Are you on the health information technology bandwagon?

Use of health information technology (HIT) is thought to improve the quality of care while decreasing the costs of care; however, the use of information technology in the health care industry has lagged far behind the business world and nowhere is it more evident than in nursing homes (NHs). In a PubMed literature search for HIT in NHs only 102 citations came up and most of those were not in peer-reviewed journals, emphasizing the lack of research in this area. The issues that must be considered before implementing information technology in the NH are numerous including cost, functionality, portability, and technical support. NHs have not previously been early adopters of HIT, generally because of the high cost of implementing such programs and the lack of standardization in the industry. Despite appearances that few NHs are considering information technology solutions for clinical applications, Alexander and Wakefield suggest there are some innovators who are using information technology with a relative degree of sophistication. Although this study is encouraging, there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done before NH residents benefit from the use of HIT. It is incumbent upon health professional leaders to become familiar with the technology available for nursing homes and work with nursing homes to implement HIT applications.