Are You on the Health Information Technology Bandwagon?

Use of health information technology (HIT) is thought to improve the quality of care while decreasing the costs of care; however, the use of information technology in the health care industry has lagged far behind the business world and nowhere is it more evident than in nursing homes (NHs). In a PubMed literature search for HIT in NHs only 102 citations came up and most of those were not in peer-reviewed journals, emphasizing the lack of research in this area. The issues that must be considered before implementing information technology in the NH are numerous including cost, functionality, portability, and technical support.