ABSTRACT
Technological advances combined with government incentives and requirements are providing solid reasons for individual physicians and hospitals to move toward implementing healthcare information technology (HIT). The regulations and requirements for the rapid deployment of software products, however, have a net limiting effect on the ability to evaluate the practical utility of HIT. The ultimate goal of HIT adoption is a health information exchange (HIE), a national infrastructure to provide a network where health information can be exchanged among hospital and physician offices using electronic medical records (EMRs). The field of health technology assessment (HTA) originated in the 1970s, when a growing array of costly medical equipment concerned taxpayers and health insurers regarding their ability and willingness to fund their use. HTA has an increasing role in national health policy development, which has determined the relative value of investment. HTA provides information for healthcare decision makers at macro-, meso-, and micro-levels.
