Commentary: The time is now: academia and opportunities in health informatics and e-health

Recent health care reform and policy initiatives have had a focus on health information technology (HIT). At the same time, academic centers are expanding biomedical informatics programs. Yet, it is disheartening that much of the direction and dialogue are coming from those with business, political, or advocacy interests, while those in academia who might provide valuable insights are not as visible within this debate. Some major academic health centers have strong health or biomedical informatics programs that incorporate community-academia partnerships. So why aren't more academic health care faculty members, especially at public universities, involved in state or national HIT strategic policy initiatives or governance bodies? Plausible reasons are posited, and examples for greater interdisciplinary faculty member involvement at the local/state or regional levels are suggested.