Medicare's next voyage: encouraging physicians to adopt health information technology.

Although there is growing consensus that health information technology (HIT) will be critical to improving health care quality and reducing costs, physicians' investments in technology remain limited. As the largest single U.S. purchaser of health care services, Medicare has the power to promote physician adoption of HIT. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should clarify its technology objectives, engage the physician community, shape the development of standards and technology certification criteria, and adopt concrete payment systems to promote adoption of meaningful technology that furthers the interests of Medicare beneficiaries.