The federal government's multibillion-dollar investment in health information technology through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 has the potential to make measurable improvements in the nation's health care system, according to a report assessing the impact of the legislation thus far. The complete report is titled HITECH Revisited.
 
This comprehensive review of HITECH, which was a key part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, points to the need for a number of course corrections to ensure that the transformative potential of the Act is reached. The report was prepared by Manatt Health Solutions and supported by the California HealthCare Foundation, The Colorado Health Foundation, and the United Hospital Fund.
 
The report, informed by interviews with 24 leading health IT experts, provides a candid assessment of the progress made to date, the challenges that lie ahead, and what specific actions Congress and the Obama Administration should take to achieve HITECH's ambitious goal of jump-starting the adoption of health IT in the health care industry.
 
The report suggests that HITECH is a major step forward, and it expresses optimism that HITECH's investments can lead to measurable improvements in the health care system, especially when complemented by the types of payment reforms included in recently enacted health care reform legislation (the Affordable Care Act).