Alliance calls on states to take lead on HIT

A group of governors and state health officials is asking that states support e-prescribing and address medical privacy and security issues as a means to boost healthcare IT (Source: “State Alliance calls for state action on healthcare IT,” Healthcare IT News, Sept. 23, 2008).

The State Alliance for e-Health released a 60-page report called “Accelerating Progress – Using Health Information Technology and Electronic Health Information Exchange to Improve Care.”

Recommendations in the report for states include:
• Providing leadership and support for e-health efforts, especially on e-prescribing
• Promoting the use of standards-based, interoperable technology
• Streamline the licensure process to enable cross-state e-health
• Engaging consumers to use HIT in managing their health and healthcare
• Developing workforce capacity to support electronic HIE efforts