IT critical to new health learning system

For America to consistently deliver reliable performance and improve patient outcomes, providers must apply computing capabilities and analytical tools that allow clinicians to share real-time insights from routine patient care. In short, the entire U.S. healthcare system must transform itself into a continuous learning machine that drives efficiency and curbs costs, a new study released by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concludes. Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America says the healthcare industry, unlike the banking, airline, and auto industries, lags far behind in its ability to establish the practices and procedures that raise its performance level.