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The costs of a national health information network.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kaushal, R; Blumenthal, D; Poon, EG; Jha, AK; Franz, C; Middleton, B; Glaser, J; Kuperman, G; Christino, M; Fernandopulle, R; Newhouse, JP ...
Published in: Annals of internal medicine
August 2005

The use of information technology may result in a safer and more efficient health care system. However, consensus does not exist about the structure or costs of a national health information network (NHIN).To describe the potential structure and estimate the costs of an NHIN.Cost estimates of an NHIN model developed by an expert panel.U.S. health care system.An expert panel estimated the existing and the expected prevalence in 5 years of critical information technology functionalities. They then developed a model of an achievable NHIN by defining key providers, functionalities, and interoperability functions. By using these data and published cost estimates, the authors determined the cost of achieving this model NHIN in 5 years given the current state of information technology infrastructure.To achieve an NHIN would cost 156 billion dollars in capital investment over 5 years and 48 billion dollars in annual operating costs. Approximately two thirds of the capital costs would be required for acquiring functionalities and one third for interoperability. Ongoing costs would be more evenly divided between functionality and interoperability. If the current trajectory continues, the health care system will spend 24 billion dollars on functionalities over the next 5 years or about one quarter of the cost for functionalities of a model NHIN.Because of a lack of primary data, the authors relied on expert estimates.While an NHIN will be expensive, 156 billion dollars is equivalent to 2% of annual health care spending for 5 years. Assessments such as this one may assist policymakers in determining the level of investment that the United States should make in an NHIN.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Annals of internal medicine

DOI

EISSN

1539-3704

ISSN

0003-4819

Publication Date

August 2005

Volume

143

Issue

3

Start / End Page

165 / 173

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Medical Records Systems, Computerized
  • Information Services
  • Humans
  • Health Facilities
  • Health Expenditures
  • General & Internal Medicine
  • 3202 Clinical sciences
  • 11 Medical and Health Sciences
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Kaushal, R., Blumenthal, D., Poon, E. G., Jha, A. K., Franz, C., Middleton, B., … Cost of National Health Information Network Working Group, . (2005). The costs of a national health information network. Annals of Internal Medicine, 143(3), 165–173. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-143-3-200508020-00002
Kaushal, Rainu, David Blumenthal, Eric G. Poon, Ashish K. Jha, Calvin Franz, Blackford Middleton, John Glaser, et al. “The costs of a national health information network.Annals of Internal Medicine 143, no. 3 (August 2005): 165–73. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-143-3-200508020-00002.
Kaushal R, Blumenthal D, Poon EG, Jha AK, Franz C, Middleton B, et al. The costs of a national health information network. Annals of internal medicine. 2005 Aug;143(3):165–73.
Kaushal, Rainu, et al. “The costs of a national health information network.Annals of Internal Medicine, vol. 143, no. 3, Aug. 2005, pp. 165–73. Epmc, doi:10.7326/0003-4819-143-3-200508020-00002.
Kaushal R, Blumenthal D, Poon EG, Jha AK, Franz C, Middleton B, Glaser J, Kuperman G, Christino M, Fernandopulle R, Newhouse JP, Bates DW, Cost of National Health Information Network Working Group. The costs of a national health information network. Annals of internal medicine. 2005 Aug;143(3):165–173.

Published In

Annals of internal medicine

DOI

EISSN

1539-3704

ISSN

0003-4819

Publication Date

August 2005

Volume

143

Issue

3

Start / End Page

165 / 173

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Medical Records Systems, Computerized
  • Information Services
  • Humans
  • Health Facilities
  • Health Expenditures
  • General & Internal Medicine
  • 3202 Clinical sciences
  • 11 Medical and Health Sciences