National Cancer Institute is funding an initiative that uses patient records from participating health maintenance organizations to conduct research on cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and long-term care.
Improving outcomes in cost-effective ways
In addition to helping physicians make decisions in the office, health information technology is making routine health care simple and cost-efficient for physicians and useful for patients. Geisinger Health System, a Pennsylvania health care organization, recently reported tripling the rate of osteoporosis screenings in women who were at risk for the disease, using its electronic health record system. The system identified women who were due for osteoporosis screenings and automatically generated letters without costly human intervention.
Plus, more comprehensive information - and easier access to it - means an improved ability to determine which therapies perform best. It reduces the cost of research. And it provides more accurate information on how health care dollars are actually being spent, which can help identify where we can truly address rising costs.
Continued public support is needed to keep up the momentum for what amounts to a cultural shift in an industry traditionally slow to embrace new technology. The investment has the potential to pay huge dividends for an entire generation of Americans.