Iowa Promotes Adoption of
Health Information Technology

June 7, 2006

West Des Moines, IA - Health care and policy leaders are meeting in Washington, D.C., June 5 to 9 for National Health IT Week to promote the adoption of health information technology. The Iowa Foundation for Medical Care, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Iowa, is hard at work accelerating physician adoption of health information technology through the Doctor's Office Quality-Information Technology (DOQ-IT) program, a national initiative that promotes the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems.

EHRs can help physicians ensure that patients get recommended care for the treatment of chronic illnesses such as diabetes. EHRs can streamline processes to make it easier for the doctor and patient to assess the effectiveness of certain treatments, and can reduce costs by eliminating staff time needed to handle paper-based records.

To showcase the clinical value of implementing EHRs and other technologies, the Iowa Health Information Technology (HIT) Initiative is hosting the second annual Summit on Health Information Technology.

The summit is scheduled for Thursday, August 24, at the Sheraton Hotel in West Des Moines. The purpose is to share ideas across health care settings in Iowa related to health information technology and health information exchange. National and local speakers will be featured.

The Iowa HIT Initiative is led by the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care and the Iowa Medical Society in partnership with over 30 other health care organizations to advance an innovative health care environment in Iowa. This collaborative is a forum for Iowa’s health care community to exchange ideas regarding adoption of health information technology, including EHRs.

Media Contact:
Deb Innis 515-440-8224