by Joseph Ingemi

I recently read in the New York Times that, in an effort to ensure medication and adherence and prevent hospitalizations, various programs are paying people to take their medicine. One program uses a digital pillbox to monitor compliance.

The article goes on to discuss other innovations, such as insurance companies rewarding doctors for prescribing medications that help prevent hospitalizations. Such preventive and pay-for-performance measures are key components of the new healthcare reform law.

I think the lesson learned here is the true importance of health IT. These payment innovations are made easier by health IT. As a result, we'll save money by preventing future hospitalizations and thereby improve productivity -- and better productivity is exactly what our healthcare system needs.

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But adopting health IT is not as easy as many advocates claim. Adoption requires a capital investment, process re-engineering, and a new set of skills for an already overburdened workforce. However, if we reduce long-term costs or even "bend the cost curve," health IT and its yet-to-be discovered productivity enhancements are critical.

However, also critical will be for government regulations to encourage innovation. If regulations become too tough, the adoption of health IT will simply be a burdensome "check-the-box" requirement. Providers will not desire innovation and the IT community will be slow to develop them.

The federal government was right to encourage the use of Health IT. Now, it must be judicial as it attempts to regulate it.

Joseph Ingemi is a blogger, Certified Information Systems Auditor, and certified Project Management Professional who writes about healthcare IT issues. He also consults on healthcare IT issues through his company, Pinarus Technologies.