Health Information Technology in the Era of Care Delivery Reform: To What End?

The proper use of information technology in health care remains widely debated. The notion that health information technology (HIT) can improve care is not new: since the 1960s, HIT has been examined as a tool to aid diagnosis and archive medical records. Half a century later, academics and policy makers continue to debate whether HIT tools such as electronic health records (EHRs) will save money or improve care.¹ Advocates point to many studies demonstrating the benefits of EHRs.² Critics argue that the best data come from a few leading institutions with locally developed systems, whereas data from commercial products in nonleading institutions are equivocal.²