NASCIO checks to see what condition states’ condition is in

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has released, “Profiles of Progress 3: State Health IT Initiatives.” The study is a self-described “compendium” outlining the health of state-led or state-designated health information technology and interoperable health information exchange efforts.

The snapshot series, Profiles of Progress, was first drafted in 2006 to document the role of the state CIO in implementing health IT. But recent efforts to promote health IT initiatives through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act have significantly increased the pace of technology adoption in the health care field. Approximately $30 billion is being allocated to health IT through the Recovery Act in order to modernize patient care across the country. “Health IT is an area that has experienced rapid advancement, and will only increase as ARRA money for health IT begins to flow to the states, said the Chair of the Health IT Working Group, Otto Doll who also serves as CIO of South Dakota. “State CIOs and technology leaders involved in health IT efforts know the value of being an engaged and active stakeholder in this arena.”

Among the trends outlined by the NASCIO is public-private partnerships to promote health IT adoption – as demonstrated by Iowa’s Electronic Health Information Advisory Council and Colorado’s partnership with Kaiser Permanente. States such as Alaska, New Mexico, Idaho and Delaware are in various stages of implementing statewide health information exchanges. Meanwhile Tennessee and Virginia are paying $2,500 per clinician and $3,500 per physician to purchase health IT-related software.

To read the full report, click here. Or cut and paste the following link: http://www.nascio.org/publications/documents/NASCIO-ProfilesInProgress3.pdf

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