Small Health IT Firms Overlooked

U.S. health-care providers making the transition to electronic health records are underutilizing small health IT firms and potentially hampering implementation efforts nationwide, an IT trade group argues in a new report.

Small practices in particular could benefit from the expertise and affordability of small- to medium-sized health IT firms, says Elizabeth Hyman, vice president for public advocacy at Washington, D.C.-based CompTIA, a non-profit association for the IT industry, and co-author of the group's white paper.

The report, "Health IT: The Essential Role of Small IT Solution Providers," claims that IT professionals are not fully integrated into the assistance provided by Regional Extension Centers (RECs) for medical practices implementing EHRs.

"In some cases, RECs are doing very little to establish a connection between small IT firms and small medical providers, which leaves small medical providers without a vital component of a successful EHR transition," the report says. "While most RECs identify themselves as vendor-neutral, many have preferred vendor lists that vary significantly in terms of preferred vendors and overall structure."

The organization also argues that provisions against data breaches "place unfair burdens on IT professionals" -- up to $1.5 million in fines, which the report calls "a crushing amount for a business with 20 employees or [fewer]." While security protections are appropriate, the report says, navigating a patchwork of state requirements represents a major barrier for smaller firms.

The report recommends standardizing data-breach requirements and penalties under the federal Health IT for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.