Breaking Down the Barriers to Health IT Deployment

[Commentary] The Obama Administration and Congress have committed billions of dollars to deploying IT that will modernize the health care system. Unfortunately, despite this investment, adoption of health IT is still lagging, especially among the office-based physicians who form the backbone of American health care. The good news is we can still get it right.

Common-sense, low-cost solutions exist. But, first we need to get real about solving the problems that impede deployment of health IT; the problems that lead physicians to frequently criticize the technology in their offices or hospitals as an impediment to productivity and care. The greatest barrier is that the basic capabilities that allow technology to solve simple problems such as connectivity, prioritization and workflow improvement do not drive the purchase and design of technology. Instead, purchase and design are driven by demonstrating meaningful use and qualifying for incentive payments included in the HITECH Act.