Better data could mean better care

Electronic health records could become a component of health care quality improvement, but the idea raises fears that too much quality information could lead to declines in care as doctors try to improve their performance by avoiding the sickest patients. Medical organizations could collect, analyze and transmit data to providers and patients to help them make care decisions in a feedback loop called a "learning health care infrastructure," said Dr. David Blumenthal, national coordinator for health IT at the Health and Human Services Department. Speaking at a Brookings Institution forum on health quality Dec. 2, Blumenthal said the adoption of electronic health record systems is a steppingstone toward that goal.