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Health Information Technology

The document discusses health information technology (HIT) and compares the adoption of electronic health records in the US and Spain. In the US, 96% of hospitals and over 78% of medical practices have adopted health IT systems, but patient data is often inaccessible across different healthcare centers. The document examines the widespread use of electronic health records, their purposes, and privacy concerns in both countries.

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Geofrey Nyaga
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37 views4 pages

Health Information Technology

The document discusses health information technology (HIT) and compares the adoption of electronic health records in the US and Spain. In the US, 96% of hospitals and over 78% of medical practices have adopted health IT systems, but patient data is often inaccessible across different healthcare centers. The document examines the widespread use of electronic health records, their purposes, and privacy concerns in both countries.

Uploaded by

Geofrey Nyaga
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction

Health information technology (HIT) is a broad term that is used to

describe the technology that is used to record, store, analyze, and share

health related information, including patients’ data. HIT involves the use

of various technologies; including computers, smart devices, and apps to

share patient health data. The adoption of information technologies in

the health sector has proven to offer myriads of benefits, ranging from

reduced medical errors, improved medical care services to reduced

health care costs. Moreover, HIT supports shared decision making

among physicians, which is crucial in making faster informed choices.

As such, all countries across the globe are increasingly putting more

effort in ensuring that they adopt information technology in the health

care sector. As such, this paper seeks to compare the U.S HIT with that

of Spain. To provide an in-depth comparison, the researcher will focus

on examining how widespread the electronic health records are adopted

in each country, the purpose that they serve, and the privacy concerns.
Further, focus is given in understanding the status of health information

exchange in both countries.

Current Heath Information Status in the USA

According to an annual report released by the U.S Department of

Health and Human Services to the Congress in 2019 reflecting on the

progress of the adoption of the HIT for the electronic access to improve

the quality of health care delivery, 96% of the U.S hospitals have

adopted the use of health information system in their operation.

Moreover, the report also indicates that more than 78% of the medical

practices have adopted the use of health information system.

Consequently, most of the American citizens who receive health care

services have their details captured electronically. Nonetheless, it should

be noted that the data recorded is inaccessible across different the


various healthcare centers in the US in ways that can be leveraged to

generate the maximum value. The report further found out that most of

the patients are unable to access health care information, an aspect that

makes it difficult to manage their health outcomes. Besides, the report

also indicated that health care providers lack sufficient access to patient

data, particularly in the context where the patients has received

medications from multiple physicians. Moreover, it was also revealed

that in most cases, payers lacked access to clinical data related to the

population that use HIT.

While it is undoubted

While adoption rates of certified health IT are high, health care providers and patients are often

frustrated because the information captured by and stored in health IT systems is still not easily shared

and interoperable. Research suggests that health care providers are electronically sending or receiving

patient health information from outside their organization. However, health care providers have

significantly lower rates of electronically finding (or querying) for patient health information from

outside sources and integrating information received. 7

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