Health information technology and health information exchange in New York State: new initiatives in implementation and evaluation.

More research is needed to understand the effects of health information technology (HIT) and health information exchange (HIE) on quality, safety, efficiency, finances, consumers and providers in community-based settings. New York State is investing heavily in HIT and HIE adoption through the HEAL NY program. It has already provided $53 million in seed money and requires that grantee organizations match the funds. HITEC (The Health Information Technology Evaluation Collaborative) was established to measure systematically the effects of HIT and HIE on consumers, providers, health care quality, patient safety, public health, and financial return on investment in New York State, as no individual grantee is able to conduct cross-cutting evaluations. The results of these evaluations should inform decisions made by leaders in HIT and HIE in New York State and across the nation.