New York's health commissioner announced this week that the state would launch a new program aimed at encouraging health IT tools during 2007 and 2008. The program, which is part of Gov. Eliot Spitzer's (D) overall health reform initiative, is intended to make patient medical records more portable. It's also aimed at helping providers develop the IT tools they need to participate in pay-for-performance quality programs.
When it gets down to the nitty-gritty, the program's specific objectives include making sure patient health information's privacy is secured; offering cost and quality data on the state's providers; investing in IT to promote better management of chronic diseases, community-based long-term care, public health and CON processes. Perhaps most challenging to providers will be the state's plans to create an interoperable health information exchange infrastructure. (Now that I'd like to see, given the slow pace of such efforts elsewhere in the state. Too bad you can't just wish an HIE into place.)
To learn more about NY's plans:
- read this iHealthBeat article
- read this Government Technology piece
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