Health IT and Disparities
HITECH Report: Understanding the Impact of Health IT in Underserved Communities and Those With Health Disparities [PDF - 993 KB]
This report contributes to the understanding of how providers in medically underserved communities and communities with disparities can effectively implement health IT. After an initial overview of underserved communities as well as key functionalities of health IT, the report examines the potential impact of health IT in communities with health disparities, as well as how health IT is being used to reduce and better manage chronic disease in these communities. The report also presents in-depth information about policies and programs used to increase adoption of health IT in communities with disparities, including strategies that underlie the programs and efforts to address barriers to health IT implementation.
Case Studies exploring innovative applications of health IT to address the needs of underserved
This collection of case studies highlight how communities and providers use health IT to address the needs of populations experiencing disparities in access, quality of care, and health outcomes. Each case study discusses the type of intervention used and the providers and populations involved, providing detail on stakeholders' experience adopting and using various health IT solutions to improve health care delivery and outcomes for vulnerable groups.
- Enabling service: Using health IT to ensure patients receive more than just health care [PDF - 749 KB]
- Promoting and tracking wellness behaviors within an existing case-management program [PDF - 682 KB]
- Using health IT to improve quality, coordination, and access for rural and migrant populations [PDF - 726 KB]
- Leveraging health IT to provide quality care [PDF - 637 KB]
- PHRs: Connecting at-risk youth to health and social services [PDF - 637 KB]
- Using multi-modal health IT tools to improve quality and delivery of care in an urban setting [PDF - 650 KB]
- Using telehealth to improve chronic disease management [PDF - 678 KB]
- GAHITREC: Helping eligible providers reach Meaningful Use [PDF - 696 KB]
- Using telepsychiatry for the treatment of depression in underserved Hispanic [PDF - 692 KB]
*This briefing paper summarizes existing knowledge in this area, focusing on the nature of health disparities, potential impact of health IT, current uses of health IT in communities with disparities and the underserved, as well as challenges among providers serving populations experiencing disparities.