contributed articles

“HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY connects doctors
and patients to more complete and accurate health
records … This technology is critical to improving
patient care, enabling coordination between providers
and patients, reducing the risk of dangerous drug
interactions, and helping patients access prevention
and disease management services.”
— President Barack Obama, Presidential Proclamation
on National Health Information Technology Week,
Health information technology (HIT)—the application
of information technologies to enable and enhance
the delivery of healthcare services—has been a central
point of focus for U.S. healthcare policy since 2007.

Both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama
outlined bold goals for HIT adoption
as a key facet of each of their health-
care reform efforts, promising sig-
nificant benefits for healthcare pro-
viders and patients alike. 20 Clinical
HIT systems, including electronic
health records (EHRs), health infor-
mation exchanges (HIEs), comput-
erized provider order entry (CPOE),
and telemedicine technologies, are
seen as critical remedies to the com-
plexity and inefficiency that have long
plagued the U.S. healthcare industry.a
a HIT reflects a range of technologies that can be
applied to the delivery and administration of
healthcare service. In the present study, we fo-
cus primarily on clinical HIT systems, empha-
sizing EHR and HIE systems, as they have been
the leading areas of emphasis in the ongoing
wave of HIT adoption in the U.S.

The Productivity
Paradox in
Health
Information
Technology
DOI: 10.1145/3183583
New York State healthcare providers increased
their use of the technology but delivered
only mixed results for their patients.
BY QUANG “NEO” BUI, SEAN HANSEN,
MANLU LIU, AND QIANG (JOHN) TU
key insights

˽ No conclusive evidence has shown HIT contribution to health outcomes among New York State healthcare providers.

˽ Evidence indicates a HIT productivity paradox among healthcare providers that mirrors the earlier experience of the manufacturing sector.

˽ To address the paradox, a collective approach is needed involving multiple stakeholders and focusing on patient outcomes.