1. Health information technology (IT) is rapidly evolving and advancing toward its goal of improving quality of care, enhancing efficiency, and reducing costs.

2. To be effective, health IT systems must

A.  be patient-centered and market driven;

B.  be based on reasonable standards and sound policies developed with input from stakeholders including consumers, government, clinicians, hospitals, health plans, vendors, manufacturers, and others;

C.  protect the privacy and security of all patient-identifiable health information;

D.  promote interoperability; and

E.  ensure the accuracy, completeness and uniformity of data.

3. Widespread adoption of health information technology—critical to its success—can best be achieved if:

A.  the market provides users with a variety of products from which to choose those best suited to their needs, providing that those products are interoperable;

B.  there are incentives for providers to adopt the use of health IT and rewards for providers who improve health care quality and efficiency through the use of health IT;

C.  system managers implement protocols for addressing critical problems such as the unauthorized disclosure of protected patient-identifiable health information and inaccurate or incomplete data; and

D.  the systems are financed by all who benefit from the increased quality, efficiency and savings that result from such technology—employers and other payers, state and federal governments, health plans, health care providers, and others.

Reapproved by ALEC Board of Directors on January 28, 2013.