Evidence on the Costs and Benefits of Health Information Technology

The contents may not be published, transmitted, or otherwise communicated by any print, broadcast, or electronic media before that time. Members of the Subcommittee , I am pleased to appear before you today to discuss the costs and benefits of health information technology (health IT). Information plays a key role in health care. Providers such as physicians and hospitals generate and process information as they provide care to patients. Managing that information and using it productively pose a continuing challenge, particularly in light of the complexity of the U.S. health care sector, with its many different types of providers, services, and settings for care. Health IT has the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of the health sector by helping providers manage information. It could also improve the quality of health care and, ultimately, the outcomes of that care for patients.