President’s Vision for Health IT

In April 2004, President George W. Bush revealed his vision for the future of healthcare in the United States. The President's plan involves a health care system that puts the needs of the patient first, is more efficient, and is cost-effective. The President's plan is based on the following tenets:

• Medical information will follow consumers so that they are at the center of their own care
• Consumers will be able to choose physicians and hospitals based on clinical performance results made available to them
• Clinicians will have a patient's complete medical history, computerized ordering systems, and electronic reminders
• Quality initiatives will measure performance and drive quality-based competition in the industry
• Public health and bioterrorism surveillance will be seamlessly integrated into care
• Clinical research will be accelerated and post-marketing surveillance will be expanded.

Together, these tenets will revolutionize healthcare, making it more consumer-centric, and will improve both the quality and the efficiency of healthcare in the United States.