Introduction

Health information technology (IT) plays a substantial role in performance measurement in many locations, particularly as such measurement programmes seek to involve a broad-based collection of health systems, payers, hospitals and individual clinicians. This role should soon become even greater as information technologies (e.g. electronic health records, data warehouses, electronic claims) can provide ready access to the clinical information required to assess quality of care across a broad spectrum of conditions and among large populations.

Electronic information systems have distinct advantages over paper review and administrative data, including the standardization of data collection; provision of expanded clinical detail; and the ability to update information in real time. However, these benefits are accompanied by significant upfront and ongoing challenges such as developing the infrastructure for installing and maintaining such systems; standardizing data collection; and ensuring comparability across systems. Despite this, clinical information systems should soon become the key platform for performance measurement in developed countries and will also play a substantial role in future programmes for improving health-care quality.

This chapter explores several key issues regarding the use of IT for performance measurement, including the required infrastructure for, and penetration of, such technology; its potential capabilities; and specific issues that arise when IT is used to measure quality of care.