A new report from the State Alliance for e-Health, Preparing to Implement HITECH: A State Guide for Electronic Health Information Exchange, aims to help states implement the federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.
The report recommends that states prepare or update their plan for adoptng health information exchange; engage stakeholders in planning efforts; establish a state leadership office; implement privacy strategies and reforms; determine a business model for health information exchange, and create opportunities for training and education.
The HITECH Act, enacted as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, expands the role of states in fostering health information exchange and adoption of electronic health records over the next five years.
The State Alliance for e-Health, composed of governors, state legislators, attorney generals and state commissioners, was created by the National Governors Association in 2006.
