NQF Identification and Prioritization of HIT Patient Safety Measures

"Adoption and implementation of health information technology (HIT) is widely viewed as essential to the transformation of healthcare, and a key to satisfying the diverse needs of stakeholders burdened by rising costs, inefficiency, preventable errors, and poor quality of care. With proper design, implementation, and use, HIT promises the ability to reduce medical errors and improve quality of care. Yet while the use of HIT presents many new opportunities to improve patient care and safety, it can also create new hazards and opportunities for error. HIT will fulfill its potential only if the risks associated with its use are identified and a coordinated effort is developed to mitigate those risks. Accordingly, there is a need for measures to help identify the nature, scope, and prevalence of HIT-related safety issues and to assess how well providers, vendors, and others are preventing and/or mitigating HIT-related safety concerns."