GAO Reiterates Call for HHS To Create National Health IT Strategy

The Government Accountability Office has released a report that called on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a detailed implementation strategy for meeting President Bush's goal of widespread, interoperable electronic health records by 2014. The report, titled "Health IT: HHS is Pursuing Efforts to Advance Nationwide Implementation, but Has Not Yet Completed a National Strategy," said a strategy would "help ensure that HHS' various health IT initiatives are integrated and effectively support the goal of widespread adoption of interoperable" EHRs. In March 2006, HHS told GAO investigators that it planned to release a health IT strategic plan later that year. However, according to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's fiscal year 2009 performance plans, the office now has prepared a draft strategic plan that it intends to release in the second quarter of 2008. GAO has made the recommendation four times since May 2005. http://www.gao.gov/docsearch/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-08-499T