[Commentary] Congress took a big step toward a digital health care system by including the health information technology provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. But if we are to have real health care reform, a greater health IT effort is required than what was accomplished in ARRA. Let's make a serious effort at projecting the intersection of new technologies and evolving health needs. How can IT keep people healthier and more independent longer? How can IT help individuals, families and clinicians care for those with illnesses? What technologies from other sectors can be brought to bear in health care? What new uses can be found for the volumes of data we have and the oceans of data we will be acquiring? Some see the confluence of biologic/genetic data and clinical data. What can we do with this information to predict and prevent disease? What opportunities are there to re-engineer the process of medicine and the delivery of care once health IT is ubiquitous? How does a small but highly connected physician practice change its work flow, re-architect its office and clinical space? What about virtual examinations? With new generations of sensors and connected devices, is the standard physician office necessary? What will be the most efficient, highest quality way to deliver care, taking advantage of the health IT that lies over the horizon? How does a digital health system support effective and efficient knowledge transfer? It is generally accepted that the quality and flow of new empirical knowledge is too great for any clinician to keep current. What tools, data flows, and decision support technologies can be developed and delivered to allow clinicians to make the best judgments about the right care for each patient?
