eHealth Initiative Applaudes President-Elect Obama's Recognition of the Importance of Information Technology to Improve U.S. Health C...( WASHINGTON Dec. 8 -- The independen...),Health

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The independent, non-profit, eHealth Initiative applauds President-Elect Obama's inclusion of electronic medical records for every doctor's office and hospital in the country in his Economic Recovery Plan, key elements of which were announced as part of his December 6, 2008 Weekly Radio Address (http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/the_key_parts_of_the_jobs_plan/).

"The effective adoption of health information technology and electronic, secure health information exchange promises to transform care delivery, improve the health of the American population, and enable individuals to more effectively manage their health and health care. We look forward to supporting President-Elect Obama and the new Administration in driving transformation of our health care system," said Janet Marchibroda, chief executive officer of the eHealth Initiative.

The eHealth Initiative (eHI) engages multiple stakeholders, including clinicians, consumers, employers, health plans, health information technology companies, hospitals and other providers, laboratories, pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacies, and state and local leaders to reach agreement on and drive the adoption of common principles, policies and best practices for improving the quality, safety and efficiency of health care through information and information technology.

Last year, eHI released the eHealth Initiative Blueprint: From Consensus to Common Action, representing multi-stakeholder consensus on a shared vision and a set of principles, strategies and actions for improving health and health care through information and information technology. The eHI Blueprint is publicly available and can be accessed at