Health Care

In 1994, health care costs are expected to reach more than $1 trillion--one-seventh of the total U.S. economy. This level of spending, its continuing growth, and the lack of standardized health care information on the types of care being provided and measurable results, raise concern about whether the United States is getting full value for each health care dollar spent. Information systems technology offers health care providers many opportunities to improve care, control costs, and report results. However, most health care providers today maintain medical records in manual, paper-intensive systems that are difficult to retrieve information from and require huge amounts of physical storage space. The barriers to automating medical records and developing a systems framework to support health care reform include the lack of standards, cost of automation, security and privacy issues arising from the use of automated medical information, and the reluctance of health care professionals to use new technology. Any health care reform proposal will greatly benefit from access to timely information that can be used to manage and oversee the program. Strong federal leadership will be required to ensure that adequate steps are taken to design, develop, and implement a systems framework that supports a nationwide program.