Lack of funding is slowing health IT

The use of health information technology is becoming more widespread among health organizations, but a lack of funding is slowing its adoption, according to a survey released Monday by the… eHealth Initiative Foundation, CQ HealthBeat reports. The foundation surveyed 109 health entities interested in health IT and found that 60% of respondents are moving forward with technology initiatives, a 300% increase in users over the past year. Funding health IT adoption, however, has been a problem, especially because of high start-up costs, CQ Healthbeat reports.

 

According to the survey, most groups rely on government funding, and private funding efforts also have begun. The foundation recommended that health organizations adopt broad standards for the implementation of health IT and find capital funding sources to help with start-up costs. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in July approved a bill ( S 1418) that would increase the use of technology to share medical information (CQ HealthBeat, 9/1).