Healthcare IT is a specialized area of information processing that deals with the storage, recovery, distribution and use of health care data.

Healthcare IT relies on the secure storage and transmission of electronic health records (EHRs), instead of paper medical records, to support quality care.

In recent decades, the U.S. government has been driving the advancement of healthcare IT by introducing regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA, along with other government and industry standards, was intended to improve the efficiency of the American healthcare system and push the use of electronic health records in the nation’s healthcare system. And as healthcare systems and insurance carriers seek and maintain compliance, the demands on healthcare IT systems continue to grow.

Today’s Healthcare IT systems allow healthcare providers to exchange accurate and complete information about a patient’s health. They also allow patients to securely access their medical records over the internet. Ultimately, the goals of healthcare IT are to make healthcare systems more efficient, decrease medical errors, and supply more reliable care at reduced costs.