Ten U.S. physician associations have collaborated to release a list of reform guidelines for the country's health care system, which includes the implementation of health IT, Healthcare IT News reports.
One reform principle calls for funding to support a "comprehensive health IT infrastructure and implementation." The physician groups did not include concrete proposals, although widespread adoption of health IT is critical to any reform plan, according to Dr. Douglas Henley, executive vice president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
A reformed U.S. health care system would include IT as the "central nervous system that allows for the transmission of information from any one point to any other," Henley said, adding, "IT initiatives can't happen in isolation. Adopting IT alone won't achieve the systemic reform goals of improved quality and efficiency."
The 11 principles for reform, as agreed upon by the 10 physician groups, include:
- Using less complicated administrative systems to reduce costs, increase efficiency and maximize funding for health services; and
- Making available sufficient funds for basic, clinical, translational and health services research, medical education, and comprehensive health IT infrastructure and implementation (Pizzi, Healthcare IT News, 1/12).