Health Information Technology Adoption and Clinical Performance in Federally Qualified Health Centers

A national sample (N = 982) of federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) for the period 2011-2016 was examined regarding the relationship between the age and extent of health information technology (HIT) use and clinical performance. We found that each additional year of HIT use was associated with an approximate 4 percent increase in both process and outcome measures of clinical performance. Furthermore, FQHCs that fully adopted HIT had 7 percent higher clinical performance on hypertension control than those that did not adopt HIT. This study's findings can assist stakeholders to make informed decisions for improving care and sustaining a competitive advantage.