Health Information Technology: A Path to Improved Care Transitions and Proactive Patient Care.

DECISION making; DIFFUSION of innovations; ELECTRONIC data interchange; HEALTH; INFORMATION technology; INVESTMENTS; QUALITY assurance; INFORMATION resources; SYSTEM integration; ACCESS to information; TRANSITIONAL programs (Education); PATIENT Protection & Affordable Care Act; ELECTRONIC health records; MEDICATION reconciliation

This article presents a discussion of the status of health information technology (IT) in the United States, and technology's role in improving care transitions. The article also describes a multi-sector effort to promote high-quality, IT-enabled care transitions that led to a 2011 national conference, 'Putting the IT in Care TransITions,' and subsequent ongoing efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]