True Record Interoperability : CAN OUR INSURANCE COMPANIES HELP BRIDGE THE GAP?

The debate over the value of health information technology has is ongoing. The issue has come under increased scrutiny after delivery of the Executive Order 13335 and when the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) was organized. In 2005, the American Health Information Community (AHIC) was organized to provide feedback to the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) and accelerate the implementation and interoperability of health information technology (Redhead, 2009). In 2009 the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA; H.R.1) was signed and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was incorporated. The HITECH Act calls for "widespread adoption of health information technology for the sharing of clinical data among hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare stakeholders" (Redhead, 2009). Within the HITECH Act is the requirement for interoperability of electronic medical records (EMR) nationwide and the creation of a National Health Information Network (NHIN).