From the CEO

 | April 17, 2007

From the CEO

A decade ago, most of us would have found the concepts of "global aging" and "health information technology" to be relatively new issues. Today, they are front burner issues worldwide…and deeply interrelated.

Baby boomers, who will soon begin to reach traditional retirement age here in the United States, comprise a generation that has witnessed dramatic technological and demographic change. As they have aged, they've gone from mono to stereo to surround sound, from LP to CD to MP3, from snail mail to email, from local savings banks to ATMs, to PIN numbers and online banking. Information technology has become part of everyday life in virtually all areas-except health care. Now, for the boomers and the benefit of all citizens, our health care system must also change to catch up with the times.

Implementing health information technology is essential to creating an efficient, high-quality health care system. Still, broad adoption of Health IT has been sluggish. Policy initiatives by the Bush administration have brought it to the forefront of current health care policy discussions. With its arrival has been debate among various stakeholders on its delivery. An important question to address is how the US can implement Health IT programs in a way that is palatable to health care professionals, providers and patients alike. As with many vital topics changing our health care and economic security landscape, we can often look to other countries to exchange and compare experiences and best practices.

The UK, Canada, Australia and France are currently implementing national health IT and personal health record infrastructures, and we are keenly observing how their actions will take effect, to assist in informing our own plans.

The topic of this Global Report on Aging, Personal Health Records (PHRs), is one where health care professionals and patients can experience a great deal of change and innovation. Its benefits can be substantial; however, many people are concerned that a potential paperless environment invariably puts patients' privacy at risk. We at AARP feel that we must take great care in ensuring that patients' rights are respected as we move forward with implementation of health IT infrastructures.

Health Information Technology holds great promise. Patients will have access to information on their care, faster and safer illness diagnosis and electronic prescription of medications. Moreover, a national, interoperable health information infrastructure offers opportunities for improved health care quality, reduced medical errors, enhanced patient and clinician decision support and, potentially, reduced costs. Implementing health information technology will be costly up front, and it is important that we make the investment and pay for it now and not leave the bills to the next generation. But the return on that investment will be high, not only in terms of reduced costs, but also in better quality care, a more efficient health care system and saved lives.

A key part of our mission at AARP is to ensure that people 50+ will have independence, choice and control when making decisions on their health care. Health information technology, prudently designed and implemented, helps achieve that goal by enabling patients to take a more active role in their health and long-term care.

William D. Novelli, Chief Executive Officer, AARP