Benefits of Health IT
Discover how health IT enhances patient outcomes, streamlines care coordination, and empowers providers through secure, efficient health information exchange.
Types of Health IT
Once primarily associated with electronic health records (EHRs), health IT has expanded to a much broader set of technologies.
Each of these technologies is critical for patient care and/or successful practice management. They generate valuable electronic data that can be used for coordinating care.
Electronic Health Records
EHRs are the backbone of modern health care. Roughly 90% of US office-based clinicians use at least one form of EHR. EHRs improve patient outcomes, reduce medical errors, and improve provider operational efficiencies.
Patient Portals
Patient portals provide patients and caregivers with easy access to their health data. Patients can log in to portals to see doctors’ notes, immunization records, and upcoming appointments. Depending on the platform, they may also be able to securely message their doctor with non-urgent questions or request prescription refills.
Medical Imaging (Enhanced with AI)
Medical imaging technologies are critical for diagnoses, and increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) is used to interpret images, highlighting areas of concern to improve diagnostic accuracy. With the combined use of mammography and AI, doctors can now complete mammogram reviews almost 30 times faster, with much higher accuracy and fewer biopsies.
Remote Patient Monitoring
Remote monitoring is a rapidly growing part of health IT. Monitoring devices such as pulse oximeters, weight scales, and blood glucose monitors collect data in real time. This allows providers to track patient health between treatments.
Master Patient Indexes (MPI)
A master patient index assigns unique identifiers to patients and links the data for a single patient across various systems. It connects the registration to EHRs, labs, and imagery to create a comprehensive medical record.
Laboratory Information Systems
Laboratory information systems improve lab efficiencies by streamlining workflows. These platforms can reduce medical errors throughout testing while improving decision-making and patient care.
How Health IT Improves Health Care
Here’s a breakdown of some key advantages of health information technology:
- EHRs provide a comprehensive view of a patient’s medical history, medications, and allergies. This improves healthcare providers’ ability to deliver quality care.
- Patient portals make communication between care providers and patients easier. EHRs allow providers to better coordinate care plans for their patients.
- All types of health IT can simplify administrative workflows.
- Each type of health IT can lead to significant return on investment through improved care management, stronger patient relationships, improved medication management, and fewer medical errors.
- Information systems can empower public health initiatives by allowing researchers to collect data to develop better treatments and care protocols, as well as track diseases across geographies.
ONC Activities Supporting Health IT
EHRs
Trusted Exchange Framework & Common Agreement (TEFCA)
TEFCA is the nationwide infrastructure model with a governing approach for enabling secure health information exchange between providers, payers, patients, and public health agencies via EHRs.
Information Blocking Regulations
These regulations ensure that patients can access their health information, such as lab results, medications, and clinical notes, directly from their EHR or portal without delay or obstruction.
Patient Portals
The Cures Act Final Rule
This rule mandated the use of standardized APIs and prohibited information blocking, which directly enabled EHR vendors to share data more openly, allowed patients to access their health data via apps and portals, and created the regulatory foundation for integrating RPM tools into clinical workflows.