Too Many Cooks? Coordinating Federal and State Health IT

Health Information Technology (Health IT), the transition from paper to electronic health records, has the potential to reduce medical errors, enhance security and privacy of health information, improve health outcomes, enhance access to care for medically underserved communities, and reduce health disparities. However, the adoption of a Health IT system and standards has been piecemeal and incremental.

Continuing the Subcommittee’s oversight of federalism and government technology management, this hearing examined the merits of a top-down or bottom-up approach to implementing an interoperable system of electronic health records. The hearing explored current Federal, state and local efforts to transform the health care landscape using health IT and how agencies and stakeholders can coordinate to meet the needs of our nation’s most vulnerable populations.

The following witnesses testified:

PANEL I

Dr. Robert M. Kolodner, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Department of Health and Human Services

Ms. Cheryl Austein Casnoff, Associate Administrator, Office of Health Information Technology, Health Resources Services Administration

Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy, Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

PANEL II

Ms. Janet M. Marchibroda, CEO, eHealth Initiative

Dr. Winston Price, Chair, Health IT and Transparency Advisory Board, State of Georgia

Ms. Lori Evans, Deputy Commissioner for Health IT Transformation, State of New York

Dr. Farzad Mostashari, Assistant Commissioner, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, City of New York

Dr. Neil Calman, President, The Institute for Urban Family Health