Two US Senators Address Advantages And Approaches To Health Care Information Technology

Main Category: IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 07 Dec 2005 - 4:00 PDT

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THE HILL on Tuesday published two opinion pieces by senators discussing the use of health information technology. Summaries appear below.

• Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.): The "exploding field of information technology has enormous potential to reduce medical errors, improve quality of care and lower health care costs," Ensign writes, adding that "[f]ragmented, disorganized and inaccessible clinical information adversely affects the quality of health care and compromises patient safety." He says he believes that the "federal government and the private sector, working together, can implement uniform standards to facilitate the exchange of information without stifling innovation" (Ensign, The Hill, 12/6).
  


• Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.): "With all of America's resources, surely working together we can do better for America's families and businesses," Stabenow writes, adding that while many issues need to be addressed to improve America's health care system, immediate investment in health information technology will have a "major impact." Stabenow says that a federal investment must be "substantial," adding that "[e]very day that we delay investments ... businesses, taxpayers and patients pay in both dollars and lives." Stabenow concludes, "America is the greatest country in the world. It's time to use the technology we have to make health care accessible and affordable for all Americans" (Stabenow, The Hill, 12/6).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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