AMDA Foundation - AHRQ Director Talks about HIT and Available Grants

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Vol XVIII, Sep `05

AHRQ Director Talks about HIT and Available Grants

Vol XVIII, Sep `05

Speaking at the Annual Conference of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society in Dallas, TX, earlier this year, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Director Carolyn Clancy, MD, offered some thoughts about health information technology (HIT) and grants her agency is funding to promote HIT.

Addressing the challenges of HIT, Clancy noted:

"Our nation faces enormous health care challenges in the years ahead, and HIT is one important part of the solution. But it's not a silver bullet, and it won't be quick or easy. There's no substitute for the work that needs to take place on many different fronts." It must be an evolutionary process--albeit a fast one.
"We also face the challenge that confronts the 'first movers' in any technology market. Early products won't deliver all the advantages that more mature products will, and some approaches may get left behind entirely--so buyers hold off. Yet we certainly want to encourage investment."
If HIT seems to be advancing slowly, "there will be the temptation to blame…physicians for not moving faster to invest in HIT products." It will be important to "help [physicians] with their computer needs." It is important for government officials, vendors, and others to "understand the barriers, and we need to know what kinds of products and features will truly 'connect' with their practices."

Clancy stated that her agency will invest $139 million over three years for HIT projects. She explained that grants are especially focused to help HIT get "a foothold" in rural and underserved areas of the country. Grant projects will be structured to help AHRQ observe: