Datamonitor analyst studies presidential candidates' effects on healthcare technology

LONDON Christine Chang is a health care technology analyst for Datamonitor and she recently released her views on the 2008 presidential election’s impact on health care information technology in the United States.

According to Chang, “The 2008 Presidential election has been one of the best things that could have happened for healthcare and thus, healthcare technology in the US, in large part because of Hillary Clinton’s decision to run.” Clinton has placed health care as a top priority in her campaign and therefore has made her challengers address the issue as well.

Clinton plans to institute a new e-paperless‚ health information technology system to improve quality of care and decrease costs. She would provide financial incentives as well as funding for providers to adopt healthcare IT. Additionally, Clinton would champion computerized physician order entry and require providers taking part in Medicare and Medicaid to use technology in their practices.

Barack Obama plans on spending $10 billion annually over the next five years on health care information technology. Obama also mentions spending money on electronic health records as well.

John McCain has talked about using telehealth, which is technology that European countries have used. Telehealth is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunications technologies. It can include groups or individuals exchanging health service via videoconferencing, or simply online information and health data management. According to Chang, “This policy would enable clinicians using telehealth to gain the full benefits of the technology by allowing them to practice across state lines.”

Datamonitor is pleased by the effort of all three candidates to include health information technology in some way in their campaigns.