Health Information Technology and Care Coordination: The Next Big Opportunity for Informatics?

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Health Informatics
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• High healthcare expenditures in the U.S. are linked to fragmented care delivery.
• Accountable care models aim to manage costs by placing providers at financial risk.
• Significant costs and adverse events arise during post-acute care transitions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify current gaps in healthcare care coordination.
• To propose a framework for enhancing care coordination through health information technology (HIT).
• To outline strategies for leveraging specific HIT tools and policy changes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of existing care coordination challenges and electronic health record limitations.
• Development of a conceptual framework for HIT-enabled care coordination.
• Discussion of technological solutions and policy recommendations.

Main Results:

• Current electronic health records offer limited support for effective care coordination.
• Improved communication via HIT is crucial for better care coordination.
• Specific HIT interventions are needed to address identified gaps.

Conclusions:

• Health information technology (HIT) presents a significant opportunity to improve care coordination.
• Systematic development and testing of HIT interventions are necessary.
• Policy adjustments are essential to facilitate the adoption of HIT for better care coordination.