Over the last few years, the importance of health information
technology (health IT) has grown. While there is broad
recognition of the promise of health IT, its success rests on
the need for demonstrated leadership, common agreement,
and coordinated action among many stakeholders. As the
national coordinator for health IT, Dr. Robert Kolodner plays
a critical role in advancing the use and adoption of an
interoperable health information technology infrastructure.
Health IT’s promise to improve the processes of health care
delivery, realize administrative efficiencies, increase patient
safety, and ultimately improve the quality of care places it
at the center of any federal effort to improve the U.S. health
care system. “It is,” says Dr. Kolodner, “a necessary component
in order to be able to reduce errors, improve quality,
and produce greater value for health care expenditures.”